CHAPTER XVI THE AURORA AUSTRALIS
Whilst slowly sweeping the ice with the glass, I saw, or seemed to see, when the lenses pointed a little to the eastward of south, a blue shadow of land in the air. I took my eye away from the telescope and then the shadow was gone: I looked again through the glass and there it was, a dim, scarcely distinguishable liquid dye whitening as it climbed till it melted in the azure.
I very well knew that shadow must be land, probably one of the mountainous rocks of the South Orkneys; unless indeed it was that group which lies north-east of the South Shetlands—forming one of them, in short: but I could not persuade myself that our drift to the westwards had been so considerable. I said to Miss Otway:
'Do you see a shadow in the air yonder?'
She looked, preserving the frown of an intense stare, and replied:
'No; I see no shadow.'
I directed the glass; she put her eye to it and cried quickly, 'Yes; I see it.'
'It is land,' said I.
She looked eagerly at me and said, 'Inhabited land?'
'I'll not say so, but I believe they go sealing there. I've heard of whalers heaving-to and sending ashore.'