About noon
The vast expanse of cloud lay dazzling white in the sunlight , with peaks and crags such as he imagined Alpine summits must show . But though it appeared to be perfectly still , every now and then he saw small jets of mist shoot upward , like water from a geyser , and at such times the vertical currents affected the elevation of the aeroplane . He soon crossed this cloudy sea , however , and in a few hours reached the north-east coast of New Guinea , and knew that nothing but an island-spangled sea separated him from his destination . About noon he came in sight of the mountains of Vanguna Island to the east of New Georgia . Ysabel Island lay beyond this , running from north-west to south-east . His intention was to round Cape Prieto , the south-eastern extremity of it , and search the eastern shore northward . In another hour he saw Russell Island , a green gem in the ocean southward , and beyond this , to the south-east , the peaks of Guadalcanar .