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 LAND AT LAST. 151 about to return in which once again he must reduce his vessel to a state of bare pôles ; but so intense was his aversion to having his ship so wrested as it were from his own management, that he determined to carry the topsail till it was ail but carried away by the force of the blast. Concerned, moreover, for the safety of his masts, the loss of which he acknowledged must be fatal, he had the shrouds well overhauled and the backstays considerably tightened. More than once another contingency occurred to his mind, and gave him some anxiety. He could not overlook the possibility of the wind changing ail round. What should he do in such a case? He would of course endeavour by ail means to get the schooner on by incessant tacking; but was there not the certaînty of a most hazardous delay ? and worse than this, was there not a likelihood of the " Pilgrim ** being once again driven far eut to sea ? Happily thèse forebodings were not realized. The wind, after chopping about for several days, at one time blowing from the north, and at another from the south, finally settled down into a stiffish gale from the west, which did nothing worse than severely strain the masts. In this weary but hopeful endurance time passed on. The 5th of April had arrived. It was more than two months since the " Pilgrim " had quitted New Zealand ; it was true that during the first three weeks of her voyage she had been impeded by protracted calms and contrary winds ; but since that time her speed had been rapid, the very tempests had driven her forwards with unwonted velocity ; she had never failed to hâve her bow towards the land, and yet land seemed as remote as ever ; the coast Une was retreating as they approached it. What could be the solution of the mystery ? From the cross-trees one or other of the negroes was kept incessantly on the watch. Dick Sands himself, télescope in handy would repeatedly ascend in the hope of beholding some lofty peak of the Andes emerging from the mists that hung over the horizon. But ail in vain. False alarms were given more than once. Sometimes