My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

152 MY LIFEout. I hope you have received the letter sent youfrom Para, dated July 9 or 10, in which I informedyou that I had taken my passage in a vessel boundfor London, which was to sail in a few days. OnMonday, July 12, I went on board with all my cargo,and some articles purchased or collected on my waydown, with the remnant (about twenty) of my livestock.^ After being at sea about a week I had aslight attack of fever, and at first thought I had gotthe yellow fever after all. However, a little calomelset me right in a few days, but I remained ratherweak, and spent most of my time reading in thecabin, which was very comfortable. On Friday,August 6, we were in N. Lat. 30° 30', W. Long. 52°,when, about nine in the morning, just after breakfast,Captain Turner, who was half-owner of the vessel,came into the cabin, and said, ' I'm afraid the ship'son fire. Come and see what you think of it' Goingon deck I found a thick smoke coming out of theforecastle, which we both thought more like the steamfrom heating vegetable matter than the smoke froma fire. The fore hatchway was immediately openedto try and ascertain the origin of the smoke, and aquantity of cargo was thrown out, but the smokecontinuing without any perceptible increase, we wentto the after hatchway, and after throwing out aquantity of piassaba, with which the upper part ofthe hold was filled, the smoke became so dense thatthe men could not stay in it. Most of them werethen set to work throwing in buckets of water, andthe rest proceeded to the cabin and opened thelazaretto or store-place beneath its floor, and foundsmoke issuing from the bulkhead separating it from' These consisted of numerous parrots and parrakeets, and severaluncommon monkeys, a forest wild-dog, etc.