CHAPTER XVII 



ANEW land, new to us, only a faint tint above the 

 horizon, but land it is, we know ; merely an outline 

 of faint soft blue-grey mountains over the sparkling 

 morning sea. 



All night we waited and watched for its lights, but not 

 till daylight did we have the pleasure of seeing " land " ! 

 Land rising out of the waters after even a week at sea is 

 very gratifying, like food after hunger, like health after 

 illness. 



We have made a good land fall we find ourselves heading 

 straight to the centre of San Miguel, the largest island of the 

 Azores group, within a few yards of the point we aimed at 

 from Belfast ; thanks to three skilled navigators, for we 

 would have passed the islands miles to W. if we had not 

 corrected compass by sun bearings, a procedure which 

 demands very scientific knowledge^of navigation. 



So it is a case of a shave to-day, and getting out thin land 

 clothing, with an occasional turn on deck between the 

 operations to gloat on the blue hazy mountains. 



We must bring a harpoon or two on deck to show our real 

 character, for our queer craft, with its three guns forward, 

 might make the Portuguese wonder what our intentions 

 might be, especially as our full papers are being mailed out 

 to Cape Town, and we must try to avoid any more red tape 

 entanglements. 



Gradually the hazy land is lit by the rising sun ; some 

 rays penetrate the veil of clouds that hangs over the moun- 

 tains. We see greenish tints and white specks, and with the 

 glasses make out that these are houses, apparently farms 

 with a light and dark green tartan of fields and hedges round 

 them. 



Above the little fields are peaks with scrub or trees up to 

 the clouds, below the cultivated land there is a steep coast 



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