e Pacific. Luckily, the weather was now as fine as he could
wish; the sky clear enough to enable him to get all his observations;
not very much sea running; and a spanking fair wind driving the brig
along upon her course at a speed of nearly five knots. Moreover, the
fine weather would enable his crew and himself to get a sufficient
amount of rest to thoroughly recuperate their exhausted energies, and
prepare themselves for future contingencies. On the following morning,
just as he had completed his forenoon observations for the longitude,
land was sighted broad on the starboard bow, that proved to be the
south-eastern extremity of Desolation Island; and at six bells in the
afternoon watch the brig had arrived in the longitude of 75 degrees
West, and was therefore at last ploughing the waters of the vast Pacific
Ocean, to Leslie's profound satisfaction. He now shifted his course
another point to the northward; and began to calculate the probable date
of their arrival in Valparaiso.

It was his intention to maintain a north-west course for the ensuing
twenty-four hours, in order to obtain a good offing, and then to haul up
to the northward; but, to his disgust, when he turned out on the
following morning he found that the wind had shifted and was blowing
strong from about north-east, and that, with her yards braced right
forward, and main trysail set, the brig would look no higher than
north-west. It was, however, comforting to reflect that although the
hooker was taking a wider offing than was at all necessary, she was
edging up to the northward, in which direction lay their port of
destination. And sooner or later they would be certain to get a
westerly slant of wind that would help them. So, being in fact unable
to do better, Leslie kept his starboard tacks abroad, and went driving
along to the north-westward. And with every mile of progress that they
now made there came an improvement in the weather; the air growing ever
softer and more balmy, the water more smooth, and the skies clearer and
more deeply and exquisitely blue.

Thus the brig drove steadily and pleasantly enough along, day after day,
until the wondering voyagers seemed to have arrived in the lotus-eaters'
region, "where it is always afternoon;" and still the wind hung
inexorably in the north-east quarter, and the brig's bows obstinately
refused to point higher than north-west, until Leslie's patience wore
thin, and he grew moody and morose with