16 INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE. 



out before the breeze, just as the poet has described 

 it,— 



" tumidoque inflatur carbasus Austro." 



Reluctantly the passengers one by one retire, and 

 the meditative watch is left in undisputed possession 

 of the silent deck. 



At length all eyes were directed westward to look 

 out for land : and presently (on the 28th of November) 

 the little isle Desirada was detected on the horizon 

 like a thin band of blue cloud. Antigua and Gua- 

 daloupe succeeded, both dim and distant ; then 

 Montserrat appeared ahead, and quickly grew distinct 

 and palpable. It was afternoon, and the sun was 

 sunk behind its heights as we neared it, so that we 

 could see nothing but one dark blue ragged mass, 

 tapering down at each extremity, and rising into 

 irregular peaks in the centre. We rounded the 

 north end, and saw the opposite side, where the 

 beams of the slanting sun shone full upon the green 

 woods and verdant cane-fields, displaying many white 

 houses scattered about the hills. On the summits 

 of the mountains many palm-trees elevated their 

 noble feathery heads above the general mass of foliage. 

 The central peaks were shrouded in a cap of cloud, 

 and while we looked on the smiling scene, the mists 

 began to roll down the mountain sides like the falling 

 of a curtain ; and soon the beautiful island was but 

 a shapeless mass of grey haze. 



The fresh breeze rapidly swept us along between 

 Montserrat and another object of interest that now 

 appeared. It was Radonda, a vast mass of barren 



