FROM LONDON TO TAMATAVE. 
7 
veyed themselves to the highest and most in¬ 
accessible peaks, from which they surveyed our 
movements with quaking cries and utterances of 
terror and despair. 
As we left Trinidad to return to the Sea 
Breeze, which awaited us in the offing, we were 
suddenly exposed to a danger which is not 
uncommon in these waters. The wind, striking 
the high and rugged cliffs of the island, rushes 
through the enormous fissures, and falls upon the 
waters with great violence, in the shape of a 
miniature cyclone, which rushes over the surface, 
raising a furious wash in its wake, and exhausting 
itself at length out in the open sea. The only 
safety is to down sail instantly, or the boat will 
be twisted round and round for a few minutes like 
a mere cork, and then overturned in the foaming 
billows. We were unconscious of this local peril; 
and whilst we were busily engaged in examining 
the spoils we had brought off with us, we were 
suddenly startled by seeing the vigilant captain 
snatch out his knife and cut the rope which sup¬ 
ported the sail of our little craft. The loosened 
sail fell with a crash amongst us, but not a 
moment too soon ; for we instantly heard a sharp 
whistling sound, and saw the waters all around 
us washing and foaming, and lashed with fearful 
energy by the circular storm which passed over 
our heads, and away into the distance, happily 
