Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/57

OR, VULCAN S PEAK. 51 tance between them was so small, that there was no diffi culty in conversing, which they continued to do, as was natural enough to men in their situation. The first look that each of our mariners bestowed, after he was in his top, was to leeward, which being to the westward, was of course yet in the darkest point of the horizon. They expected to obtain a sight of at least one island, and that quite near to them, if not of a group. But no land appeared ! It is true, that it was still too dark to be certain of a fact of this sort, though Mark felt quite assured that if land was finally seen, it must be of no great extent, and quite low. He called to Bob, to ascertain what he thought of appearances to leeward, his reputation as a look-out being so great. "Wait a few minutes, sir, till we get a bit more day," answered his companion. " There is a look on the water, about a league off here on the larboard quarter, that seems as if something would come out of it. But, one thing can be seen plain enough, Mr. Mark, and that s the breakers. There s a precious line on em, and that too one within another, as makes it wonderful how we ever got through em as well as we did !" This was true enough, the light on the ocean to wind ward being now sufficient to enable the men to see, in that direction, to a considerable distance. It was that solemn hour in the morning when objects first grow distinct, ere they are touched with the direct rays from the sun, and when everything appears as if coming to us fresh and reno vated from the hands of the Creator. The sea had so far gone down as to render the breakers much less formi dable to the eye, than when it was blowing more heavily ; but this very circumstance made it impossible to mistake their positions. In the actual state of the ocean, it was certain that wherever water broke, there must be rocks or shoals beneath; whereas, in a blow, the combing of an ordinary sea might be mistaken for the white water of some hidden danger. Many of the rocks, however, lay so low, that the heavy, sluggish rollers that came undulating along, scarce did more than show faint, feathery lines of white, to indicate the character of the places *>cross which they were passing. Such was now the case with the reef