However, storms prevailed from other quarters, mostly
from the east, bringing heavy squalls of wind, rain and thunder every
afternoon, such as once heard will never be forgotten. Peal on peal of
nature's artillery for a few hours, accompanied by vivid lightning, was
on the cards for each day, then all would be serene again.
The nights following these severe storms were always bright and
pleasant, and the heavens would be studded with constellations of
familiar, guiding stars.
My crew had now no wish to bear up for port short of one on our own
coast, but, impatient to see the North Star appear higher in the
heavens, strung every nerve and trimmed every sail to hasten on.
Nassau, the place to which letters had been directed to us, we forbore
to visit. This departure from a programme which was made at the
beginning was the only change that we made in the "charter party"
throughout the voyage. There was no haphazard sailing on this voyage.
Daily observations for determining latitude and longitude were
invariably made unless the sun was obscured. The result of these
astronomical observations were more reliable than one might suppose,
from their being taken on a tittlish canoe.
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