life and instinct, gave a pitch, and went down head foremost into the
fathomless deep. We had scarcely time to behold this awful scene, when
the wind again sprang up fair, from its old quarter, the east.

"There," said I, "heaven has declared itself in your favour already.
You have got your fair wind again."

We thanked God for this; and having set our sail, I shaped my course for
Cape St. Thomas, and we went to our frugal dinner with cheerful and
grateful hearts.

The weather was fine--the sea tolerably smooth--and as we had plenty of
provisions and water, we did not suffer much, except from an
apprehension of a change of wind, and the knowledge of our precarious
situation. On the fifth day after leaving the wreck we discovered land
at a great distance. I knew it to be the island of Trinidad and the
rocks of Martin Vas. This island, which lies in latitude twenty degrees
south, and longitude thirty degrees west, is not to be confounded with
the island of the same name on the coast of Terra Firma in the West
Indies, and now a British colony.

On consulting Horsburgh, which I had in the boat, I found that the
island which we were now approaching was formerly inhabited by the
Portuguese, but long since abandoned. I continued steering towards it
during the night, until we heard the breakers roaring against the rocks,
when I hove-to to windward of the land, till daylight.

The morning presented to our view a precipitous and rugged iron-bound
coast, with high and pointed rocks, frowning defiance over the
unappeasable and furious waves which broke incessantly at their feet,
and recoiled to repeat the blow. Thus for ages had they been employed,
and thus for ages will they continue, without making any impression
visible to the eye of man. To land was impossible on the part of the
coast now under our inspection, and we coasted along in hopes of finding
some haven into which we might haul our boat, and secure her. The
island appeared to be about nine miles long, evidently of volcanic
formation, an assemblage of rocky mountains towering several hundred
feet above the level of the sea. It was barren, except at the summit of
the hills, where some trees formed a coronet at once beautiful and
refreshing, but tantalising to look at, as they appeared utterly
inaccessible; and even supposing I could have discovered a
landing-place, I was in great doubt whether I should have availed myself
of it, as the island appeared to pr