,
after passing a tranquil night, they assembled at the breakfast table
punctually at eight o'clock on the following morning. An hour later,
having finished their meal, the quartette rose, and made their way to
the pilot-house, where preparations were at once commenced for an ascent
to the surface. On this occasion the professor being anxious that the
other members of the party should become conversant with the method of
handling the ship, the baronet placed himself at the tiller--from which
post the entire apparatus controlling the movements of the vessel could
be reached--and, with von Schalckenberg at his elbow to correct him in
the event of a possible mistake, the ascent was begun. This, from
prudential motives, was slowly accomplished, and at a distance of five
fathoms from the surface a pause was made for the purpose of taking a
good look round and thus avoiding all possibility of inflicting damage
on passing ships in the act of breaking water. It was well that this
precaution was observed; for their first glance revealed to them the
bottom of a large steamer close at hand and coming rapidly straight
toward them; and had the _Flying Fish_ continued to rise she would have
broken water directly under the stranger's bows. As it was, by backing
astern a few yards they gave the steamer good room to pass; and it was
both interesting and novel to see the great mass go plunging heavily
past with the long sea-grass waving and trailing from her bottom, and
the great propeller spinning rapidly round, now completely immersed, and
anon lifted almost entirely out of the water. Once clear of her, the
_Flying Fish_ sank to a depth of ten fathoms, and after a ten-mile run
at full speed, once more paused to reconnoitre. This time the sea was
clear for at least a mile in every direction--which was as far as they
could see in the then condition of the water--and they at once rose to
the surface.

The horizon proved to be clear in every direction save to the southward,
in which quarter the upper spars of the steamer they had so lately
encountered were still visible. The wind was blowing a moderate breeze
from S.S.E.--almost a dead fair wind for the _Flying Fish_--the weather
also was delightfully fine and clear; it was therefore promptly resolved
to take to the air once more and thus wing their way northward.

The valves of the air-chambers were accordingly thrown open to their
full extent, when, with a screaming roar, the hi