Travels in the equatorial regions of South America, in 1832 / by Adrian R. Terry.

  • Terry, Adrian R. (Adrian Russell), 1808-1864.
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels in the equatorial regions of South America, in 1832 / by Adrian R. Terry. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    Hundreds of albatrosses were flying about us, many- penguins were seen in the water around the ship, and that beautiful kind of porpoise which has a stripe of pure white along its side, was gamboling in shoals over the dark blue waves. Nothing worthy of notice happened from this time until the 12th of January, when the cabin-boy, William, died of a dysentery which he contracted in Guayaquil. Poor fellow ! he was an excellent boy, the hope and consolation of a widowed mother, to whom he sent the greatest share of his earnings. The next day his body was committed to the deep, with the appropriate solem- nities. It was a gloomy day. For two days before William's death, a dog that was on board was continu- ally snuffling about the steerage hatchway, where the boy was, and uttering the most piteous howls. His acute scent probably detected the smell of mortality, and with that curious instinct which dogs, as well as some other animals, are known to possess, he thus mani- fested his alarm and sorrow. Even when the sailors knew that the boy was in great danger, and with very little hope of recovery, no perceptible change could be perceived in their conduct or feelings,—they were as light-hearted as ever; but when the dog began to mani- fest symptoms of alarm and uneasiness, I quickly ob-. served that they communicated themselves to every sailor on board. They talked in whispers ; and many a sorrowful glance was cast toward the steerage. They evidently thought that the seal was put on the fate of poor William. It is not strange that ignorant sailors should be superstitious. In the midst, as they continu- 26