All was not plain sailing, however, as regards the progress of the "New Learning."

Being now very much on their guard, they still held on their course until about two in the morning of Friday, October 12th, when the Pinta, which was always far ahead, owing to her superior sailing, made the signal of seeing land, which was first discovered by Rodrigo de Triana at about two leagues from the ship.

It did not require many days to transmit intelligence from Dublin to the government; for the admiralty had contracted with a Captain Rich, that for the monthly sum of twenty-two pounds he should constantly have two swift-sailing vessels, stationed, one at Holyhead, the other at Dublin, ready to put to sea on the arrival of despatches for the service of the state.

It was a light craft and a jolly crew, and all was smooth sailing for four or five days.

Darrin, however, was ready with the answer: "Oh, we're having pretty rough sailing, but we're both still in our class.

[-31-]After this he formed a plan to let them slip by, intending to fall upon them from the rear: he himself by fast sailing expected to capture them directly, and when the leaders had plainly shown that they were attempting to run away he thought that the remainder would make no contest about surrendering.

plain sailing, smooth sailing, straight sailing; mere child's play, holiday task; cinch [U.S.].

It was not easy to do it; for all the stories that I had heard of the dangerous sailing among the Hebrides, which is proverbial, came full upon my recollection.

"It was delicious sailing along with your Bright Angel.

It contains a staircase of easy ascent to the top, whence I had a most extensive prospect of the Atlantic Ocean, where vessels are descried sailing at an immense distance.

We shall see the blossoms swelling, Watch the spring-bird build his dwelling, See the dead leaves downward sailing, While the Autumn winds are wailing,

They had this good fortune at Sellanraa, that every spring and autumn they could see the grey geese sailing in fleets above that wilderness, and hear their chatter up in the airdelirious talk it was.

It was rather hopeless sailing now, not knowing whether they were headed right or not.

"There are certain persons," I went on, "to whom it would be of intense interest to know the true reason why the steam-yacht Lola put into Leghorn; why I was entertained on board her; why the safe in the British Consulate was rifled, and why the unfortunate girl, kept a prisoner on board, was taken on shore just before the hurried sailing of the vessel.

He was nothing if not superlative: his diatribes, now culminating in a very extravaganza of hyperbolenow sailing with loose wing through the downy, witched, Dutch cloud-heaps of some quaintest tramontane Nephelococcugia of thoughtnow laying down law of the Medes for the actual world of to-dayhad oft-times the strange effect of bringing back to my mind the very singular old-epic epithet,

The confederates explained the inferior sailing of their own galleys by the circumstance of their rowers, who had been allowed to bear arms in the fight, being crippled by their wounds.

Below us in the bay we could see the fins of several sharks, ploughing the waves in search of prey; while the constant sailing to and fro of Cuba fruit-boats, laden with bananas, pawpaws, pine-apples, and every luxury that and contiguous islands afford, enlivened the scene, which altogether was one of extraordinary beauty.

A girl who sang in the lily drifta-sailing on this dirty, reeking bumboat, with cattle dying jammed in the pens!

The 25th of October, 1812, one week after the victory and loss of the gallant Wasp, dawned bright and clear on the English frigate Macedonian sailing westward of Canary Islands.

"As to mere sailing, I am as whimsical as a girl in her teens in the choice of her ribbons.

"I am afraid it will be rather monotonous sailing about the North Sea looking for German warships, when the latter are afraid to come out and fight.

But he never outgrew this interest in overhead sailing, and his dreams turned into practical working inventions that enabled him to do what never a mortal man had done beforethat is, move about at will in the air.

Like the nautilus, too, it had respectable sailing and floating powers.

"How is it that you are rated on the books as a boyyou as much a man as you will ever be?" "A long voyage, sir, slow sailing and delays over so many disasters as befell us, three years out in the stead of a year and a halfall that brings one to man's estate before his reckoning.

It was a day of days for sunny summer sailing.