These
winds blew strong and steady, keeping us generally upon a bowline,
as our course was about north-northwest; and sometimes, as they veered
a little to the eastward, giving us a chance at a main top-gallant
studding-sail; and sending us well to the northward, until-
Sunday, Sept. 4th, when they left us, in lat. 22 deg. N., long. 51
deg. W., directly under the tropic of Cancer.
For several days we lay "humbugging about" in the Horse latitudes,
with all sorts of winds and weather, and occasionally, as we were in
the latitude of the West Indies- a thunder storm. It was hurricane
month, too, and we were just in the track of the tremendous
hurricane of 1830, which swept the North Atlantic, destroying almost
everything before it. The first night after the tradewinds left us,
while we were in the latitude of the island of Cuba, we had a specimen
of a true tropical thunder storm. A light breeze had been blowing
directly from aft during the first part of the night which gradually
died away, and before midnight it was dead calm, and a heavy black
cloud had shrouded the whole sky. When our watch came on deck at
twelve o'clock, it was as black as Erebus; the studding-sails were all
taken in, and the royals furled; not a breath was stirring; the
sails hung heavy and motionless from the yards; and the perfect
stillness, and the darkness, which was almost palpable, were truly
appalling.
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