o late, and we must put off the
voyage until next spring."

"But suppose the Scotch yacht comes before that," said Pencroft.

"That is not probable," replied the engineer, "for Lord Glenarvan
would not choose the winter season to venture into these seas. Either
he has already returned to Tabor Island, since Ayrton has been with
us, that is to say, during the last five months and has left again; or
he will not come till later, and it will be time enough in the first
fine October days to go to Tabor Island, and leave a notice there."

"We must allow," said Neb, "that it will be very unfortunate if the
_Duncan_ has returned to these parts only a few months ago!"

"I hope that it is not so," replied Cyrus Harding, "and that Heaven
has not deprived us of the best chance which remains to us."

"I think," observed the reporter, "that at any rate we shall know what
we have to depend on when we have been to Tabor Island, for if the
yacht has returned there, they will necessarily have left some traces
of their visit."

"That is evident," answered the engineer. "So then, my friends, since
we have this chance of returning to our country, we must wait
patiently, and if it is taken from us we shall see what will be best
to do."

"At any rate," remarked Pencroft, "it is well understood that if we do
leave Lincoln Island in some way or another, it will not be because we
were uncomfortable there!"

"No, Pencroft," replied the engineer, "it will be because we are far
from all that a man holds dearest in this world, his family, his
friends, his native land!"

Matters being thus decided, the building of a vessel large enough to
sail either to the Archipelagos in the north, or to New Zealand in the
west, was no longer talked of, and they busied themselves in their
accustomed occupations, with a view to wintering a third time in
Granite House.

However, it was agreed that before the stormy weather came on, their
little vessel should be employed in making a voyage round the island.
A complete survey of the coast had not yet been made, and the
colonists had but an imperfect idea of the shore to the west and
north, from the mouth of Falls River to the Mandible Capes, as well as
of the narrow bay between them, which opened like a shark's jaws.

The plan of this excursion was proposed by Pencroft, and Cyrus Harding
fully acquiesced in it, for he himself wished to see this part of his
domain.

The weather was variable, but the baro