Page:Journal of a Voyage to Greenland, in the Year 1821.djvu/245

Rh 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, but the head swell prevented our weathering the Calf of Man until the evening, when the wind changing a few points to the westward, enabled us to proceed some distance beyond that dangerous promontory, before the sun's golden orb had sunk into its watery bed. Never did I behold departing day retire more slowly and beautifully, and I could not help hailing it as a welcome 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 vociferated; "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 assumed the character of a most sterile cliff of considerable 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