Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-06-11
Vol. 3.

home and hiding place TO some bandit chief
and his followers Of the "free trade," OF
whom might many tale OF blood and crime
be told. which would surpass in incident and
interest the widest legends of fiction and
romance.
Nothing can equal the sensations of de-
light and pleasure that are felt on sailing
over the West India seas at this season oil
| the year, among the ever green, and sunny
Islands, that glow and sparkle like brilliant
| emeralds scattered over sea Of saffron and
gold. But how fearful the change, and how
terrific the scene when the equinoctlal gales
are let loose TO run their career of wrath
and fury over these waters. 1t was once
my lot 10 be caught in one Of these, in this
gulf Of storms, and such scene, though
| then looked upon it without terror, nay,
with species OF wild pleasure and strange
delight, can never forget. 1t was that
| same autumn in which the Hornet sloop
of war, and all her gallant crew, went down
without so much as one escaping to tell the
tale; and the Captain Of the vessel with
| whom | was sailing at that time, on the
gulf OF Mexico, told me that for forty years
he had followed the seas, principally within
the tropics, and never had witnessed such
storm.
No imagination can conceive the fury Of
the elements in a west India tornado
Noon is in an instant turned into midnight
blackness; the calm that precedes the out
break of the storm, has something in it OPP
pressive and appalling, all nature pauses and
seems breathess with apprehension and
terror, as if she was about 10 confront her
angry God, and receive some fearful doom.
This fearful silence is FIRST broken by low,
waIling, moaning sound, that comes fearful
y startling through the surrounding gloom,
across the dark waste of waters that now
begin to tremble in anticipation of the on
set. This is soon followed by dim line
of light low down in the horizon, in the
direction of the storm, which begins
to lift, widen, and approach with fearful
rapidly.
Then comes the storm in all its treasured
and accumulated fury: it seems as If all the
thunders and lightning of heaven were con-
centrated in one spot, for it is one inces'
SAINT flash, and heightened crash and roar,
binding, scorching, stunning and bewider-
ing for hours. In an instant the ocean that
was SO calm and tranquil before. is rolling
mountain high, and Its pillows are torn to
pieces by the force of the winds, and scat
tered in foam and spray along the sky, and
lighted up as they are by the incessunt
blaze of lightning, they resemble winged
monsters OF fire, flying far off among the
murky clouds; while the ship, no longer un-
der any control, but as if instinct with the
spirit Of the storm, bounds, plunges and
staggers over what appears 10 be an infer
nal ocean of living fire.
AT such time no man is an unbeliever
or avows any irreigious sentiments, and on
that occasion, | saw sailors weeping like
women, and clingngi in the agony Of despair
to the rigging, who few hours before were
uttering hot, burning oaths, fresh from the
mint Of hell, if indeed that bad place can
coin oaihs equal to those of earth.
But how different the scene and circum-
stances now! how fresh and fragrant comes
the land breezes bearing on their wings
health, happiness and life; and how sooth-
ing, reviving, exhieratinga and renovating to
my body, mind and spirits! how instanta-
neous the effect! few weeks before this,
had crawled out of the fens Of Florida
more like an Egyptian mummy than thing
of life, but now paced the deck with
spirits more buoyant and elastic than had
ever felt before, and if my step was not as
light as that of the "Lady of the Lake."
my heart was more so. At length, Havana,
the port of destination appeared to arise
out of the ocean, on as lovely West India
morning as ever smiled from heaven, nor
can believe that any other part of the world
can furnish such mornings as Cuba can.
The city presents most charming ap-
pearance viewed from the seattle walls
bristling with cannon-the forts and castles
browning the neighboring summits-the
beautiful groves of coco nut and other spe-
cies OF trees so different from every thing
in our country, the air of strangeness and
novelty, strikes,the stranger in most impress
slve manner, and he feels as if he had gone
to sleep in his own country and wakod up
in land of enchantment, where evory
thing was new and strange.
The most prominent object here is the
"Moro Castle" which guards the entrance,
and most tremendous fertilization it is,
and gives a man Of peace chill TO look at
its formidable tiers of guns grinning through
the embrasures cut in solid rock and within
few yards Of us as we swept into the
spacious harbor. And what a sight bursts
upon the vision as soon as you enter! what
ships! what flags! from all nations Of the
world! and what a din and jabber OF
tongues! Babel was nothing to this. All is
strange all is wonderful.
We have come to anchor out in the har-
Dor, for the vessels TO the amount Of many