CHAP. II. From the Cape Verd Islands to Rio de Janeiro.-North Atlantic Ocean.-St. Sebastian.-Population.-Manners, Climate, and Diseases. June. FROM the Cape Verd Islands to the vicinity of the line, the N.E. tradewind continued to impel us forward with undeviating celerity. In this space, it is impossible not to mark, with emotions of pleasure, the beautiful atmospherical pictures which the evenings afford: in the direction of the setting sun, the Heavens are seen glowing with orange and purple, blended into the greatest variety of tints, and melting imperceptibly 2 tibly into the pure ether of light cerulean blue; in which, the first stars of evening shine with the most brilliant silvery lustre; but, -Who can paint Like Nature? Can Imagination boast, This beautiful appearance of the Heavens is confined to the Northern Tropic in the Southern, the air is commonly loaded with gloomy and dense vapours, that, descending to the horizon, constitute that kind of atmosphere to which is given the epithet, hazy. The Northern tropical seas are the peculiar residence of the Dolphin, the Bonetta, the Albacore, the Skip-jack, and and the Flying-fish; the latter is often seen winging its transient flight, to escape the swift pursuit of the dolphin, while the voracious shark waits its descent; when, exhausted by the want of moisture, its wings refuse to bear it aloft, and it falls helpless into his devouring jaws. The shark is the hereditary foe of sailors; and the moment one is spied, the whole crew are instantly in arms; often, the day's allowance of meat is sacrificed to bait the hook intended to entrap their hungry adversary; while grains, harpoons, and every missive weapon, are pointed at his devoted head. When success attends their operations, and the deluded victim is dragged on board, no pack of hungry fox-hounds can be more restless, till they receive the reD ward ward of their labours, than the sailors to tear out the bowels, and examine the stomach of the shark. Here they often recover the pieces of meat used to bait the hooks, which his sagacity had extricated; and after cutting off his fins *, saving his jaws as objects of curiosity, and reserving a few slices from the tail to eat, the carcase is again committed. to the watery element. The peculiar property of tropical atmospheres in corroding iron, is well known: it is almost impossible to keep any article of that metal from rusting, even for an hour, without the applica *The silvery fibres of sharks' fins are manufactured into artificial flying-fish, for catching dolphins, &c. These fins also form a considerable article of trade between India and China; the Chinese putting them into their soups. tion tion of oil. The copious vapours exhaled from the earth and sea, in tropical climates, may produce this effect, which is found to decrease as we recede from the equator, either north or south. In latitude 6° North, we lost the N. E. trade-wind, and for a few days experienced the usual equinoctial calms, and squalls, with heavy rains, and strong easterly currents. The line was crossed in the longitude of 25° W. *, with the usual *Navigators differ in their opinions respecting the most eligible meridian to cross the line on; but agree, that it ought to be between the longitudes of 20° and 25° W.; but by crossing it so far to the eastward as 20°, calms of long continuance, and strong easterly currents, setting into the gulph of Guinea, will commonly be met with; by crossing it to the westward of 25°, strong westerly currents are found setting into the immense bight between Cape St. Au |