808 



lowest island can be recognized at a great dis- 

 tance. 



November 29M. — We still saw very distinctly 

 at sunrise, the summit of the Silla of Caraccas 

 almost touching the horizon of the sea. We 

 believed we were 39 or 40 leagues distant, 

 which, regarding the height of the mountain as 

 being well determined (1350 toises), its astro- 

 nomical position, and that of the ship, would 

 indicate rather a strong refraction for that la- 

 titude, between l-6th and l-7th. At noon, every 

 thing denoted a change of weather towards the 

 north ; the atmosphere* suddenly cooled to 12.8°, 

 while the sea preserved a temperature of 25.6°, 

 at its surface. At the moment of the observa- 

 tion of noon, the oscillations of the horizon, 

 crossed by streaks or black bands of very vari- 

 able size, produced changes of refraction -f- 

 from 3' to 4'. The sea became rough in very 

 calm weather, and every thing announced a 

 stormy passage between the island of Cayman 

 and the cape Saint Antoine. On the 30th of 

 November, the wind veered suddenly to N.N.E., 

 and the surge rose to a considerable height. 

 The sky displayed on the north a darkish blue 



* The temperature is estimated by the centesimal ther- 

 mometer wherever the contrary is not expressly indicated. 



f I estimate those changes by the quantity which the 

 height of the sun suddenly augmented after its passage by 

 the meridian. 



