We thought they might be the hills of the western islands of Scotland, but could not tell, so utterly had we lost all reckoning.
Whatever the land might be we had to find out presently, for in no way could we escape from a lee shore.

Nor was it long before we found that here was no island before us, such an we expected, but a long range of coast, which stretched from east to west, as far as we could see, in a chain of hills.

All I could say for certain was that these hills were none which I knew, and so could not be those of the northern Scottish coasts, which I had sailed past many a time.
There was more sun this morning, for the clouds were breaking.

Once or twice the light fell on the far hilltops, bringing them close to us, as it were, and then passing.

Out to seaward astern of us it gleamed on the white wavetops, hurried after us, and cheered us for a time, and so swept on to the land that waited our coming, with what welcome we could not say.