Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/410

12, 1859.] edges gilded by the declining sun, towering upward and spanning, as it were, the highest arch of the blue empyrean; while the whole mass, like a gloomy canopy, crept slowly on and on, till suddenly the western horizon assumed a dusky purple hue, the sun set, and darkness was upon us.

In the darkness — which to us was more intense from its suddenness — the fire glanced bright and red, and as we sat by it we looked doubtless more like a band of pirates than a company of honest men. Hitherto we had borne all our misfortunes with the greatest equanimity; but now our comfort was threatened by a swarm of sandflies and mosquitoes entering our tent and attacking us with great fury. All we could do we could not protect ourselves from these blood-sucking rascals. If any one, not a subject of their attack, could have seen us he would have grinned rarely at our insane attempts to rid ourselves of these pigmy enemies. Our blood had been heated and the perspiration still clung to our skin; consequently the bite of these wretches was doubly poisonous, and in half-an-hour our own mothers could not have recognised us. It was thwack! whack! every second; but as to killing them it was out of the question, and our only resource was to smoke them out — which, happily, answered our expectations.

And now the clouds, driven by the usual current of the trader winds, gradually rose like a curtain, and the blue vault of heaven was disclosed to us, spangled with innumerable stars. Slowly, as though the liquid splendour of the moon would dazzle our vision, the dark curtain lifted, and the pale crystal light of her beams sparkling on the waters made a bright track on the now tranquil sea. The extreme clearness of the heavens, the soft serenity of the air, the buzzing of innumerable insects, and the delightful sensation produced by a pipe of fragrant tobacco, contributed in a great degree to tranquillise my feelings, which had been sadly disturbed by the musquitoes.

I could not get up resolution to turn in, the night was so transcendently beautiful; the whole of the heavenly bodies shone out with a peculiar radiance, and the planets hung like globes of liquid fire, gem-like, in the firmament. The moonbeams, too, were so bright that I almost think, had I possessed a book, I could have read it by her light.

Sleep to me being apparently out of the question, I lighted another pipe, and covering myself with my dread-nought coat I lay down to enjoy the coolness of the evening breeze which had just set in. I tried several times to compose myself to sleep, but the fellows snored so I could not accomplish it. At last, I suppose I did; but I had such strange fancies, or rather dreams, that it was worse than no sleep at alL At one time I fancied the whole island had been swept away by the current, and I was in the greatest trepidation lest it should topple over, and we should all be drowned in our sleep. Then I was tossing about among the breakers, and whirling in eddies, and fancied I saw huge black bodies coming towards me, and that I was struggling to avoid contact with them; at another time I heard some one as distinctly as possible hailing me, and I awoke with so violent a start that I nearly broke my head.

I felt as though my mind had been wandering, but I could not rouse myself sufficiently to get rid of these fancies.

I must have been asleep some hours when I awoke — or rather thought so— and was surprised to see a man of lofty stature standing in the opening of the tent. I started and cried: —

“Hillo! who are you, my friend?”

But the fellow did not answer; he only held up his finger as if to enjoin silence.

At this moment I felt convinced I heard the most piercing shrieks for help, and, rising, I attempted to push past the fellow, but he was gone, and the next instant I had missed my footing, and was falling from the top of the cliff. The moment I touched the water I shouted loudly for help. A rough hand was placed on my shoulder, and a voice called out

“Hillo, sir! hillo! what’s the matter?”

I rubbed my eyes and looked about me.

“Confound the nightmare!” quoth I, and turned over and went to sleep again.

It was early morning when I really did awake, for the boobies made such a noise that I could not sleep any longer. When I arose I was startled by the extraordinary appearance of the morning. During the night a cloud or sort of luminous fog had settled on the top of the island, and the effect of this was, that while over-head and on the island all was in shadow, at the base of the cliff and out at sea the sun shone brightly. As the sun got power the thick white mantle seemed to be suddenly rent in twain, and the clear blue heavens and the sparkling waters were disclosed to our view.

As soon as we had finished our breakfast I set to work and erected a flag staff, and hoisted the ensign, union down, in the hope of attracting some of the coasters as they passed.

The day was hot — blazing hot; not a cloud was to be seen; the ocean was like one vast polished mirror wherein the sun’s burning rays were reflected, giving back bright, blinding flashes which dazzled the eyes and made the head swim. A sort of misty blue haze hung over the shadowy islands, whose outline seemed almost blended with the sky. There was no horizon, for the sky and the sea were so much alike you could not tell the one from the other.

In vain I looked towards Montserrat in the hope of succour from the brig. Several times I fancied I could hear the noise of oars moving regularly in the row-locks, and jumped up, hoping to see a boat in the offing; but, though we saw several white specks lying lazily under the lee of the island, nothing came within sight of our signal.

About noon everything was still—deadly still— even the very boobies were still, and their clamour had entirely ceased. The usual sea-breeze had not set in, and the vertical sun poured its rays with such an intensity on the island that it seemed to send up a thin smoke from the extreme violence of the heat. Mid-day had long passed, and no sign of any assistance. Our water was getting short. I did not, however, feel uneasy on that point, as I felt sure from the first that there was some to be found on the island; and so it turned