t
they would--owing probably to some current that was all the time
carrying them southwards while they were steering towards the east.

They were actuated, however, by no vulgar curiosity to inspect this
ocean land in thus seeking to approach it.

On an ordinary occasion they would most certainly have given it a pretty
wide berth; but now, should the sky cloud over so much as to prevent
their getting an observation of the sun by which to correct their
latitude and longitude, the identification of the land would at once
prove their position on the chart without further trouble. This was why
they wanted to near it.

After breakfast, when Mr Meldrum came on deck again, the wind had
freshened considerably, although still blowing from the north-west,
while the outlook was generally squally; but the sky above still kept
clear, with the sun shining down at intervals, when the scud, which was
beginning to fly about again, did not interpose to hide its beams. The
land, the while, was steadily rising to the northward and eastward.

"It's Kerguelen Land, sure enough," said Mr Meldrum, when, after
imitating Captain Dinks and paying a visit to the maintop to
reconnoitre, he returned to the poop. "I can see the outlying rocks
towards its north-west extremity called `The Cloudy Isles,' and away to
the east I noticed the snow-white peak of Mount Ross, which stands in
the centre of the island and is over six thousand feet high."

"Well, you've good eyesight to see that at the distance," observed
Captain Dinks in a chaffing way. "I wish my optics were as clear."

"I can see pretty well," replied the other; "and if you had had to look
out as sharply as I've had to do for pirate junks up the Gulf of
Tonquin, I fancy you would have had your eyesight improved!"

"All right, Mr Meldrum," said Captain Dinks frankly. "I'm sure I did
not doubt your word for a moment. I've never been so far south before,
and feel a little out in my reckoning. However, it will soon be time to
take the sun, and that will decide the point."

A few stray snowflakes came fluttering down on the deck just then, and
both he and Mr Meldrum looked aloft. No cloud was to be seen exactly
overhead, but a heavy bank of haze was creeping up from the south
towards the zenith that looked ominous.

"We shall have a repetition of yesterday again, I'm afraid," said Mr
Meldrum presently with much concern, after a long interval of silence
between the two.

"I'm afr