nd the Horn, for I do not think we are far to
the south of it now."

By evening the wind had hauled farther to the west, and the ship's head
pointed more to the north than it had done in the morning. The
passengers enjoyed the change, for the temperature had risen rapidly,
and many of the warm wraps that had been got up were laid aside. At
twelve o'clock the captain had taken observations, and found that the
ship's position was nearly due south of the Falkland Isles.

"We had a narrow squeak of it, Mr. Ryan," he said to the first-mate.
"All the time we were running before that gale I had that group of
islands on my mind."

"So had I, sir," the mate replied. "I was praying all the time that the
wind would keep a bit to the west of north, for I knew that when it
began our position was, as near as may be, due north of them. I guessed
what you were thinking of when you told the man at the wheel to edge
away to the east as much as he dared, though that was mighty little."

"By my reckoning," the captain said, "we could not have passed more than
thirty miles to the east of them. We have made about eighty miles of
westing since we got on our course, and we are now just on the longitude
of the westermost point of the islands. They are about a hundred miles
to the north of us."

The wind continued from the same quarter, and on taking his observation
on the following day the captain announced that if there were no change
he reckoned upon just making the mouth of the Straits between Tierra del
Fuego and the islands. On going on deck two mornings later land was seen
on the port bow.

"There is Cape Horn," the captain said; "that lofty peak covered with
snow. The island nearest to us is Herschel Island. The large island not
far from the Horn is Wollaston Island. As you see, there are several
others. It is not the sort of place one would like to come down upon in
a gale, and if I had had my choice I would rather have gone a hundred
miles south of the Horn. But the wind would not allow us to lie that
course, and after the gale we had the other day we have a right to
reckon upon finer weather, and in light winds it might have taken us
another two or three days beating round."

"The wind is very light now," Mr. Renshaw remarked.

"Yes, and I am afraid it will be lighter still presently," the captain
said.

The vessel made but slow way, and in the afternoon the wind dropped
altogether. The _Flying Scud_ was now two or three mi