Chapter 13

"Safely in harbour
Is the king's ship; in the deep nook, where once
Thou calledst me up at midnight to fetch dew
From the still vex'd Bermoothes, there she's hid."

_Tempest._

The letter of Roswell Gardiner last received, bore the date of December
10th, 1819, or just a fortnight after he had sailed from Rio de Janeiro.
We shall next present the schooner of Deacon Pratt to the reader on the
18th of that month, or three weeks and one day after she had sailed from
the capital of Brazil. Early in the morning of the day last mentioned, the
Sea Lion of Oyster Pond was visible, standing to the northward, with the
wind light but freshening from the westward, and in smooth water. Land was
not only in sight, but was quite near, less than a league distant. Towards
this land the head of the schooner had been laid, and she was approaching
it at the rate of some four or five knots. The land was broken, high, of a
most sterile aspect where it was actually to be seen, and nearly all
covered with a light but melting snow, though the season was advanced to
the middle of the first month in summer. The weather was not very cold,
however, and there was a feeling about it that promised it would become
still milder. The aspect of the neighbouring land, so barren, rugged and
inhospitable, chilled the feelings, and gave to the scene a sombre hue
which the weather itself might not have imparted. Directly ahead of the
schooner rose a sort of pyramid of broken rocks, which, occupying a small
island, stood isolated in a measure, and some distance in advance of other
and equally ragged ranges of mountains, which belonged also to islands
detached from the main land thousands of years before, under some violent
convulsions of nature.

It was quite apparent that all on board the schooner regarded that ragged
pyramid with lively interest. Most of the crew was collected on the
forecastle, including the officers, and all eyes were fastened on the
ragged pyramid which they were diagonally approaching. The principal
spokesman was Stimson, the oldest mariner on board, and one who had
oftener visited those seas than any other of the crew.

"You know the spot, do you, Stephen?" demanded Roswell Gardiner, with
interest.

"Yes, sir, there's no mistake. That's the Horn. Eleven times have I
doubled it, and this is the third time that I've been so close in as to
get a fair sight of it. Once I went inside, as I've told you, sir."

"I have doubled it six times myself," said Gardiner, "but never saw it
before. Most navigators give it a wide berth. 'Tis said to be the
stormiest spot on the known earth!"

"That's a mistake, you may depend on 't, sir. The sow-westers blow