ound
the trap-door in the deck, despite the sea-grass, opened it with some
little difficulty, raised the davits into position, and dropped the
tackles into the boat which Mildmay had by this time brought alongside,
and in a few minutes we had that boat hoisted up and stowed away. By
this time there was vapour enough in the generator to move the engines,
so we created a partial vacuum, rising in the air to a height of about a
thousand feet, after which we wended our way hither, finding the spot
without difficulty, thanks to the light displayed in the tower of your
house. And--here we are."

The next three days were devoted to the shipping and storing away of the
enormous quantity of stores of all kinds which Sir Reginald had ordered
for the voyage. This brought the time up to Saturday evening, it being
about 6:30 p.m., when George, and the chef who was to have charge of the
kitchen on board, reported that the last case had been conveyed on board
the _Flying Fish_, and stowed away. There was, of course, no reason why
a start should not now have been immediately effected; but, as the
completion of the arrangements had brought them so very close to Sunday,
Lady Olivia expressed a wish that the departure of the expedition should
be deferred until the following Monday, in order that she might have an
opportunity to attend one more service at the quiet little parish church
close at hand. The wish, of course, had but to be expressed to meet the
ready acquiescence of the other members of the party, and, accordingly,
they all with one consent appeared at the church on Sunday morning; the
afternoon being devoted to a final visit to, and inspection of, the
_Flying Fish_, with the twofold object of making assurance doubly sure
that nothing in the least likely to be wanted during the forthcoming
expedition had been forgotten, and to afford Lady Elphinstone the
opportunity to satisfy herself, before starting, that every arrangement
for her comfort and convenience was complete.

The _Flying Fish_ was still lying concealed in the spot where she had
alighted four nights before; and it happened that, Lady Olivia having
been too fully occupied to visit the ship until now, this was the first
time that she had beheld the wonderful craft for fully six years. It
was also only the second time--save on one memorable and
never-to-be-forgotten occasion--that she had ever obtained an exterior
view of the vessel, and, upon the first occasion