lows a hard gale of wind the stormy petrel
makes its appearance. While the sea runs mountains high, and every wave
threatens destruction to the labouring vessel, this little harbinger of
storms is seen enjoying itself, on rapid pinion, up and down the roaring
billows. When the storm is over it appears no more. It is known to
every English sailor by the name of Mother Carey's chicken. It must have
been hatched in AEolus's cave, amongst a clutch of squalls and tempests;
for whenever they get out upon the ocean it always contrives to be of the
party.

Though the calms and storms and adverse winds in these latitudes are
vexatious, still, when you reach the trade winds, you are amply repaid
for all disappointments and inconveniences. The trade winds prevail
about thirty degrees on each side of the equator. This part of the ocean
may be called the Elysian Fields of Neptune's empire; and the torrid
zone, notwithstanding Ovid's remark, "non est habitabilis aestu," is
rendered healthy and pleasant by these gently-blowing breezes. The ship
glides smoothly on, and you soon find yourself within the northern
tropic. When you are on it, Cancer is just over your head, and betwixt
him and Capricorn is the high road of the Zodiac, forty-seven degrees
wide, famous for Phaeton's misadventure. His father begged and entreated
him not to take it into his head to drive parallel to the five zones, but
to mind and keep on the turnpike which runs obliquely across the equator.
"There you will distinctly see," said he, "the ruts of my chariot wheels,
'manifesta rotae vestigia cernes.' But," added he, "even suppose you
keep on it, and avoid the byroads, nevertheless, my dear boy, believe me,
you will be most sadly put to your shifts; 'ardua prima via est,' the
first part of the road is confoundedly steep! 'ultima via prona est,' and
after that it is all down hill. Moreover, 'per insidias iter est,
formasque ferarum,' the road is full of nooses and bull-dogs,
'Haemoniosque arcus,' and spring guns, 'saevaque circuitu, curvantem
brachia longo, Scorpio,' and steel traps of uncommon size and shape."
These were nothing in the eyes of Phaeton; go he would, so off he set,
full speed, four-in-hand. He had a tough drive of it; and after doing a
prodigious deal of mischief, very luckily for the world, he got thrown
out of the box, and tumbled into the river Po.

Some of our modern bloods have been shallow enough to try to ape this
poor empty-head