290 
SOUTH SEA 
on his dangerous path, to dispel the darkness which 
adds much to his discomfiture, and to cheer him from 
his gloomy imaginativeness of being near dangers which 
he cannot perceive. The sun rose, appearing to spring 
out of the ocean, of a crimson hue ; wild and tattered 
seemed the clouds which hung around him, gilded from 
his effulgence : he looked like a stern warrior rising 
from the fight, with his mantle tom and bloody, his 
enemies lying prostrate and conquered, and encom- 
passed with the darkness of night. Surrounded with 
glory, he rose from out the dark roar of the elements 
with heaven-born majesty, securing by his presence har- 
monious peace, and giving to oblivion the horrors of the 
past night. 
The cheering light of day being once more fully esta- 
blished, myself and the mate commenced to climb up 
one of the rocky eminences wdiich overlooked the sea, 
for the purpose of gaining, if possible, a view of the 
ship. After some labour, danger, and difficulty, we suc- 
ceeded in gaining the uppermost pinnacle of the rocks, 
and casting our eyes around, beheld one of the finest 
scenes in nature. Below, the fluid element, uneven and 
broken, but losing rapidly the quickness of its motion— 
the giant waves slowly and lazily tumbling against each 
other, on account of the lessening of the wind, but the 
surf still rolling in enormous masses over the rocks, 
darting its snow-white foam in some places to a consi- 
derable height. In an opposite direction stood the 
tamana forest, imitating in its waving motion a gently 
troubled sea. But while w r e were both silent, and ob- 
serving the different natural objects which quickly pre- 
