18 INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE. 



sixty or seventy miles. The brightness of the east 

 was behind it, and threw it out into strong and bold 

 relief; but the moment the sun was visible above its 

 outline, it faded away and became entirely invisible. 

 Just before sunrise, or just after sunset, is a time 

 much prized by mariners for discerning distant land. 



During the forenoon the mountains of Jamaica 

 were seen, and gradually grew more distinct as we 

 neared the island. Yet the cloudiness of the day had 

 prevented my having had any satisfactory view of it 

 until evening. About sunset, I was standing forward, 

 when one by my side said, " Look at the Peak ! " I 

 looked intently, directing my gaze to the neighbour- 

 hood of the horizon, where I supposed it was to be 

 seen ; but nothing but the dull white clouds met my 

 eye. " Up there ! " said my informant ; and his 

 finger pointed up into the sky ; and there indeed was 

 its noble head (perhaps elevated by refraction), a co- 

 nical mass, darkly blue, above the dense bed of clouds 

 that hung around its sides, and enveloped all beneath 

 its towering elevation. Yet it is situated far inland, 

 and was then full forty miles distant from our ship. 



But night soon fell, and, as we were somewhat 

 anxiously watching for the light on Point Morant, I 

 had the pleasure of first seeing it from the main 

 rigging. We were soon abreast of it, and as we 

 passed on before an increasing breeze, that tempered 

 the tropical heat with its refreshing breath, we saw 

 the coast dark and high only a few miles off. Many 

 lights were seen in the scattered cottages, and here 

 and there a fire blazed up from the beach, or a torch 

 in the hand of some fisherman was carried from place 



