t the table; thus, by the time that Grace was ready,
she found all her intentions anticipated. When breakfast was ready,
Saunders came and relieved me at the wheel, while I, in company with
Gurney and his sweetheart, sat down to breakfast, at which meal it was
arranged that I should take the first watch, steering the ship and
keeping a lookout until seven bells in the forenoon, when Gurney was to
be called to relieve me while I took the sun, Saunders's duty being to
prepare a makeshift dinner. The next watch, until eight bells in the
afternoon, was to be Gurney's, when Saunders would come on duty for the
first dogwatch, while Grace Hartley was to be allowed to prepare the
tea--or supper, as it was then the fashion to call the last meal of the
day; in fact, we made out a regular watch-bill, setting forth the
sequence of the watches, the names of those who were to keep them, and
the additional duties which each person was to perform, Grace Hartley
being, of course, let off very lightly, her share of the work being
principally confined to easy domestic duties.

As soon as I had finished breakfast I went on deck and relieved
Saunders, who went forward to the galley to secure the food that was
there being kept hot for him, taking it aft and consuming it in the
cabin. I had already determined upon the route that I would take, and
was glad to find that while I had been below, the wind had veered just
sufficiently to allow the ship to lay her course, close-hauled. Half an
hour's further experience revealed the fact that the ship was so nearly
steering herself that a very slight adjustment of the helm would enable
her to do so entirely, and this adjustment I was able to make with
sufficient accuracy within the next twenty minutes to permit of my
lashing the wheel and giving my attention to other matters. I therefore
got out the chart and spread it open on the cabin table, went on deck
again to take the bearings and distance of the island--the latitude and
longitude of which I had long ago ascertained and marked upon the
chart--and then laid down the ship's position.

Then, finding that the ship still continued to behave satisfactorily
under her lashed helm, I got the telescope and went up into the main
topmast crosstrees to take a last look at the island, by that time about
ten miles distant. It still lay broad on the horizon astern, and so
clear was the atmosphere that I was able to distinguish the boats which
we had cas