/əˈspī,eˈspī/

verb

to see (at a distance), to catch sight of

At last, having seen the Parsee carnival wind away in the distance, he was turning his steps towards the station, when he happened to espy the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill, and was seized with an irresistible desire to see its interior.

- from Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne (1828 - 1905)