Our ship made good speed, though she was very deep, and by half-past eleven we made up with the south end of Dominica.

Here the wind fell, and we ran along the coast of the island in a smooth sea, not more than four or five miles from the land.

The moon by this time being up, the bold and picturesque outlines of this island, softened by the rains and wreathed in fleecy clouds, presented a beautiful night-scene.
The sleeping town of Rousseau barely showed us the glimmer of a light, and we passed but one coasting schooner.

At 2 A.M., we were off the north end of the island, but now heavy rain-squalls came up, and rendered it so thick, that we were obliged to slow down, and even stop the engine, it being too thick to run.

The squall lighting up a little, we endeavoured to feel our way in the dark; mistook the south for the north end of Prince Rupert's Bay, and only discovered our mistake when we had gotten fearfully near the shore, and had whitened our water! Hauled her broad out, and again put her under very slow steam.