bar for the last forty days. Several vessels
intend pushing over, we understand, at the same time we do in the
morning.

_Monday, 23rd._--On deck at six A.M. Our pilot, I find, declines
crossing till the afternoon, when the tide will possibly, he says, be
higher; the rise of water is, however, dependent upon the strength of
the sea-breeze forcing the tide of the gulf up against the current of
the great river. No rise of the Mississippi above, however high, affects
the bar here in the least perceptible degree.

Heaven send us well into blue water! for any place having a more
desolate aspect than this sight never lighted on: not a sign of
vegetation is visible, except the brown rank-growing reeds upon our
right, where no fire has yet been. To the north, all is blackness on
land, and dull and dead at sea: along the course of the water-line, logs
of timber of every size, and trees of every kind, lie strewn, sometimes
scattered singly, and in other places accumulated into enormous beds or
rafts.

On every side is presented a dead level, muddy water, or land barely
showing above it. One might have imagined, looking around here, that the
great Deluge was but now subsiding, and this, the ruined world, left for
the remnant of humanity, gathered here, to weep over. Silence and
solitude reigned absolute, and the only evidence of our not being alone
was to be found in the three or four ships scattered within sight.

As the morning advanced, each ship hoisted the colours of her nation:
several schooners came down near us, tugged along by a powerful
steamer; the Mexican and Brazilian flags were amongst them.

I find, too, that even this just redeemed soil is tenanted; here are
eyes that find in it the charms of home. A couple of natives came
alongside, with a boat-load of fine oysters; viewing them as samples, I
should imagine the air not over salubrious at the Balize, for they were
miserable-looking, blighted beings, "but half made up," and shook like
aspen-leaves in the sharp air of morning.

About two P.M. the pet steamers of the bar, the Pilot and the Grampus,
ran down to us, and made fast to the ship's sides: away we went for a
dash at the pass, the object being to force a ship drawing nearly
fifteen feet over a bar having upon its ridge just twelve feet.

We soon grounded, as was anticipated; when, after a couple of hours'
tugging, we were left by our steamers, although one of their skippers
had sworn stoutly in the mo