guardian angel, as I went on this, to her mind, perilous expedition. At the first moment of seeing over the sandy isthmus, I made some exclamation of surprise, and then endeavoured to explain what I saw. A confused idea crossed my mind, that we were somewhere on the Spanish Main; and, on coming down, I told her what I thought. "Well, be it as it may," said she, "we have felt that God is gracious, and we will rest entirely upon his providence." I wished her to land again, as I had fire arms; saying, we would walk under the rocks, to the further side of the isthmus. "I will do so, if you wish it," she replied; "but I think it were better to defer it until the morning; and in the mean time we can do something for the poor goat that has broken its leg; and make some other arrangements here, for which there is much need." I instantly acquiesced, perceiving at once the reasonableness of the suggestion; for I had been impelled to make the proposal, by some indescribable curiosity, and nothing

more.

I got the poor goat upon deck, and bound up its broken leg in the best way I could; then, bringing up the other, gave them half a dozen plantains, which they ate eagerly. All our vegetable stock, brought from Kingston, had been put into the steerage in hampers: into this place there was a door from under the companion ladder, but there was also a small hatch over the steerage, which had been battened down during the gale, and I was obliged to remove it before I could make my way to any thing below. Here were the sailors' berths, and

chests, and a few yams and plantains, which they had provided to eat with their salt meat: they also kept a bag here for biscuits, and supplied it at their pleasure. Our former discovery of biscuit was nearly exhausted; but, on finding this new store, we gave the remainder in our bag, which was almost dust, to the few fowls and ducks that had survived the storm; their feathers were now dry, and they looked quite cheery. The sun being set, the evening came on apace; we therefore retired to our cabin, closing the companion door after us. Hitherto we had been satisfied with occasional bursts of gratitude to our heavenly Father, for his providential care of us; but now we went upon our knees, and with our whole souls, rendered to him the due sacrifice of praise and prayer.

We lay down in peace and thankfulness; but notwithstanding this happy frame of mind, our slumbers were disturbed, by the noises of the preceding night yet ringing in our ears. We arose with the dawn, the cool freshness of which was truly delightful: a couple of oranges, with biscuit, was our breakfast; and, still finding water in the tea-kettle, we drank some of it, mixed with a little wine. “Now, my Eliza,” said I, “will you venture on shore, and let us explore the other side of thei sthmus?" — "Yes," she replied, "I will go cheerfully now." I took two of the muskets, and gave to her a boarding-pike to carry as a staff, and to have recourse to for defence, if necessary; and, with our faithful little dog, we descended at one step from the brig's side to the rock. I shouldered both the

muskets, and keeping up as yet the good old fashion of England, she took my right arm with her left, but holding in the other her spear-pointed staff.

We thus proceeded to cross the isthmus, close under the precipitous promontory; when, after walking about two hundred yards, or rather more, I observed a chasm, or falling back of the rock, in the recess of which our eyes were delighted with the sight of many acacias and some other small trees. Having gained the summit of the sand-hills, we suddenly had a distinct view of the fine sheet of water beyond, with land on every side of it. The sea breeze was faint, and the water but gently stirring with the breeze. It was a charming scene; we stopped a few minutes to gaze on it, then proceeded to gain the margin of the lake. The rocks continued stupendous, but less precipitous; being wooded high up, more or less, with palmettos and some other small trees. When we came within about two hundred yards of the beach, they terminated abruptly, presenting a high front to the west; opposite to which lay a low black rock, that stretched itself into the lake nearly one hundred yards; and between these rocky opposites the sand of the isthmus seemed still to spread. When we came to this point, we looked round the face of the promontory that now appeared before us, and had the inexpressible delight to see at no great distance a spring of water, gushing forth in an ample stream clear as crystal. We instantly made towards it, and simultaneously thought of the Israelites in the desert, and we blessed their God and ours; both of us feeling that the gracious words of his mercy were literally veri

fied unto us, giving us "rivers of water in a dry place, and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."

Fidele was the first to taste the pleasant stream: we quickly joined him, and with the palms of our hands partook of the cool and delicious water with great eagerness. This was a discovery that promised us lasting comfort: we took our seat on a piece of rock close to its source, and felt as if we never could tire in gazing on it, as it flowed from its stony bed, running in a clear little stream among some trees, that grew between it and the lake.

As we sat in a sort of ecstatic reverie, the dog barked: I seized one of the guns, which lay by me: Eliza looked earnestly at me, but with full selfpossession: we were on our feet in a moment: she took up the other gun, holding it in one hand, with the boarding pike in the other, ready to give me either, as occasion might require. Fidele continued to bark, keeping his head towards the rock a little beyond us. We listened, but could hear nothing I looked up and all around; nothing appeared. We fully expected a surprise from some of the natives at last I heard a noise just above us; Fidele scrambled towards it; I cocked the gun; I feared a something,-a wild beast perhaps; I knew not what; we did not see our enemy. I had no share in the fight; Fidele killed him in an instant; I heard him squeak; but what he was, I had no idea. I clambered up into the brushwood, where the encounter had taken place, and there saw a large iguana; which, in superstitious times, might

have been exhibited as a dragon. I drew him forth with our pike; and as we looked on him with much curiosity, the brave little dog wagged his tail, showing he sought that commendation which was and is ever due to valour; and we liberally bestowed it on him. I took up the iguana, for I had learned in Jamaica the creature was esteemed a great delicacy, eating like chicken.

Trifling as the incident may appear, our nerves had received a little shock during this adventure; but we again rested on the rock, and then returned by the way we came to our ship. I deposited the iguana; and, after much persuasion, Eliza allowed me to go, accompanied by Fidele and a musket, back to the fountain for a supply of water: I did so, and quickly returned, without any accident. The loss of the gabbose during the hurricane we did not know how to remedy; we were afraid to light a fire on board, without a fire-place, lest we should burn the ship; and we felt unwilling to trust ourselves on shore to cook our victuals: but the last was the least dangerous alternative, and being armed, we resolved not to allow our late groundless panic to prevent us from adopting it. I made up a fit place of stones among the rocks, a little beyond the brig's bow, and there kindled a fire in the same way I had done on the day before; while my wife got out some tea and sugar, and the metal tea-pot, and a couple of tin mugs, that had resisted the smashing effects of the hurricane. I boiled the kettle, (first reserving two or three quarts of water for other purposes,) then roasted a couple of plantains, and in half an hour we sat