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- tide, they swept off amain;—over and over rolling; like porpoises to
vessels tranced in calms, bringing down the gale.
At last, rounding an antlered headland, that seemed a moose at bay—ere
long, we launched upon blue lake-like waters, serene as Windermere, or
Horicon. Thus, from the boisterous storms of youth, we glide upon
senility.
But as we northward voyaged, another aspect wore the sea.
In far-off, endless vistas, colonnades of water-spouts were seen: all
heaven’s dome upholding on their shafts: and bright forms gliding up
and down within. So at Luz, in his strange vision, Jacob saw the
angels.
A boundless cave of stalactites, it seemed; the cloud-born vapors
downward spiraling, till they met the whirlpool-column from the sea;
then, uniting, over the waters stalked, like ghosts of gods. Or midway
sundered—down, sullen, sunk the watery half; and far up into heaven,
was drawn the vapory. As, at death, we mortals part in twain; our
earthy half still here abiding; but our spirits flying whence they
came.
In good time, we gained the thither side of great Kolumbo of the South;
and sailing on, long waited for the day; and wondered at the darkness.
“What steadfast clouds!” cried Yoomy, “yonder! far aloft: that ridge,
with many points; it fades below, but shows a faint white crest.”
“Not clouds, but mountains,” said Babbalanja, “the vast spine, that
traverses Kolumbo; spurring off in ribs, that nestle loamy valleys,
veined with silver streams, and silver ores.”
It was a long, embattled line of pinnacles. And high posted in the
East, those thousand bucklered peaks stood forth, and breasted back the
Dawn. Before their purple bastions bold, Aurora long arrayed her
spears, and clashed her golden shells. The summons dies away. But now,
her lancers charge the steep, and gain its crest a-glow;—their
glittering spears and blazoned shields triumphant in the morn.
But ere that sight, we glided on for hours in twilight; when, on those
mountains’ farther side, the hunters must have been abroad, morning-
glories all astir.
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