MIDNIGHT SQUALL.

The squall gave but slight warning of its approach, and four hours
afterwards the mutinous assemblage of clouds had wholly disappeared from
the heavens, leaving nothing to stay the advent of light which came
pouring itself in floods of molten glory over the cloudless sky, as the
morning broke. This was the signal of our again moving towards Port
Patterson, which we entered, passing on the eastern side of the reef in
the mouth, and anchoring close to the eastern shore of the outermost of a
chain of sandy islets, forming the west entrance point of the harbour,
and extending eight miles in a North-North-East 1/2 East direction from
the land. This group is based on a great coral ledge that dries in part
at low-water, thus affording the natives the means of going over easily
to them, a circumstance of which they avail themselves, as we found them
on the outer island. They would not, however, come near us, moving off as
we landed. Doubtless the terror of some of their party, in a great
measure arose from a vivid recollection of the raft interview, which was
likely to dwell long in their minds; at all events, if not of the same
party, they had heard of us, and it will readily be believed, that we had
been painted in sufficiently terrible and exaggerated colours to render a
second interview, in their minds, very undesirable.

QUAIL ISLAND.

Our discovering them in this place, which we named Quail Island, from
that bird being found in great abundance, quite destroyed the hope we had
previously entertained of procuring turtle there. It was the season for
their incubation, and at that time the island swarmed with them; but our
sable friends had abundantly availed themselves of this fact, as we saw