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 Moran t, 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 
