170 THE OCEAN. 



greatly promotes peace and good-will, and is, there- 

 lore, fraught with blessings to mankind. 



Leaving behind us the inhospitable waters of the 

 north, let us take an imaginary voyage through this 

 important and interesting portion of the great deep, 

 still having an open eye to mark the footsteps of 

 Him whose "way is in the sea, and His path in the 

 great waters." The north breeze blows cheerily, 

 though coldly, and the sun, daily attaining a more 

 elevated position at noon, while the pole-star nightly 

 approaches the horizon, tells us of our rapid progress 

 southward. By and by, the shout of "Land ho T 

 directs our attention to the horizon, where, with 

 straining eyes, we dimly discern what appears to be 

 a faint mass of cloud, of so evanescent a hue, that 

 a landsman looks long in the direction of the sea- 

 man's finger, and yet continues dubious whether 

 anything is really visible or not. Now he says con- 

 fidently, " Ha ! I caught a glance of it then :" but 

 presently it turns out that his eye has been directed 

 to a point quite wide of the indicated locality ; and 

 again he slowly but vainly sweeps the horizon with 

 his eye, in search of what the practised vision of the 

 mariner detects and recognises at a glance. Mean- 

 while, the ship rushes on before the cheerful breeze; 

 we go down to breakfast; and on again coming on 

 deck, there no longer remains any doubt; there lies 

 the land on the lee bow, high and blue, and pal- 

 pable. It is one of the Azores; and as we draw 

 nearer, we discern and admire the picturesque beau- 

 tics by which they are distinguished. The lofty 

 cliffs of varying hues rear their bold heads perpen- 



