ld thus be afforded ample
opportunity to conceal such treasure of pearls or otherwise as they
might happen to have on hand before the arrival of the English.
Therefore Dyer counselled an approach from the south-eastward, taking
care to keep far enough to the southward to escape observation from the
inmates of the battery, assuring George that he was thoroughly
acquainted with the navigation of those waters and guaranteeing that if
his advice were followed the surprise of the colonists should be
complete.

Accordingly the _Nonsuch_ hugged the coast of the Main as closely as was
at all prudent, a good look-out for rocks and shoals being maintained;
and at dawn on the following morning high land was descried on the
north-western horizon, which Dyer, having inspected it from aloft,
confidently pronounced to be the mountain peaks of the eastern half of
Margarita.

The ship was now, as she had been all through the night and the
preceding day, within the influence of the land and sea-breezes, and it
was under the influence of the former that she was now driving along to
the westward. But Dyer was aware that very shortly after sunrise the
land breeze would die away and the ship would be becalmed for the best
part of an hour before the setting in of the sea-breeze; therefore,
knowing exactly where he was, with Margarita in sight, he gave the order
to bear up and run off the land, which was done just in time to escape
the calm and run into the trade-wind.

Two hours later more land was sighted, this time straight ahead, and a
little later it was made out to be a small island, right in the fairway
between Margarita and the main. And as, upon a nearer approach, a
number of buildings were seen upon it, while in the offing a whole fleet
of boats--which Dyer affirmed bore a remarkable resemblance to pearl-
fishing-boats--were sighted at anchor, George resolved to give the place
an overhaul before calling upon the Margaritans. Now, one advantage
possessed by the _Nonsuch_ happened to be that, owing to the peculiarity
of her design, she bore a very remarkable resemblance to the Spanish
race-ships, or _razees_, which, in conjunction with the great galleons,
transacted almost the whole of the business on the Spanish Main; and
Saint Leger determined to avail himself of this peculiarity in the hope
that he would thereby be enabled to approach the little settlement
without arousing the suspicion of its inhabitants. Accordingly he stoo