ow became less continuous and numerous, at least they
appeared to us to be so, and the range of hills seemed also to approach
much nearer to the sea. We continued on this course until sunset, when I
selected a snug little bay in the mangroves, where we anchored at the
distance of a few yards from the shore and made ourselves as comfortable
as we could for the night.

CHARACTER OF THE COAST AND SEA.

There was great beauty in the scenery which we saw during the day's sail;
the waters and the sky had that peculiar brilliancy about them which is
only seen in fine weather and in a tropical climate. To the west of us
lay an apparently boundless expanse of sea, whilst to the eastward we had
a low shore fringed with trees, not only down to the water's edge but
forming little green knolls of foliage in the ocean itself; behind these
trees lay low wooded hills, and in front of them stalked and swam about
pelicans and waterfowl in countless numbers. We had only about three feet
depth of clear transparent water, through which we saw that the flats
beneath us were covered with vivid coloured shells of many genera, some
of which were of a very large size; strange-looking fish of a variety of
kinds were also sporting about; more particularly sharks of a new species
(of that kind which I shot at in mistake for an alligator) and stingrays.
Whenever a lull occurred the men, unable to resist the chance of getting
a meal, would jump out of the boat, and give chase to one of these
sting-rays, boat-hook in hand, and then loud peals of laughter rose from
the others as the pursuer, too anxious to attain his object, missed his
stroke or, stumbling, rolled headlong in the water. The fineness of the
day, the novelty of the scenery, and the rapid way we were making made
the poor fellows forget past dangers, as well as those they had yet to
undergo. My own meditations were of a more melancholy character, for I
feared that the days of some of the light-hearted group were already
numbered and would soon be brought to a close. Amidst such scenes and
thoughts we were swept along, whilst this unknown coast, which so many
had anxiously yet vainly wished to see, passed before our eyes like a
panorama or a dream, and, ere many years have hurried by it is probable
that the recollection of this day will be as such to me.

BOAT LEFT AGROUND BY THE TIDE.

March 25.

This morning I was up early in order that we might lose no time in
getting under weigh; I