here was no leak, the water having come from above
instead of below, owing to the heavy pitching.

We envied the fine-looking Indiamen, who frequently rolled past us with
their stun'-sails set and every sail drawing, while we were pitching and
tossing, and making scarcely any progress. "More wind in your jib," was
frequently applied by our sailors to the vessels that met us, and at
length was responded to by the south-east gale changing to a north-west,
which enabled us eventually to reach the wished-for Bluff of Natal,
where we were boarded by the port-boat. With only one bump on the bar,
we passed to the smooth water inside, and, sailing along the narrow
channel, obtained a sight of the glorious bay of Port Natal.

It is difficult for any pen to give an adequate idea of the beautiful
view, and almost impossible for one as unskilled as mine, to convey to
the imagination of the reader even a slight impression of the glorious
reality that was presented by the bay and surrounding country of Natal.
It broke suddenly upon the wearied eye after three weeks' perpetual
contemplation of leaden-coloured water had tired the vision and caused a
thirst for the green and earthy.

On our left, as we entered, rose the bluff, densely wooded to the
water's edge, the branches of the trees, with their rich foliage, almost
brushing the vessel's yards. Two hundred and fifty feet of this nearly
perpendicular vegetable-clad wall formed our foreground, while the
middle distance was represented by the calm and brilliant waters of the
bay, with two or three thickly-wooded islands. Numbers of wild fowls
floated about, and among these the delicate colours of the flamingo and
the grotesque forms of the pelican were conspicuous, the white plumage
of some cranes standing out like stars in the blue waters. In the
distance were seen the densely wooded hills of the Berea and the white
chimneys of a few of the plastered houses of D'Urban village; while
little wreaths of light smoke coming through the trees gave indication
that the culinary processes of a habitation were being carried on.

The waters of the bay extend nearly six miles inland, and at the extreme
end, the refraction from heat, etc., caused some of the mangrove-trees
that lined the banks to be magnified or inverted, while others appeared
to be suspended in the air, and to have no connection with the earth
below. We dropped our anchor in this smoothest of harbours, where no
wind coul