On the Banks of the Amazon | Page 4

read a great deal,
so that I got on rapidly.
The weather at length began to grow unusually cold, and the sky was
covered with clouds. We put on warm clothes, and kept much oftener
than usual in the cabin. The ship too began to tumble about, and I
thought sometimes would be sent right over. I remember inquiring
seriously if a waterquake were taking place; for I had hitherto seen the
ocean so calm, that I fancied it would always remain so, and that it was
only the earth which was given to shaking and tumbling about. The
wind whistled and roared, and the spray flew over the deck, and the

sailors went out on the yards and reefed the sails; but no one seemed to
mind what was happening, so I was soon content, and thought all was
right; and when I looked on the waves, it struck me that they were not a
quarter as high as the mountains I had been accustomed to see, and
wondered how they were able to tumble the great big ship about in the
way they did. Still on we went day after day, and I discovered that we
were sailing in an opposite direction to that we had before steered. I
could not make it out, till the captain showed me a chart, and gave me
my first lesson in geography on a grand scale; and I then saw that we
had come down the west coast of South America, and were now sailing
northward along its eastern coast.
I was very glad when I could go on deck again without greatcoat, and
the sun shone forth as brightly almost as it does at Quito. Then in a
little time the weather got very hot again, and there was no wind, and
the ship lay on the glassy sea, her white sails flapping against the masts.
There we lay day after day, and I began to think that at that rate we
should never get to England; but Captain Lopez told me that I need not
trouble myself about the matter, as the wind was sure to come some
day or other, and that then we should glide along as fast as ever. I found
that he was right, though we were becalmed several times after that.
At length we saw the crew very busy in polishing up the ship, and
ranging the cables along the deck, as getting them ready for anchoring
in called; and men were aloft all day looking out ahead; and then came
the shout of "Terra! terra!--Espana!" and I found that we were
approaching the coast of Spain. The next morning when I went on deck
the ship was at anchor, surrounded by land, with a large city on one
side, and other towns or villages scattered about on the other. This was
the beautiful Bay of Cadiz. Near us lay a large ship with the English
flag flying at her peak. Captain Lopez went on board her, and then
hurried on shore with certain papers in his hand; and when he returned,
we all went on board the English ship. Soon after, the anchor was hove
up, the sails let fall, and away we sailed out of the harbour. Thus we did
not even set foot on Spanish soil. I asked my mother the reason of this:
she replied, that finding the ship on the point of sailing, she did not like
to lose the opportunity of going to England in her; that the ship was

called the Inca, commanded by Captain Byles, with whom she and my
father were acquainted.
I remember that Captain Byles was very kind and attentive, that the
cabin was very neat and clean--a quality for which that of the Pizarro
was not remarkable--while the English crew, many of whom were old
men-of-war's-men, paid off at the end of the war, were far more orderly
than the Spaniards. There was a black cook, Sam by name, and a white
goat. With the former we soon struck up a friendship, for he was
good-natured and kind to us, and a most intelligent fellow; the latter
used to chase us round and round the deck, and several times tumbled
me head over heels when I jumped before her to prevent her from
butting at Ellen. Of Sam I shall have to speak more by-and-by. I do not
remember many more incidents of the voyage till one day I saw the
men heaving the lead, and I found that we were in the chops of the
Channel; and then I heard the shout of "Land! land!" from one of the
crew at the mast-head, and I was told that England was in sight; and
after a time I saw a light-blue line away over