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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
That o'er the sleeping waters stole;
Thine is the dreadful voice of death,
In which thy angry thunders roll.
III.
Father of all, 'tis thine to give,
Not what our erring pray'r demands;
With joy thy blessings we receive,
And bow submissive 'neath thy hand.
Sept. 7th. - First appearance of the gulf-weed. The trade wind, between the Equator and the
extent of the northern Tropic, setting from the eastward, forces the water against the islands, and at
length into the gulf of Mexico where it meets with an uniform opposition from the main, causing a strong
current to the N.E., or points somewhat in that direction. This stream is so violent as to tear up the sea
weeds in the gulf, and bear them as far to the north as latitude 44: the stream is soon after absorbed in the
Western ocean; but causes certain counter currents, which, for want of being properly allowed for by
mariners, have been the causes of many shipwrecks.
Sept. 8th. - Fine morning; wind at W.S.W. A beautiful dolphin struck at an artificial flying fish,
hanging at our bow-sprit; the hook breaking, he escaped; - continued playing round our bows for some
time, and struck at several flying fish; but we could not again tempt him with the artificial bait.
Mem. To read this lesson once a month.
Sept. 9th. - Calm and fog, several flocks of wild fowl. Suppose ourselves near the banks of
Newfoundland. Thermometer sunk 18 degrees since yesterday.
Sept. 10th. - Pleasant morning, having run to the S.W. during the night: no sign of the banks. A
land bird, of the thrush kind, came and settled on our main yard; seemed quite exhausted; fell upon the
deck, and was taken up by the cabin boy. The poor creature must have been driven off the coast of
America in a violent gale at N.W., the distance from any land being upwards of a thousand miles; no
other circumstance could account for it's flying so far.
Sept. 19th. - Wind at N.N.W. very moderate; - the afternoon calm. The sun set this evening with
uncommon beauty, that glorious luminary was surrounded with clouds of a vivid yellow, green, and red;
strongly shaded with black half the extent of the horizon. The moon at the same time rising to the
east-ward, with a cool and faint sky, formed a strong and beautiful contrast.
Sept. 21st. - Wind S. with rain. Caught four dolphins, which afforded us a most delicious repast:
in the paunch of one was found a dodon, or globe-fish; the sailors call it a parrot-fish, from its having a
beak exactly resembling that bird. - At 9 A.M. spoke with the Queen Charlotte of London, bound to
Bristol, out ten days from Baltimore; the captain's account of the longitude 67. Our joy in being so near
the land was of short continuance; for, in one hour after, we spoke with the Union, eight days from
Philadelphia. The captain informed us, there was a sort of plague in that city, which carries off great
numbers, and that ten thousand of the inhabitants had fled to the country, to avoid the infection.
Sept. 24th. - Soundings at 60 fathom: lay to all night.
Sept. 25th. - Woke with the cry of "Land." At 10 A.M. we took a pilot on board: he informed us
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