The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-03-30

What care | how great she be-
Great, or good, or kind, or fare,
| will ne'er the more despair,
If she loves me, this believe,
| will die ere she shall grieve!
If she slight me, when | WOO,
l can scorn her and let her go;
For if she be not so to me,
What care | for whom she be?
For The Cecil Wing
LETTER FROM SOUTH AMERICA.
CALLAo, PERU, Feb. 9Th, 1872.
"Those who go down to the sea in ships,
and do business in great waters, have an
opportunity Of seeing in the wonders of the
deep, the greatness of God" At ga. NJ.
our anchor was "catted," all sails set, and
the ripping of the water beneath our prov
proclaimed that we were "plowing the
briny deep" In an hour we had passed
out the Golden Gate and entered upon the
broad Pacific, whose waters, imagine,
when first viewed by Balboa, from his ele-
waited position in the mountains of Darien,
were of much more pacific character than
we found them during the whole of our
first week out from San Francisco. l do
not mean to imply that the name he gave
to the Ocean is by any means misnomer,
for usually its waters are very peaceful; but
old Boreas sometimes causes quite change
to come DER the scene. had frequently
heard of mountainous waves, but was rather
inclined to view such things as slight
establishment of the fancy. Of the actual
existence of such an interesting phenomena
I am now prepared to certify. AS the wind
was blowing strong from the N. E., by 8
O'Clock the last faint outline of the coast
of California had faded in the distance,
and we began to realize that we were really
atloat upon "the wide, wide sea-" Of
ones actual feelings, when he finds himself
u2on the "deep and dark blue ocean," far
from the sight of land, surrounded by
wild waste of waters, bounded only by the
distant horizon, will not attempt to write,
as | do not believe in the possibility of
thinking Of dear ones left behind, whose
faces they know they may not look upon
for years; others are looking forward to
golden promises awaiting them in the land
of their destination-promises which, alas
only too often fail to be realized; while
some land you have but little difficulty in
recognizing them are ready to exclaim in
one of Byron's heroes:
"And now am in the world alone
Upon the wide, wide sea:
Oh. why should for others moan,
When none will sigh for mes'
Time creeps on apace; the sun gradually
approaches the western wave, and finally
disappears from sight, having apparently
sank directly into the deep, deep sea-
Then comes twilight-that misty webb
between day ard night, so indescribly
soothing to every nature. AS the darkness
closes around us, the stars begin to peep
out: one by one they make their appear
ance, until the whole blue expanse above
us seems spangled Ger with myriads of
brilliant gems which are reflected in the
waves beneath us. As our vessel speeds on
the water around our PROV resembles sea
of molten lava, while the caps of the waves
far in the distance have all the appearance
of an illuminated city. cannot imagine
anything more delightful than sitting at
night on the deck of vessel watching the
sea. When a wave comes in our bulwarks,
the deck Immediately assumes the appear
ance of being covered with minute balls of
fire, or fire flies, which think proves quite
conclusively that the phosphorus of the
sea is occasioned by the presence of myriads
of minute phosphoretic animalcule, proba-
bly, Indigenous to salt water. never saw
the experiment tried, but am told that the
boiling of sea water entirely destroys its
phosphorescing qualities, the heat no doubt
killing the animalcula.
Ten o'clock arrives, and the sky has been
beautifully clear and blue all evening; but
now an occasional cloud is to be seen slowly
drifting to lceward. BY II o'clock the
wind has freshened and the heavens are
entirely o'ercast. The Captain, fearing we
may be visited by a squall, (which are quite
common liz this latitude, at this season.
calls all hands TO reef topsails, and every
thing is made secure aloft. 1t is now the
noon of night, and 60 to indulge in
little of tired natures sweet restorss-
balmy sleep" In few minutes, l find
myself quietly swinging in my hammock,
"a bed somewhat difficult to get into, but
which, when once into, is found to be very
comfortable; indeed, l courted Morpheus
but few minutes, before had won from
him one of his most favored smiles. Early
daylight found me again on deck, deter
mined to witness the first appearance of
the god of day. You have doubtless had
many descriptions of "Sunrise at Sea" so
{ will not weary you with another; but
will only say that the whole scene, from
the earliest rosy blush in the East indiea
tive of his coming, Until he was high in
the heavens, was grand ia the extrepe.-
The sea was spread out smooth, CLASSY,
and mOtlOnleSS, save III inherent Sympa-
thies, which in scarcely perceptible undu-
latie,ls, responded to the pulsation of its
mighty heart. 4 mirror, too, it seemed, of
the ovarhangiDg canspy, set in rim of
clouds that bordered the horizon, still as
the heaven against which they leaned;
pure as the sqaw; unlike in form, and yet
akin in faultless pssilty, There lay the
sea, in truth,
GA glorious mirror, where the Almighty's
form
Glasses itself in tempests; in all time
Calm os aaGyulsed-in breeze, or gale, or
Storm,
Icing the pole, Or IN ti,e tqrrid cline
Dark -heaying! boundless, endless, AID sub
lime