felt as if just taken from the furnace.
The seams of the deck spluttered and hissed, and as we walked about the
pitch stuck to our feet. There was nothing, however, in the sky which
betokened a hurricane, while the barometer continued as high as usual.

"I believe it is only an ordinary calm," observed the captain to the
first mate, as they stood under the shade of the mainsail, which hung
down without giving a single lazy flap.

"It might, however, be better to take in our light canvas in case a
sudden squall should strike us," observed Uncle Jack. "It will give the
hands something to do, and we can easily make sail again should a breeze
spring up."

"I hope that we may get one before long, for we are drifting in faster
than I like to the land; we will get the cable ranged ready to bring up
should it become necessary. The wind when it comes may blow off shore,
but it may blow on it and we shall be compelled to anchor."

"If we can find sufficiently shallow water outside the breakers,"
observed Uncle Jack, as he stepped out from under the shelter of the
sail to give the orders he had received.

Having sprung aloft, I had just assisted in furling the
main-topgallant-sails and had returned on deck, when I felt the brig
give a heave and suddenly tremble throughout her frame for several
seconds. We cast inquiring looks at each other, wondering what could
have happened. The first mate, taking a lead-line, hove it overboard,
thinking it possible that the vessel had struck a reef.

"No bottom!" he exclaimed in a tone of satisfaction. "What can it be?"

"Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is
taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.

As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen
to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from
which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave. We
turned out glasses towards it. All was quiet, but presently we saw the
trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses
of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys
below. Every instant the eruption from the volcano was increasing. In
a short time the sky became shrouded by a dense black cloud. Showers of
fine cinders fell on our decks, covering also the hitherto blue ocean
with a black scum. A red mass of lava bubbled up, as if from some
mighty cauldron, above the edg