260

Th' infected cane-piece; and, with eager flames,
The hostile myriads thou to embers turn:
Far better, thus, a mighty loss sustain,
Which happier years and prudence may retrieve;
Than risk thine all. As when an adverse storm,
Impetuous, thunders on some luckless ship,
From green St. Christopher, or Cathay bound:
Each nautic art the reeling seamen try:
The storm redoubles: Death rides every wave:
Down by the board the cracking masts they hew;
And heave their precious cargo in the main.

Say, can the Muse, the pencil in her hand, 270
The all-wasting hurricane observant ride?
Can she, undazzled, view the lightning's glare,
That fires the welkin? Can she, unappall'd,
When all the flood-gates of the sky are ope,
The shoreless deluge stem? The Muse hath seen
The pillar'd flame, whose top hath reach'd the stars;
Seen rocky, molten fragments, slung in air
From Ætna's vext abyss; seen burning streams
Pour down its channel'd side; tremendous scenes!—
Yet not vext Ætna's pillar'd flames, that strike 280
The stars; nor molten mountains hurl'd on high;
Nor pond'rous rapid deluges, that burn
Its deeply-channel'd sides: cause such dismay,
Such desolation, Hurricane! as thou;
When the Almighty gives thy rage to blow,
And all the battles of thy winds engage.

Soon as the Virgin's charms engross the Sun; And till his weaker flame the Scorpion feels; But, chief, while Libra weighs th' unsteady year: Planter, with mighty props thy dome support; 290 Each flaw repair; and well, with massy bars, Thy doors and windows guard; securely lodge Thy stocks and mill-points.-Then, or calms obtain; Breathless the royal palm-tree's airiest van; While, o'er the panting isle, the demon Heat High hurls his flaming brand; vast, distant waves The main drives furious in, and heaps the shore With strange productions: or, the blue serene Assumes a louring aspect, as the clouds Fly, wild-careering, through the vault of Heaven; Then transient birds, of various kinds, frequent Each staguant pool; some hover o'er thy roof; Then Eurus reigns no more; but each bold wind, By turns, usurps the empire of the air With quick inconstancy;

299

Thy herds, as sapient of the coming storm,
(For beasts partake some portion of the sky)
In troops associate; and, in cold sweats bath'd,
Wild-bellowing, eye the pole. Ye seamen, now,
Ply to the southward, if the changeful Moon, 310
Or, in her interlunar palace hid,
Shuns Night; or, full-orb'd, in Night's forehead glows:
For, see! the mists, that late involv'd the hill,
Disperse; the midday Sun looks red; strange burs
Surround the stars, which vaster fill the eye.
A horrid stench the pools, the main emits ;

Ver. 265. Cathay.] An old name for China. Ver. 293. stocks and mill-points.] The sails are fastened to the mill-points, as those are to the stocks. They should always be taken down before the hurricane-season.

Ver. 314. ......... strange burs.] These are astral halos. Columbus soon made himself master of the signs that precede a hurricane in the West Indies, by which means he saved his own squadron; while another large fleet, whose commander despised his prognostics, put to sea, and was wrecked.

Fearful the genius of the forest sighs;

The mountains moan; deep groans the cavern'd cliff.
A night of vapour, closing fast around,
$19
Snatches the golden noon.-Each wind appeas'd,
The North flies forth, and hurls the frighted air:
Not all the brazen engin'ries of man,

At once exploded, the wild burst surpass.
Yet thunder, yok'd with lightning and with rain,
Water with fire, increase th' infernal din:
Canes, shrubs, trees, huts, are whirl'd aloft in air.-
The wind is spent; and "all the isle below
Is hush as death."

349

Soon issues forth the West, with sudden burst;
And blasts more rapid, more resistless drives: 330
Rushes the headlong sky; the city rocks;
The good man throws him on the trembling ground;
And dies the murderer in his inmost soul.
Sullen the West withdraws his eager storms.
Will not the tempest now his furies chain?
Ah, no! as when in Indian forests, wild,
Barbaric armies suddenly retire
After some furious onset, and, behind
Vast rocks and trees, their horrid forms conceal,
Brooding on slaughter, not repuls'd; for soon 340
Their growing yell the affrighted welkin rends,
And bloodier carnage mows th' ensanguin'd plain :
So the South, sallying from his iron caves
With mightier force, renews the aerial war;
Sleep, frighted, flies; and, see! yon lofty palm,
Fair Nature's triumph, pride of Indian groves,
Cleft by the sulphurous bolt! See yonder dome,
Where grandeur with propriety combin'd,
And Theodorus with devotion dwelt;
Involv'd in smouldering flames.-From ev'ry rock
Dashes the turbid torrent; through each street
A river foams, which sweeps, with untam'd might,
Men, oxen, cane-lands to the billowy main.-
Pauses the wind.-Anon the savage East
Bids his wing'd tempests more relentless rave;
Now brighter, vaster coruscations flash;
Deepens the deluge; nearer thunders roll;
Earth trembles; Ocean reels; and, in her fangs,
Grim Desolation tears the shrieking isle,
Ere rosy Morn possess th' ethereal plain,
To pour on darkness the full flood of day.—
Nor does the Hurricane's all-wasting wrath
Alone bring ruin on its sounding wing:
Ev'n calms are dreadful, and the fiery South
Oft reigns a tyrant in these fervid isles:
For, from its burning furnace, when it breathes,
Europe and Asia's vegetable sons,
Touch'd by its tainting vapour, shrivell'd, die.
The hardiest children of the rocks repine:
And all the upland tropic plants hang down
Their drooping heads; show arid, coil'd, adust.
The main itself seems parted into streams,
Clear as a mirror; and, with deadly scents,
Annoys the rower; who, heart-fainting, eyes
The sails hang idly, noiseless, from the mast.
Thrice hapless he, whom thus the hand of Fate
Compels to risk th' insufferable beam!
A fiend, the worst the angry skies ordain
To punish sinful man, shall fatal seize
His wretched life, and to the tomb consign.

560

STO

380

When such the ravage of the burning calm On the stout, sunny children of the hill; [sprouts What must thy cane-lands feel? Thy late green Nor bunch, nor joint; but, sapless, arid, pine: Those, who have manhood reach'd, of yellow hue, (Symptom of health and strength) soon ruddy show;

While the rich juice that circled in their veins, Acescent, wat'ry, poor, unwholesome tastes.

399

Nor only, planter, are thy cane-groves burnt;
Thy life, is threaten'd. Muse, the manner sing.
Then earthquakes, Nature's agonizing pangs, 391
Oft shake th' astonish'd isles: the solfaterre
Or sends forth thick, blue, suffocating steams;
Or shoots to temporary flame. A din,
Wild, through the mountain's quivering rocky caves
Like the dread crash of tumbling planets, roars.
When tremble thus the pillars of the globe,
Like the tall cocoa by the fierce North blown;
Can the poor, brittle, tenements of man
Withstand the dread convulsion? Their dear homes
(Which shaking, tottering, crashing, bursting, fall)|
The boldest fly; and, on the open plain
Appall'd, in agony the moment wait,
When, with disrupture vast, the waving Earth
Shall whelm them in her sea-disgorging womb.
Nor less affrighted are the bestial kind.
The bold steed quivers in each panting vein,
And staggers, bath'd in deluges of sweat:
Thy lowing herds forsake their grassy food,
And send forth frighted, woful, hollow sounds: 410
The dog, thy trusty centinel of night,
Deserts his post assign'd; and, piteous, howls.
Wide Ocean feels:...........

The mountain-waves, passing their custom❜d bounds,
Make direful, loud incursions on the land,
All-overwhelming: sudden they retreat,
With their whole troubled waters; but, anon,
Sudden return, with louder, mightier force;
(The black rocks whiten, the vext shores resound)
And yet, more rapid, distant they retire.
Vast coruscations lighten all the sky,

420

With volum'd flames; while Thunder's awful voice,
From forth his shrine, by night and horrour girt,
Astounds the guilty, and appals the good:
For oft the best, smote by the bolt of Heaven,
Wrapt in ethereal flame, forget to live:
Else, fair Theana-Muse, her fate deplore.

Ver. 392. Solfaterre.] Volcanos are called sulphurs, or solfaterres, in the West Indies. There are few mountainous islands in that part of the globe without them, and those probably will destroy them in time. I saw much sulphur and alum in the solfaterre at Mountserrat. The stream that runs through it is almost as hot as boiling water, and its steams soon blacken silver, &c.

Ver. 438..... the bending cocoa's.] The cocoanut tree is of the palm genus; there are several species of them, which grow naturally in the torrid zone. The cocoa-nut tree is, by no means, so useful as travellers have represented it. The wood is of little or no service, being spongy, and the brown covering of the nuts is of too rough a texture to serve as apparel. The shell of the nut receives a good polish; and, having a handle

To rob it of its nectar; which the maid,
When he presented, more nectareous deem'd. 440
The sweetest sappadillas oft he brought;
From him more sweet ripe sappadillas seem'd.-
Nor had long absence yet effac'd her form;
Her charms still triumph'd o'er Britannia's fair.
One morn he met her in Sheen's royal waiks;
Nor knew, till then, sweet Sheen contain'd his all.
His taste mature approv'd his infant choice.
In colour, form, expression, and in grace,
She shone all perfect; while each pleasing art,
And each soft virtue that the sex adorns, 450
Adorn'd the woman. My imperfect strain,
Which Percy's happier pencil would demand,
Can ill describe the transports Junio felt

put to it, is commonly used to drink water out of. The milk, or water of the nut, is cooling and pleasant; but, if drunk too freely, will frequently occasion a pain in the stomach. A salutary oil may be extracted from the kernel; which, if old, and eaten too plentifully, is apt to produce a shortness of breathing. A species of arrack is made from this tree in the East Indies. The largest cocoa-nut trees grow on the banks of the river Oronoko. They thrive best near the sea, and look beautiful at a distance. They afford no great shade. Ripe nuts have been produced from them in three years after planting. The nuts should be macerated in water, before they are put in the ground. Cocoa is an Indian name; the Spaniards call it also palma de las Indias; as the smallest kind, whose nuts are less than walnuts, is termed by them coquillo. This grows in Chili, and the nuts are esteemed more delicate than those of a larger size. In the Maldivy islands, it is pretended, they not only build houses of the cocoanut tree, but also vessels, with all their rigging; Day, and load them too with wine, oil, vinegar, black sugar, fruit, and strong water, from the same tree. If this be true, the Maldivian cocoanut trees must differ widely from those that grow in the West Indies. The cocoa must not be confounded with the cocoa-nut tree. That shrub grows in the hottest and moistest vales of the Andes. Its leaf, which is gathered two or three times a year, is much coveted by the natives of South America, who will travel great journeys upon a single handful of the leaves, which they do not swallow, but only chew. It is of an unpleasant taste, but, by use, soon grows agreeable. Some authors have also confounded the cocoa-nut palm with the cocoa or chocolate-tree. The French call the cocoa-nut tree cocotier. Its stem, which is very lofty, is always bent; for which reason it looks better in an orchard than in a regular garden. As one limb fades, another shoots up in the center, like a pike. The botanical name is palma indica, coccifera, angulosa.

Ver. 441. Sappadillas.] This is a pleasant-tasted fruit, somewhat resembling a bergamot-pear, in shape and colour. The tree which produces it is large and shady. Its leaves are of a shining green; but the flowers, which are monopetalous, are of a palish white. The fruit is coronated when ripe, and contains, in its pulp, several longish black seeds. It is wholesome. Antigua produces the best sappadillas I ever tasted. The trivial name is Spanish. Botanists call it cainito.

At this discovery: he declar'd his love;
She own'd his merit, nor refus'd his hand.
And shall not Hymen light his brightest torch,
For this delighted pair? Ah, Junio knew,
His sire detested his Theana's house!—
Thus duty, reverence, gratitude, conspir'd
To check their happy union. He resolv'd
(And many a sigh that resolution cost)
To pass the time, till death his sire remov'd,
In visiting old Europe's letter'd climes:
While she (and many a tear that parting drew)
Embark'd, reluctant, for her native isle.

470

Though learned, curious, and though nobly bent, With each rare talent to adorn his mind, His native land to serve; no joys he found. Yet sprightly Gaul; yet Belgium, Saturn's reign; Yet Greece, of old the seat of every Muse, Of freedom, courage; yet Ausonia's clime, His steps explor'd; where painting, music's strains, Where arts, where laws, (Philosophy's best child) With rival beautics, his attention claim'd. To his just-judging, his instructed eye, Th' all-perfect Medicean Venus seem'd A perfect semblance of his Indian fair:

But, when she spoke of love, her voice surpass'd Th' harmonious warblings of Italian song.

481

Twice one long year elaps'd, when letters came, Which briefly told him of his father's death. Afflicted, filial, yet to Heaven resign'd, Soon he reach'd Albion, and as soon embark'd, Eager to clasp the object of his love.

Blow, prosperous breezes; swiftly sail, thou Po: Swift sail'd the Po, and happy breezes blew.

491

In Biscay's stormy seas an armed ship, Of force superior, from loud Charente's wave Clapt them on board. The frighted flying crew Their colours strike; when dauntless Junio, fir'd With noble indignation, kill'd the chief, Who on the bloody deck dealt slaughter round. The Gauls retreat; the Britons loud huzza; And touch'd with shame, with emulation stung, So plied their cannon, plied their missile fires, That soon in air the hapless thunderer blew.

Ver. 499. Porto Santo.] This is one of the Madeira islands, and of course subject to the king of Portugal. It lies in 52.33 degrees of N. latitude. It is neither so fruitful nor so large as Madeira Proper, and is chiefly peopled by convicts, &c.

Ver. 504........ the boneta.] This fish, which is equal in size to the largest salmon, is only to be found in the warm latitudes. It is not a delicate food, but those who have lived for any length of time on salt meats at sea, do not dislike it. Sir Hans Sloane, in his Voyage to Jamaica, describes the method of striking them.

Ver. 504. ........... or the shark.] This voracious fish needs no description; I have seen them from 15 to 20 feet long. Some naturalists call it canis carharias. They have been known to follow a slave-ship from Guinea to the West Indies. They swim with incredible celerity, and are found in

She, no less amorous, ev'ry evening walk'd On the cool margin of the purple main, Intent her Junio's vessel to descry.

One eve (faint calms for many a day had rag'd) The winged demons of the tempest rose; Thunder, and rain, and lightning's awful power. She fled could innocence, could beauty claim Exemption from the grave; th' ethereal bolt, 520 That stretch'd her speechless, o'er her lovely head Had innocently roll'd.

Meanwhile, impatient Junio leapt ashore, Regardless of the demons of the storm. Ah, youth! what woes, too great for man to bear, Are ready to burst on thee? Urge not so Thy flying courser. Soon Theana's porch Receiv'd him: at his sight, the ancient slaves Affrighted shriek, and to the chamber point:Confounded, yet unknowing what they meant, 530 He enter'd hasty............

Ah! what a sight for one who lov'd so well! All pale and cold, in every feature death, Theana lay; and yet a glimpse of joy Play'd on her face, while with faint, faltering voice, She thus addrest the youth, whom yet she knew. "Welcome, my Junio, to thy native shore! Thy sight repays this summons of my fate: Live, and live happy; sometimes think of me : By night, by day, you still engag'd my care; 540 And, next to God, you now my thoughts employ: Accept of this my little all I give; Would it were larger"—Nature could no more She look'd, embrac'd him, with a groan expir'd.

But say, what strains, what language can express The thousand pangs which tore the lover's breast? Upon her breathless corse himself he threw, And to her clay-cold lips, with trembling haste, Ten thousand kisses gave. He strove to speak; Nor words he found: he claspt her arms; 550 He sigh'd, he swoon'd, look'd up, and died away.

One grave contains this hapless, faithful pair; And still the cane-isles tell their matchless love!

some of the warmer seas of Europe, as well as between the tropics.

Ver. 505. Urtica.] This fish the seamen call Portuguese man of war. It makes a most beautiful appearance on the water. Ver. 507. winged fishes.] This extraordinary species of fish is only found in the warm latitudes. Being pursued in the water by a fish of prey called albacores, they betake themselves in shoals to flight, and in the air are often snapped up by the garayio, a sea fowl. They sometimes fall on the shrouds or decks of ships. They are well tasted, and commonly sold at Barbadoes.

Ver. 508. Dolphins.] This is a most beautiful fish, when first taken out of the sea; but its beauty vanishes almost as soon as it is dead.

Ver. 509. Tropic-bird.] The French call this bird fregate, on account of its swift flying. It is only to be met with in the warm latitudes.