10 



NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, motive of procuring food, particularly on the eve of an 

 ^ ' ; approaching ftorm, of v^hich he appears perfedlly fen- 

 lible. The circumftance which chiefly entitles the do- 

 rado to our attention is, the unrivalled and dazzling bril- 

 liancy of its colours in the Vv^ater, the whole of its back 

 • being enamelled with fpots between azure blue and a 

 refle6ting light fea-green, on a very dark ground, which 

 appears as befpangled all over with jewels, and forms 

 „a moft beautiful contrail to the belly, which is of a 

 whitifli caft; the fins and tail are of a golden dye: the 

 length of this animal is from five to fix feet, and its form 

 tapers from the head towards the tail, which is divided, 

 and terminates not unlike the fliape of a crefcent. The 

 head is round, and preceded by a kind of fnout ; the jaws 

 are armed with feveral fliarp teeth, and the eyes are 

 remarkably large. The fcales of the dorado are uncom- 

 monly fmall, and it is furniihed with a fin, which runs 

 along its back from the one extremity to the other. 



Our progrefs was now daily marked by increafing 

 warm weather, which releafed me from the confinement 

 of a difagreeable cabin crowded with officers, moH of 

 whom had never been to fea, aud enabled me to purfue 

 my favourite amufements, whether of reading above deck, 

 or exercife in the rigging. Thus circumftanced I, on the 

 17th, had the happinefs of rendering a moft important 

 fervice to one of our young officers, a Mr. du Moulin^ 

 who by a fudden roll of the veifel was adtually thrown 

 over the gunwale ; at that moment happening to ftand 

 2 without;- 



