CHAPTER IX.
THE STAR OF VICTORY.
That night I really did not know whether it was night or day. In accordance with the prognostications of my learned and powerful friend, I had, in the course of a deep sleep of about twelve hours' duration, the following singular but vivid dream.
I thought I had embarked on board a large vessel, in company with a great number of noisy passengers, who had determined to sail round the world in search of wealth and happiness. We touched at many previously unknown lands, which presented many strange varieties of scenery, and wonderful peculiarities of climate, but failed to reach the objects of our desire. So far from finding wealth, we seemed to be ourselves the targets for the cupidity of the people at the places we visited, for crowds of them ran about while our ship was approaching their shores, holding up their hands, and bellowing with loud voices, 'Give! give!'
At Length, one evening, we descried an island in the distance, which shone in the midst of an emerald sea with the brightness of the noon-day sun. As in our delight we gazed upon it, and fancied that at last our most sanguine anticipations would be realized, a sudden hurricane burst upon us. Fierce and cold rain rolled down from the island
