midnight
cried the skipper , as he pointed with his telescope to a dark-blue mass in the distance ; `` see there ! '' `` Ah , true enough ; that 's Cintra ! '' `` Then we shall probably be in the Tagus River before morning ? '' `` Before midnight , if the wind holds , '' said the skipper . We breakfasted on deck beneath an awning . The vessel scarcely seemed to move as she cut her way through the calm water . The misty outline of the coast grew gradually more defined , and at length the blue mountains could be seen ; at first but dimly , but as the day wore on , their many-colored hues shone forth , and patches of green verdure , dotted with sheep or sheltered by dark foliage , met the eye .