Instead of making casual voyages, in transient ships, they established regular trading houses in the high latitudes, along the northwest
coast of America, and upon the chain of the Aleutian Islands between Kamtschatka and the promontory of Alaska.
Almost every arm of the sea, which penetrates to the interior higher chain, not only in Tierra del Fuego, but on the
coast for 650 miles northwards, is terminated by "tremendous and astonishing glaciers," as described by one of the officers on the survey.
From Leghorn to Naples (calling at Civita Vecchia to land any who may prefer to go to Rome from that point), the distance will be made in about thirty-six hours; the route will lay along the
coast of Italy, close by Caprera, Elba, and Corsica.
To the north I could see the rockbound
coast of Cornwall.
The next morn broke off the
coast of Aleria; all day they
coasted, and in the evening saw fires lighted on land; the position of these was no doubt a signal for landing, for a ship's lantern was hung up at the mast-head instead of the streamer, and they came to within a gunshot of the shore.
In our description of this famous sea, an account of which may justly be expected in this place, it is most convenient to begin with the
coast of Arabia, on which part at twelve leagues from the mouth stands the city of Moca, a place of considerable trade.
I caught a glimpse of the octagon minarets of this town, which was at one time the richest commercial magazine on the
coast.
Close inshore was a multitude of fishing smacks--English, Scotch, French, Dutch, and Swedish; steam launches from the Thames, yachts, electric boats; and beyond were ships of large burden, a multitude of filthy colliers, trim merchantmen, cattle ships, passenger boats, petroleum tanks, ocean tramps, an old white transport even, neat white and grey liners from Southampton and Hamburg; and along the blue
coast across the Blackwater my brother could make out dimly a dense swarm of boats chaffering with the people on the beach, a swarm which also extended up the Blackwater almost to Maldon.
A little reflection will explain why along the rising
coast of the western side of South America, no extensive formations with recent or tertiary remains can anywhere be found, though the supply of sediment must for ages have been great, from the enormous degradation of the
coast-rocks and from muddy streams entering the sea.
The Tankadere entered the Straits of Fo-Kien, which separate the island of Formosa from the Chinese
coast, in the small hours of the night, and crossed the Tropic of Cancer.
Henceforth he has done with the
coast astern of his ship.
We shall be late; let 's run," said Polly, as they came into the path after the last
coast.
