31 degrees
about, and have been driven halfway to Rio by this sweet southern
breeze.
I have never yet sat on deck without a cloth jacket or
shawl, and the evenings are chilly. I no longer believe in
tropical heat at sea. Even during the calm it was not so hot as I
have often felt it in England - and that, under a vertical sun. The
ship that nearly ran us and herself down, must have kept no look-
out, and refused to answer our hail. She is supposed to be from
Glasgow by her looks. We may speak a ship and send letters on
board; so excuse scrawl and confusion, it is so difficult to write
at all.
30th August. - About 25 degrees S. lat. and very much to the west.
We have had all sorts of weather - some beautiful, some very rough,
but always contrary winds - and got within 200 miles of the coast of
South America. We now have a milder breeze from the SOFT N.E.,
after a BITTER S.W., with Cape pigeons and mollymawks (a small
albatross), not to compare with our gulls. We had private
theatricals last night - ill acted, but beautifully got up as far as
the sailors were concerned. I did not act, as I did not feel well
enough, but I put a bit for Neptune into the Prologue and made the
boatswain's mate speak it, to make up for the absence of any
shaving at the Line, which the captain prohibited altogether; I
thought it hard the men should not get their 'tips'. The
boatswain's mate dressed and spoke it admirably; and the old
carpenter sang a famous comic song, dressed to perfection as a
ploughboy.
I am disappointed in the tropics as to warmth. Our thermometer
stood at 82 degrees one day only, under the vertical sun, N. of the
Line; ON the Line at 74 degrees; and at sea it FEELS 10 degrees
colder than it is. I have never been hot, except for two days 4
degrees N. of the Line, and now it is very cold, but it is very
invigorating. All day long it looks and feels like early morning;
the sky is pale blue, with light broken clouds; the sea an
inconceivably pure opaque blue - lapis lazuli, but far brighter. I
saw a lovely dolphin three days ago; his body five feet long (some
said more) is of a FIERY blue-green, and his huge tail golden
bronze. I was glad he scorned the bait and escaped the hook; he
was so beautiful. This is the sea from which Venus rose in her
youthful glory. All is young, fresh, serene, beautiful, and
cheerful.
We have not seen a sail for weeks. But the life at sea makes
amends for anything, to my mind. I am never tired of the calms,
and I enjoy a stiff gale like a Mother Carey's chicken, so long as
I can be on deck or in the captain's cabin.
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