The Argosy — page 163: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Mane 1, 1868. In a West India Hurricane. 149 “To any one accustomed to the bold scenery which characterizes the generality of the West India islands, that of Barbadoes is tame; but admitting that the scene before me was wanting in that chaotic grandeur which I had been used to in Jamaica, it was nevertheless picturesque in the extreme. Its beauties were softer and more delicate, the signs of cultivation more numerous, and the foliage that luxuriated around Mount St. Elizabeth and robed the sides of the hills, was as lovely in the gentleness of its touch as the Blue Mountain scenery was grand in its precipitous majesty. ‘¢Such was the aspect of Barbadoes on the roth of August, and such was the scene I gazed out upon as we all sat at breakfast. I noticed during the meal that Mr. Walkingshaw was somewhat uneasy, and I then remembered that on the previous evening he had predicted bad weather, and had even hinted something about the approach of a hurricane. I laughed at him for his croaking, but it had no effect. He took all my banter in good humour, saying : | ‘“* Ah! you are young and thoughtless ; besides which you have yet to learn that, in these latitudes, appeararices are deceitful. Fine as it now is, I will make a wager that four-and-twenty hours will not elapse before we have a gale, if nothing worse. You forget that we are in the hurricane months.’ “¢¢ Tl allow you to know best,’ I replied ; ‘ but, as far as my know- ledge of weather extends, I should say that a gale would be the last thing I should look for.’ ‘¢ A low, merry laugh from the other side of the table caused me to look up, and I found the sparkling eyes of Julia fixed upon me. As I did so she dropped her eyelids and coloured slightly. ‘“** What are you laughing at, Julia?’ asked my host. “¢¢ At Mr. Vernon’s thinking himself so weather-wise. Why, even I can see that there is something brewing. See there!’ she went on, pointing with her finger. ‘“*“T see nothing,’ I replied, ‘ except that the breeze has failed us, and that it 1s a dead calm.’ ‘“¢* Look away there in the north: do you see those clouds P’ ‘IT looked and saw what convinced me that Julia and my host were right, and that the calm was not likely to last long ; and in half an hour we were in the thick of a tremendous squall. It was short, but sharp ; though, as far as I could see, we only got the tail of it. During the remainder of the day, though we had a succession of squalls, it was for the most part calm. . | ‘* Towards five o’clock the heat was oppressive ; there was a portentous stillness in the air, and dense packs of leaden clouds began to gather in the north. As time passed these extended, till the sky gradually became covered, except in one place, where there was a small patch of light, which only served more clearly to show the dismal bleakness by which comicaooks GO)