ed her long lost energy, and with
white sails swelling from trucks to the sea, shook the sparkling brine
from her mane, and left a foaming wake behind; the thick, mucky, sticky
atmosphere that clung to us upon entering the tropic, was quickly
displaced, by refreshing and grateful breezes.

We crossed the dividing line of the sphere, rushing and splashing down
the slope on the other side, carrying the whole ocean before us: myriads
of flying fish flashed their silver-tinted wings as they broke cover,
and flew upward at our approach. Porpoises and dolphins would dash
around the bows, try our speed, and then disappear, perhaps, with a
contused eye, or bruised snout from a sparring match with the cutwater;
on we bounded with the cracking trade wind, tugging the straining canvas
towards Brazil.

The mess was large, and composed of strange materials--men of gravity
and men of merriment, some who relate professional anecdotes and talk
knowingly of ships, and sails and blocks, and nautical trash generally,
others, would be literary characters, who pour over encyclopedias,
gazetteers and dictionaries, ever ready to pounce upon an indiscreet
person, and bring him to book in old dates or events; then there is the
mess grumbler, the mess orator, a lawgiver and politician, and always an
individual, without whom no mess is properly organized, who volunteers
to lick the American consul in whatsoever haven the ship may be, for any
fancied grievance, but particularly if he happen to be poor, and not
disposed to give a series of grand dinners upon his meagre fare of
office.

All these individual peculiarities we had sufficient leisure to indulge
in, and although I have asserted that ship-board is the most horrible
monotony in life, and hold to mine oath, yet Apollo tuned his lyre, and
old Homer took siesta, thus by example, if anything can relieve this
dulness, it is in the very contrast, where the mercury of one's blood is
driven high up by cheering prospects of favoring gales, and
anticipations of a speedy arrival, after a tedious passage.

Our amiability returned with our appetites--alas! too keenly for the
doomed carcass of a solitary pig, grunting in blissful ignorance of his
fate, in a spacious pen on the gun deck. Juicy and succulent vegetables
had long since vacated the mess table, and the talents of our
_cordon-bleu_, Messieurs Hypolite de Bontems, and Francois, were
constantly phrenzied with excitement, composing palatable