VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
191 
narrowly escaped being run down by a large ship, 
which, in the extreme darkness that prevailed, was 
scudding before the gale. 
The gale continued all the day « with a 
fury, unequalled during the voyage, 
which, with a lofty tumbling swell, drove us to 
leeward in spite of a pressure of sail, that kept the 
ship upon her beam ends. 
The gale moderated in the morning. 
Sept. 7. head swell prevented our weather- 
ing the Calf of Man until the evening, when the 
wind changing a few points to the westward, en- 
abled us to proceed some distance beyond that 
dangerous promontory, before the sun’s golden orb 
had sunk into its watery bed. Never did I be- 
hold departing day retire more slowly and beau- 
tifully, and I could not help hailing it as a wel- 
come to our return, and a reproach as it were, to 
the elements that had used their unkind influence 
to retard our progress, ever since our ship’s head 
had been turned towards home. 
At day-light I heard this joyful sound 
Sept. 8. land right ahead and 
before it could be distinctly seen I was on the 
deck, and soon after heard it pronounced to be 
Great Ormes head, on the coast of Wales. It as- 
sumed the character of a most sterile cliff of con- 
siderable elevation, and appeared as barren a spot 
as nature ever formed ; but to behold any part of 
our country, gives a joy to the heart which is im- 
