l try to give you the latitude and longitude of the
island before you leave us, for, if I mistake not, you, Mr Gaunt, can
navigate?"

"Yes," said Gaunt, "I am a fairly good navigator, and not a bad seaman,
in an amateurish sort of way, you know. But do not trouble about the
position of the island. I have here," producing his watch, "an
excellent chronometer, showing Greenwich time, and books and instruments
among my luggage which, with the aid of sun, moon, and stars, will
enable me to obtain all the information I need. True, I have no charts;
but I have a capital atlas, which will serve our turn, so far as finding
our way from place to place is concerned. And now, Ned, whilst we have
the opportunity, let me say that we all thoroughly understand the
peculiar and difficult position in which you are placed on board here,
and that we consider you have conducted yourself admirably and with
remarkable discretion from the very commencement of this deplorable
business of the mutiny. And if, as is by no means improbable, you
should by and by find yourself involved by your involuntary association
with these mutineers in a situation of difficulty or peril, we shall be
most happy and willing to bear testimony to that effect, if we happen to
be in a situation to do so. We shall of course endeavour to escape from
our island prison; and should we succeed, our first act on reaching a
civilised country will be to make to the authorities a full and detailed
report of all the circumstances of the mutiny, so that a man-of-war may
be sent out in quest of the ship. But I think it will be well for _you_
to do the same, for your own sake. You can perhaps manage it by writing
an account of the transaction, sealing it up in a bottle, and throwing
the bottle overboard when you happen to be in some well-frequented ship
track; not forgetting to state in your report the position of the island
on which we are landed, as well as that of the spot on which poor
Captain Blyth and young Manners may be put on shore. And now, as we may
not have another opportunity to say it, good-bye, my dear lad, remain
honest and true to your duty, as you have been hitherto, and leave all
the rest to God, who will not allow you to suffer for the faults of
others. Good-bye, Ned, and God bless and guide and deliver you from all
evil. Amen."

Gaunt then shook Ned heartily by the hand, after which the others
stepped forward one by one and did the same, each sayin