God grant that we may not be reduced to that.
But, I repeat it, Mrs. Weldon, the appearance of the sky is reassuring, and it is impossible for a vessel or a pilot-boat not to meet us.
Then, good hope. We are headed for the land, we shall see it before long."
Yes, to run a ship aground is a last extremity, to which the most energetic sailor does not resort without fear!
Thus, Dick Sand did not wish to foresee it, while he had some chances of escaping it.
For several days there were, in the state of the atmosphere, alternatives which, anew, made the novice very uneasy.
The wind kept in the condition of a stiff breeze all the time, and certain oscillations of the barometrical column indicated that it tended to freshen.
Dick Sand then asked himself, not without apprehension, if he would be again forced to scud without sails.
He had so much interest in keeping at least his top-sail, that he resolved to do so so long as it was not likely to be carried away.
But, to secure the solidity of the masts, he had the shrouds and backstays hauled taut.
Above all, all unnecessary risk must be avoided, as the situation would become one of the gravest, if the "Pilgrim" should be disabled by losing her masts.
Once or twice, also, the barometer rising gave reason to fear that the wind might change point for point; that is to say, that it might pass to the east. It would then be necessary to sail close to the wind!
A new anxiety for Dick Sand. What should he do with a contrary wind?
Tack about?
But if he was obliged to come to that, what new delays and what risks of being thrown into the offing.
Happily those fears were not realized.
The wind, after shifting for several days, blowing sometimes from the north, sometimes from the south, settled definitely in the west.
But it was always a strong breeze, almost a gale, which strained the masting.
It was the 5th of April.
So, then, more than two months had already elapsed since the
"Pilgrim" had left New Zealand.
For twenty days a contrary wind and long calms had retarded her course.
Then she was in a favorable condition to reach land rapidly.
Her speed must even have been very considerable during the tempest. Dick Sand estimated its average at not less than two hundred miles a day!
How, then, had he not yet made the coast? Did it flee before the "Pilgrim?"
It was absolutely inexplicable.
And, nevertheless, no land was signaled, though one of the blacks kept watch constantly in the crossbars.
Dick Sand often ascended there himself.
There, with a telescope to his eyes, he sought to discover some appearance of mountains. The Andes chain is very high. It was there in the zone of the clouds that he must seek some peak, emerging from the vapors of the horizon.
Several times Tom and his companions were deceived by false indications of land. They were only vapors of an odd form, which rose in the background.
It happened sometimes that these honest men were obstinate in their belief; but, after a certain time, they were forced to acknowledge that they had been dupes of an optical illusion. The pretended land, moved away, changed form and finished by disappearing completely.
On the 6th of April there was no longer any doubt possible.
It was eight o'clock in the morning.
Dick Sand had just ascended into the bars.
At that moment the fogs were condensed under the first rays of the sun, and the horizon was pretty clearly defined.
From Dick Sand's lips escaped at last the so long expected cry:
"Land! land before us!"
At that cry every one ran on deck, little Jack, curious as folks are at that age, Mrs. Weldon, whose trials were going to cease with the landing, Tom and his companions, who were at last going to set foot again on the American continent, Cousin Benedict himself, who had great hope of picking up quite a rich collection of new insects for himself.
Negoro, alone, did not appear.
Each then saw what Dick Sand had seen, some very distinctly, others with the eyes of faith. But on the part of the novice, so accustomed to observe sea horizons, there was no error possible, and an hour after, it must be allowed he was not deceived.
At a distance of about four miles to the east stretched a rather low coast, or at least what appeared such.
It must be commanded behind by the high chain of the Andes, but the last zone of clouds did not allow the summits to be perceived.
The "Pilgrim" sailed directly and rapidly to this coast, which grew larger to the eye.
Two hours after it was only three miles away.
This part of the coast ended in the northeast by a pretty high cape, which covered a sort of roadstead protected from land winds.
On the contrary, in the southeast, it lengthened out like a thin peninsula.
A few trees crowned a succession of low cliffs, which were then clearly defined under the sky.
But it was evident, the geographical character of the country being given, that the high mountain chain of the Andes formed their background.
Moreover, no habitation in sight, no port, no river mouth, which might serve as a harbor for a vessel.
At that moment the "Pilgrim" was running right on the land.