ith which remark Sir Reginald set the example by taking his place at
the head of the table, as he was entitled to do in virtue of his
ownership of the _Flying Fish_.

The dinner was an admirable one, in all respects quite worthy the
exceptional nature of the occasion; and under its genial influence, and
that of the choice wines which accompanied it, the conversation soon
grew extremely animated. The topic was, of course, the aerial ship and
the novel and interesting character of her various equipments. The
professor speedily redeemed his afternoon's promise to the baronet, and
at length succeeded in completely convincing that hitherto sceptical
individual that, so far from the enormous proportions of the _Flying
Fish_ being detrimental to her, they constituted the principal basis
upon which he was justified in his anticipations of her success as an
_aerial_ ship.

Having at length made this perfectly plain, he was next called upon by
Lieutenant Mildmay to explain a certain peculiarity in the binnacle
compass, which had attracted that gentleman's notice and excited his
curiosity.

"I observed," he said, "that the compass-card bore round its outer rim,
at every quarter point, a small upright needle. As everything on board
here, however apparently insignificant, seems to have its own especial
purpose, I should like to know the purpose which those small needles are
designed to serve."

"Ha, ha, my friend! so you noticed them, did you? I quite expected
that, as a seaman, you very soon would," said the professor. "Well, I
will tell you what they are. They form part of a little device of mine
to render the ship self-steering, or, more correctly, to make the
compass itself steer her in any given direction. Having noticed those
needles, you doubtless also noticed that across the `lubber's mark'
there was a small slit some six inches long in the side of the compass-
box?"

The lieutenant nodded.

"Good!" ejaculated the professor. "Had you looked outside the box you
would also have observed two long slender arms pivoted close together,
their outer and longer extremities being united, and carrying a small
needle which travels, point downwards, along the arc of a circle. Now
the action of the instrument is this. Supposing that you wish the ship
to travel along, say, a southerly course, you manipulate the helm in the
usual manner until the south point of the compass-card swings round to
the lubber's mark. The momen