318 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



everything, even to the name of the stevi^ard, who was 

 called the maitre d' hotel. 



At two o'clock we went on board the Melanie. She 

 was about the same size, and if we had not seen the 

 Belle Poule first, we should have been delighted with 

 her. The comfort and luxury of these " homes on the 

 sea" were in striking contrast with the poverty and 

 misery of the desolate shore. The captain of the Belle 

 Poule came on board to dine. It was a pleasure to us 

 to see the delight with which these two Bordeaux men 

 and their crews met on this distant shore. Cape Horn, 

 Peru, and Chili were the subjects of conversation, and 

 we found on board a file of papers, which gave us the 

 latest news from our friends in the Sandwich Islands. 

 Mr. C. and the captain of the Belle Poule remained on 

 board till we got under way. We bade them good-by 

 over the railing ; the evening breeze filled our sails ; 

 for a few moments we saw them, a dark spot on the 

 water ; the wave sank, and we lost sight of them en- 

 tirely. 



I remained on deck but a short time. I was the 

 only passenger, and the maitre d'hotel made me a bed 

 with settees directly under the stern windows, but I 

 could not sleep. Even with windows and doors wide 

 open the cabin was excessively warm ; the air was 

 heated, and it was full of moschetoes. The captain 

 and mates slept on deck. I was advised not to do so, 

 but at twelve o'clock I went out. It was bright star- 

 light ; the sails were flapping against the mast ; the 

 ocean was like a sheet of glass, and the coast dark and 

 irregular, gloomy, and portentous with volcanoes. The 

 great bear was almost upon me, the north star was 

 lower than I had ever seen it before, and, like myself, 

 seemed waning. A young sailor of the watch on deck 



