h the haze, upon the eye of the mariner? Yes,
yonder is indeed Spain--flinty, indomitable Spain--land emblematic of its
sons!'

"As for myself, when I viewed that wide ocean and its savage shore, I
cried, 'Such is the grave, and such are its terrific sides; those moors
and wilds over which I have passed are the rough and dreary journey of
life. Cheered with hope, we struggle along through all the difficulties
of moor, bog, and mountain, to arrive at--what? The grave and its dreary
sides. Oh, may hope not desert us in the last hour--hope in the Redeemer
and in God!'

"We descended from the eminence, and again lost sight of the sea amidst
ravines and dingles, amongst which patches of pine were occasionally
seen. Continuing to descend, we at last came, not to the sea, but to the
extremity of a long, narrow firth, where stood a village or hamlet;
whilst at a small distance, on the western side of the firth, appeared
one considerably larger, which was indeed almost entitled to the
appellation of town. This last was Corcuvion; the first, if I forget
not, was called Ria de Silla. We hastened on to Corcuvion, where I bade
my guide make inquiries respecting Finisterra. He entered the door of a
wine-house, from which proceeded much noise and vociferation, and
presently returned, informing me that the village of Finisterra was
distant about a league and a half. A man, evidently in a state of
intoxication, followed him to the door. 'Are you bound for Finisterra,
cavalheiros?' he shouted.

"'Yes, my friend,' I replied; 'we are going thither.'

"'Then you are going amongst a flock of drunkards' (_fato de borrachos_),
he answered. 'Take care that they do not play you a trick.'

"We passed on, and striking across a sandy peninsula at the back of the
town, soon reached the shore of an immense bay, the north-westernmost end
of which was formed by the far-famed cape of Finisterra, which we now saw
before us stretching far into the sea.

"Along the beach of dazzling white sand we advanced towards the cape, the
bourne of our journey. The sun was shining brightly, and every object
was illumined by his beams. The sea lay before us like a vast mirror,
and the waves which broke upon the shore were so tiny as scarcely to
produce a murmur. On we sped along the deep winding bay, overhung by
gigantic hills and mountains. Strange recollections began to throng upon
my mind. It was upon this beach that, according to the tradition