Ramage's Prize (1974)
“For an hour as they approached the coast Ramage listened to a spasmodic argument between Kerguelen and his second-in-command, who swore he recognized the Burling Islands, a group of small islets half a dozen miles from the next headland south.
Finally, he asked Kerguelen for the use of the telescope. There was no mistaking the Cape, although its rugged rocks gave the impression of separate islets because of the high mountains behind it. But southward towards Lisbon the land was flatter, the coa...st lined by sand dunes backed with pine forests and dozens of little white windmills, many with the canvas of their blades reefed against the strong west wind.
“Cabo Mondego,” he told Kerguelen as he gave back the telescope.
“You’re sure? All these damned headlands look alike along this coast!”
Ramage nodded. “They do, but I remember Mondego: coming down from the north it’s easy to mistake it for the Burling Islands.”
With that Kerguelen snapped out a stream of orders that brought the brig round to the south, steering parallel with the coast but out of sight from anyone but sharp-eyed lookouts on the headlands.MoreLess
Finally, he asked Kerguelen for the use of the telescope. There was no mistaking the Cape, although its rugged rocks gave the impression of separate islets because of the high mountains behind it. But southward towards Lisbon the land was flatter, the coa...st lined by sand dunes backed with pine forests and dozens of little white windmills, many with the canvas of their blades reefed against the strong west wind.
“Cabo Mondego,” he told Kerguelen as he gave back the telescope.
“You’re sure? All these damned headlands look alike along this coast!”
Ramage nodded. “They do, but I remember Mondego: coming down from the north it’s easy to mistake it for the Burling Islands.”
With that Kerguelen snapped out a stream of orders that brought the brig round to the south, steering parallel with the coast but out of sight from anyone but sharp-eyed lookouts on the headlands.MoreLess
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