-for a wonder in that latitude--perfectly cloudless, and
of a clear, pure, soft, crystalline blue, into which the great luminary
leapt in dazzling splendour, palpitating with breathless heat that
promised to soon become almost unendurable. It was my custom to indulge
in a saltwater bath every morning in the ship's head, one of the men
playing the hose upon me for a quarter of an hour or so, and never did
that bath seem a greater luxury to me than on this particular morning,
for the heat came with the sun, and I envied the fish their ability to
escape it by sinking deep into the cool, blue, crystalline depths;
indeed I should most probably have been tempted to imitate them as far
as possible by plunging overboard and swimming twice or thrice round the
ship, had I not happened to have noticed a large shark under her
counter, when, to test the clearness of the water, I happened to lean
over the taffrail to look at the rudder and stern-post. Even the men
dawdled over the job of washing decks that morning, using a much greater
quantity of water than usual, and placing themselves where there was a
chance to get the hose played upon their bare feet and legs. And if it
was hot on deck, what must it have been down in the crowded hold? It
was Mendouca's habit to have the gratings put on the hatchways and
secured every night--when the weather would permit of the use of them
instead of the solid hatches--in order to prevent anything in the shape
of a rising on the part of the negroes; and all night long a thin,
pungent vapour had been rising through them, telling an eloquent tale of
the frightful closeness and heat of the atmosphere down there, while at
frequent intervals could be heard the sound of a restless stirring on
the part of the living cargo, accompanied by a long-drawn, gasping sigh,
as if for breath. There was usually a good deal of carelessness and
remissness manifested by the men in the removal of the gratings in the
morning. I have frequently gone on deck at seven bells--when it was my
eight hours in--and found them still on, although it was well understood
that they were to be taken off at four bells. I was always very
particular, when it was my morning watch on deck, to have the gratings
removed prompt to time; on this particular morning, however, I did not
wait until four bells, but took it upon myself to have the hatches
thrown open as soon as there was daylight enough to enable us to see,
clearly, and I am s