Emerging clouds the azure East invade,
And wrap the lucid Spheres in gradual shade;
While yet the songsters of the vocal grove,
With dying numbers tune the soul to love:
With joyful eyes th' attentive Master sees

Th' auspicious omens of an eastern breeze.
Round the charged bowl the Sailors form a ring;
By turns recount the wondrous tale, or sing,
As love, or battle, hardships of the Main,

Or genial wine, awake the homely strain:
Then some the Watch of Night alternate keep,
The rest lie buried in oblivious sleep.

Deep Midnight now involves the livid skies, When eastern breezes, yet enervate, rise: The waning Moon behind a watery shroud Pale glimmered o'er the long protracted cloud; A mighty Halo round her silver throne, With parting meteors crossed, portentous shone : This in the troubled sky full oft prevails, Oft deemed a signal of tempestuous gales. While young ARION sleeps, before his sight Tumultuous swim the Visions of the Night:

Now, blooming ANNA with her happy swain
Approached the sacred Hymeneal fane;

Anon, tremendous lightnings flash between,
And funeral pomp, and weeping loves are seen:
Now with PALEMON, up a rocky Steep,

Whose summit trembles o'er the roaring Deep,
With painful step he climbed; while far above
Sweet ANNA charmed them with the voice of Love:
Then sudden from the slippery height they fell,
While dreadful yawned, beneath, the jaws of hell.—
Amid this fearful Trance, a thundering sound

He hears, and thrice the hollow decks rebound;
Upstarting from his couch on deck he sprung,
Thrice with shrill note the Boatswain's whistle rung:
All hands unmoor! proclaims a boisterous cry,
All hands unmoor! the caverned Rocks reply:
Roused from repose aloft the Sailors swarm,
And with their levers soon the Windlass arm:
The Order given, up springing with a bound,
They fix the bars, and heave the Windlass round;
At every turn the clanging pauls resound:

Up-torn reluctant from its oozy cave

The ponderous Anchor rises o'er the wave.
High on the slippery Masts the Yards ascend,
And far abroad the canvass wings extend.

Along the glassy plain the Vessel glides,
While azure radiance trembles on her sides;
The lunar rays in long reflection gleam,
With silver deluging the fluid stream.
Levant, and Thracian Gales, alternate play,
Then in th' Egyptian quarter die away.

A Calm ensues; adjacent shores they dread,
The boats, with rowers manned, are sent ahead;
With cordage fastened to the lofty prow
Aloof to sea the stately Ship they tow;

The nervous crew their sweeping oars extend,
And pealing shouts the shore of CANDIA rend:
Success attends their skill! the danger's o'er!
The Port is doubled, and beheld no more.

Now Morn with gradual pace advanced on high,
Whitening with orient Beam the twilight Sky:
She comes not in refulgent pomp arrayed,

But frowning stern, and wrapt in sullen shade.

Above incumbent mists, tall IDA's height,
Tremendous rock! emerges on the sight;
North-east, a league, the Isle of STANDIA bears,
And westward, FRESCHIN'S Woody Cape appears.

In distant angles while the transient gales
Alternate blow, they trim the flagging Sails;
The drowsy air attentive to retain,

As from unnumbered points it sweeps the Main. Now swelling Stud-Sails on each side extend, Then Stay-Sails sidelong to the breeze ascend; While all, to court the veering Winds, are placed With Yards alternate square, and sharply braced.

The dim Horizon lowering Vapours shroud,

And blot the Sun yet struggling in the cloud; Through the wide atmosphere condensed with haze,

His glaring Orb emits a sanguine blaze.

The Pilots now their Azimuth attend,

On which all Courses, duly formed, depend:

The Compass placed to catch the rising ray,
The Quadrant's shadows studious they survey;
Along the arch the gradual Index slides,

While Phoebus down the vertic-circle glides;

Now seen on Ocean's utmost verge to swim,
He sweeps it vibrant with his nether limb.
Thus Height, and Polar distance are obtained,
Then Latitude, and Declination, gained;
In Chiliads next th' Analogy is sought,
And on the sinical triangle wrought:

By this magnetic variance is explored,

Just angles known, and polar truth restored.

The Natives, while the Ship departs their land, Ashore with admiration gazing stand.

Majestically slow before the breeze

She moved triumphant o'er the yielding Seas;
Her bottom through translucent waters shone,
White as the clouds beneath the blaze of noon;
The bending Wales their contrast next displayed,
All fore and aft in polished jet arrayed.
BRITANNIA, riding awful on the prow,

Gazed o'er the vassal Waves that rolled below:
Where'er she moved the vassal Waves were seen
To yield obsequious, and confess their Queen.
Th' imperial Trident graced her dexter hand,
Of power to rule the Surge like Moses' wand;