SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 7 



them lit on deck. I ate one for my supper. They are not 

 unlike herrings; and fly, it seems, in order to cool themselves 

 by evaporation; for they do not rise in the night, and always 

 replunge into the water as soon as their wings are dry. The 

 heat was become excessive: the nautilus sailing with his fan; 

 and the cerulean brilliance of the dorado moved by goldew 

 fins, were new objects to mc 



On the 8th our main-top-gallant mast caught fire from the 

 friction of a rope newly tarred. This accident retarded us ; 

 we fell astern of the whole convoy, but recovered our dis- 

 tance a day or two after, though we were all equally assisted 

 by the trade-wind. Some days before we made land the co- 

 lour of the sea changed from a deep sky blue to an olive 

 tinge, as if there was mud below ; but the water when exa- 

 mined in a glass shewed no sign of tui'bidness. 



After a passage of seven weeks it may naturally be supposed 

 we were very happy when one of the seamen from the fore- 

 top-gallant mast head gave us the joyful warning of Land, 

 ahead," which was on the '2Mh of February. The ship 

 Henry, with which we were then in company, having parted 

 convoy in the latitude of Barbadoes, made us a signal " for 

 land discovered on the weather bow." Captain Barrow then 

 went aloft with a glass, and saw plainly a long range of coast 

 running off, east, to west, distant about five leagues — the land 



