s forward through the
tumbling seas, the fin seen for an instant, and looking like his back,
makes him appear as if he was rolling slowly on in the water--a very
different movement from what he really makes, which is rapid in the
extreme. While talking of cetaceous animals, to which order the
porpoise belongs, I must remark on a very common error held by seaman as
well as landsmen, that whales spout out water. The idea is, that the
water is taken into the stomach while the whale is feeding, and ejected
when he rises to the surface. This is in no sense the case. What the
whale spouts forth is a steam-like air, dense with mucous vapour, of
which he must empty his lungs before he can take in a fresh supply of
atmospheric air to enable him to dive down again to the depths of the
ocean.

We were now enjoying the north-east trade wind. The latitude in which
these winds are to be met with varies by several degrees, according to
the season of the year. An indication that we were entering them was
shown by the barometer, which had previously been low, falling still
more from 30 degrees 3 minutes to 30 degrees 2 minutes, and even lower.
But if I was to go on describing all the phenomena I observed, and all
the information on natural history I obtained, I should have no space
left for my own adventures, or an account of the countries I visited.

I spoke of Mr Vernon, a clergyman. At first he had been ill, but when
he recovered he made a great effort to have religious services held on
board on each Sunday, as well as on other days of the week. The captain
and first mate, as may be supposed, objected to the measure.

"People might go to church when they got on shore if they liked, but on
board his ship he was not going to have anything of that sort," was the
captain's reply.

"But our worship is to praise and to pray to that God who protects us
equally at sea as on shore," was Mr Vernon's mild reply. "It will be
such that all denominations may join in it, and surely no one on board
would wish to be without God's protection and help; yet, if we do not
ask for it when we have the power, how can we expect to obtain it?"

The captain could make no reply to this question, and though he went
away grumbling, and would afford no assistance to the arrangements, he
did not prevent Mr Henley from rigging an awning on deck, or oppose the
assembling together of the passengers and some very few of the crew
under it. The second mate