songs, the first climbings of sap to sun, and gives a sense of
vital plenitude.

... Evening fills the west with aureate woolly clouds,--the
wool of the Fleece of Gold. Then Hesperus beams like another
moon, and the stars burn very brightly. Still the ship bends
under the even pressure of the warm wind in her sails; and her
wake becomes a trail of fire. Large sparks dash up through it
continuously, like an effervescence of flame;--and queer broad
clouds of pale fire swirl by. Far out, where the water is black
as pitch, there are no lights: it seems as if the steamer were
only grinding out sparks with her keel, striking fire with her
propeller.



VI.


Sixth day out. Wind tepid and still stronger, but sky very
clear. An indigo sea, with beautiful white-caps. The ocean color
is deepening: it is very rich now, but I think less wonderful
than before;--it is an opulent pansy hue. Close by the ship it
looks black-blue,--the color that bewitches in certain Celtic
eyes.

There is a feverishness in the air;--the heat is growing heavy;
the least exertion provokes perspiration; below-decks the air is
like the air of an oven. Above-deck, however, the effect of all
this light and heat is not altogether disagreeable;-one feels