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; 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

I

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

down to the most comfortable repast I ever enjoyed. We were thankful to the Author of all bounty; which sense of gratitude to him is not the least of his best gifts.

During my absence at the fire, Eliza had not neglected to dispense some of the water I had reserved, amongst our thirsty ducks and fowls; the former of which were in great want of it; and as she had discovered the bread-locker, nearly half full of biscuit, and a bag in it, with Indian corn, that had been brought on board to feed the poultry with, she gave the poor things a good meal. Those which had been drowned, were now becoming putrid; so that I thought it best to throw them overboard, and I did so this was a foolish act, for it drew some sharks into the creek next day : they soon devoured the dead poultry, but continued to haunt us for a good while, to our terror, as by some accident we might possibly fall between the vessel's side and the rocks, some time or other in passing; and then their jaws would speedily become our executioners.

We sat below for a few hours, in the heat of the day, and took a survey of our situation: the discussion was too various to admit of being noted down here, but I proceeded to act upon the decisions we made. It appeared to me, that, as the vessel had taken the ground fore and aft where she lay, there was no hazard of her sinking from any leak in the bottom; but, nevertheless, if the water were not pumped out, it would continue to rise within her to the level of the sea, and thereby spoil much of the cargo; to which we looked in a great degree

for our future subsistence and comfort. I therefore fell to in the evening, and pumped for an hour; of which there was much need, for the water came up as fast as the pump would go. I resolved to pursue this every day, but instead of doing it in the evening, to make it my first occupation at break of day, when I was fresh, and the air cool. While I worked at the pump, my wife drew forth part of the fruits and vegetables from the steerage, and dried and aired them on the quarter-deck. I thought the empty coop a good place to put them in, and she arranged them there. The goats took care of themselves, as she was thus employed; even limpy had not lost her appetite, from the fracture. One of the water-melons, that had been bruised, was set aside for our refreshment, which we found cool and pleasant; but we only indulged in part of it, and, collecting the seeds with much care, re served the remainder of its fruit for to-morrow. Not being accustomed to labour, we were sufficiently fatigued to remain quietly on deck until it was time to go to rest. The eventide is delightful in tropical climates: we sat on one of the hen-coops, until the stars appeared, enjoying the cool stillness of the air, and the varied prospect that surrounded us: we then retired to our devotions and to bed. I arose with the dawn, and performed my task at the pump. I would gladly have bathed in the sea after it, to refresh myself; but I saw a couple of sharks, and I thought no more of the wished-for luxury. My kind helpmate did not slumber in bed after I arose, but got up, and, searching all the lockers, found where the saucepans were kept, and