"High or low land?"

"It looms high, sir."

"That's it," said the mate; and as he came aft triumphantly exclaimed," Huzza for my Lunar against all the chronometers in the world."

In vain did I scan the horizon in the direction indicated; I could see nothing like land, nothing but a small white cloud or two at a great distance; and what did the fellow mean by saying "it loomed high?"

"You won't see it for two hours yet," said Gardner, clapping his hand upon my shoulder; "those clouds are land clouds though; look at them well, that you may know them again; we sailors can distinguish them at a glance."

I hurried down the companion-way, and found my fellow-passengers, and Captain M., commander of the Rosalie, as fine a seaman as ever sailed on board a merchantman, and as kind and good as skilful,-all busy with chart and compass. Again we were upon deck; something to disturb the monotony of the voyage was about to occur, beyond the usual daily incidents; something to look at and talk of besides the winds and

waves.

I thought I could perceive, after intently gazing upon the horizon, something that bore the semblance of a faint blue cloud; then it would vanish, again reappear, but nothing definable.

I climbed the bowsprit, and amused myself with looking back upon our gallant craft as she gracefully rose upon the swell, rearing her bright prow high above the water as if to spring over the wave, then plunging deep into the brine, ploughing it aside in a cataract of foam.

Upon the bowsprit of a fine ship, with every sail drawing, it is a gallant sight to observe her motions, as she divides the opposing fluid. There is something so invigorating in the bounding motion of the vessel as she springs beneath you like an impatient steed, something so soothing also, in the unceasing roar of the torrent; a conviction that you are rapidly progressing on your journey, which from any other part of the ship is not so perceptible. But to enjoy this, the passenger must be familiarized to the sea. He must have passed through all the horrid ordeals a landsman invariably suffers, and almost forget the feel of terra firma. Mine was a severe one twenty days' sea-sickness without the ability to swallow any thing but soup, whilst the mates and captain were devouring pounds of beef and pork with the most disgusting self-complacency. I looked upon them as so many cannibals; all this too, with no sort of sympathy for your sufferings; on the contrary, your agony is to them a source of amusement. There is but one being to whom you can confide your miseries, to whom you can call for aid, and that is the steward-you are again in all the imbecility of childhood, "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;" you cry to him and for him, day and night-he is your only friend. I never heard that he ever had any other name. I believe he was born on board ship and christened Steward. Even he, kind-hearted fellow as he was, would sometimes nearly throw me into convulsions with some well-meant but horrid suggestions about the propriety of tasting a leetle lobscouse, or sea pie, which proposition had the same effect upon me, that I should suppose the offer of a tumbler of water would have upon the nervous system

of a patient in the last stages of hydrophobia. All this you must pass through and more; you will detest the sight of the sea, and yet be compelled fifty times a day, horridly to gape over the ship's side, with straining eyes, at its undulating surface, which looks like an unfathomable dose of salts and soda. It is a sensation which cannot be described; such a total prostration of strength, such collapsing, sinking, and turning inside out, like a damp kid glove: there is but one feeling of intense misery, and I really believe that if they had told me the ship was foundering upon a rock, I should have rejoiced at the prospect of her being still, at all events, for a few moments before I expired.

After you have been long at sea, there is a strange undefinable fear upon approaching land, especially in remote regions, only occasionally visited by the enterprising navigator on his way to some commercial mart. In the broad ocean, a sailor is always ready for a conflict with wind or wave. He there relies upon the faith of his nautical skill and the powers of his ship; but what sunken rocks and yet unexplored shoals, may not lay treacherously in his path upon an unfrequented coast! Such were my feelings upon approaching the great Asiatic Archipelago, and I believe the like sensations existed, though not expressed, in the hearts of all on board. The land was now clearly visible to my inexperienced eyean undulating line of mountain peaks and rounded hills. With what delight did I gaze upon it-the first view to me of a new world. How I should love to traverse those shores, scale the mountain-side, and penetrate the solitary glen, where nature in all her primeval beauty reigns in solitary grandeur, as yet untrodden by the foot of man.

The most uninteresting coast in the world, in point of scenery, is that of North America. Upon approaching it any where between Maine and Florida, the trees are the first objects that are seen. If it were not for the regularity of the soundings, the approach would be exceedingly dangerous. The coast of South America, with its magnificent mountains, twelve thousand feet high, rising at once from the bosom of the ocean, can be seen by the approaching navigator at a great distance. So it is also upon the coast of all the islands of the Sunda group. Java, which we were now approaching, is one of the most magnificent islands in respect to scenery in the world. The mountains are clothed to the summits with the richest vegetation, which descend sometimes to the water's edge. Groves of gigantic palms, the palmetto, and the graceful cocoa, wave their branches over the sea that bathes their trunks.

A heavy long swell now was setting in towards the shore from the Indian Ocean, thundering amongst the rocks, leaping up the craggy precipice, and pouring down its sides in a perfect cataract of milk-white froth and foam. The trees bent and bowed to the retiring flood and sprung again to their upright position, again to be threatened by the succeeding roller. Every point and cape, and inlet, teemed with interest, and presented every variety of form, changing with the advancing motion of the vessel. Far above us, capped with clouds, was a magnificent mountain, frowning in gloomy grandeur upon the scene. As we passed a point of land, a waterfall burst upon our view-a mountain torrent leaping from a precipice of dark rock, prone into the sea; we clapped our hands with ecstasy. It was all

1

that was wanted to give a finish to the magnificent prospect. It was a scene of perfect enchantment. I was wrapped in wonder and delight : it was worth travelling ten thousand thousand miles to see. At this moment my attention was attracted to the officers of the ship, who appeared to be in doubt and uncertainty.

"Mr. Gardner," cried the captain, who was pacing with hurried and uneasy step the quarter-deck, “you have been here before?"

"Yes, sir-once in the William White, and once in the Tea Plant."

"Which do you call the Friar's Rock, and which the Cap?"

"There's the Friar to the right," pointing to a huge rock, that looked like a colossal monk in full canonicals; "you can run within biscuit's throw of it. There's the entrance to the straits." We passed the point, and swept into a bay; the water suddenly became green as grass; a large yellow and green speckled snake was lazily floating by the ship, but ere I could cry "look there!" within twenty yards of our starboard bow, an immense dark rock heaved into sight: the water poured off of its slippery surface, a coming roller engulfed it from our view. We were now becalmed, and the ship rolled regardless of the helm. A current was evidently rapidly setting into this bay. The surf, which was not more than three cable-lengths from the ship, pealed upon the beach with the roar of thunder.

Every one was now alive to the impending danger. "Hard a port, with your helm, sir!-hard up, I say," cried the captain. "Clear away the anchor-movejump, I say get out a boat-clew down the jib-let