lands of Cuba, and followed that coast as far as
Cardinas, where we took a final departure from the islands, regretting
that we could not sail around them all.

The region on the north side of Cuba is often visited by gales of great
violence, making this the lee shore; a weather eye was therefore kept
lifting, especially in the direction of their source, which is from
north to nor'west. However, storms prevailed from other quarters, mostly
from the east, bringing heavy squalls of wind, rain and thunder every
afternoon, such as once heard will never be forgotten. Peal on peal of
nature's artillery for a few hours, accompanied by vivid lightning, was
on the cards for each day, then all would be serene again.

The nights following these severe storms were always bright and
pleasant, and the heavens would be studded with constellations of
familiar, guiding stars.

My crew had now no wish to bear up for port short of one on our own
coast, but, impatient to see the North Star appear higher in the
heavens, strung every nerve and trimmed every sail to hasten on.

Nassau, the place to which letters had been directed to us, we forbore
to visit. This departure from a programme which was made at the
beginning was the only change that we made in the "charter party"
throughout the voyage. There was no haphazard sailing on this voyage.
Daily observations for determining latitude and longitude were
invariably made unless the sun was obscured. The result of these
astronomical observations were more reliable than one might suppose,
from their being taken on a tittlish canoe. After a few days'
practising, a very fair off-hand contact could be made, when the canoe
rose on the crest of a wave, where manifestly would be found the best
result. The observer's station was simply on the top of the cabin, where
astride, like riding horseback, Victor and I took the "sights," and
indeed became expert "snap observers" before the voyage ended.

One night in the Bahama Channel, while booming along toward the Banks to
the nor'west of us before stiff trades, I was called in the first watch
by Victor, to come up quickly, for signs of the dread "norther" were in
the sky. Our trusty barometer had been low, but was now on the cheerful
side of change. This phenomenon disturbed me somewhat, till the
discovery was made, as we came nearer, that it was but the reflection of
the white banks on the sky that we saw, and no cause at all for alarm.

Soon after