meter did not fluctuate by
sudden movements, and they could therefore count on tolerable weather.
However, during the first week of April, after a sudden barometrical
fall, a renewed rise was marked by a heavy gale of wind, lasting five
or six days; then the needle of the instrument remained stationary at
a height of twenty-nine inches and nine-tenths, and the weather
appeared propitious for an excursion.
The departure was fixed for the 16th of April, and the _Bonadventure_,
anchored in Port Balloon, was provisioned for a voyage which might be
of some duration.
Cyrus Harding informed Ayrton of the projected expedition, and
proposed that he should take part in it; but Ayrton preferring to
remain on shore, it was decided that he should come to Granite House
during the absence of his companions. Master Jup was ordered to keep
him company, and made no remonstrance.
On the morning of the 16th of April all the colonists, including Top,
embarked. A fine breeze blew from the south-west, and the
_Bonadventure_ tacked on leaving Port Balloon so as to reach Reptile
End. Of the ninety miles which the perimeter of the island measured,
twenty included the south coast between the port and the promontory.
The wind being right ahead, it was necessary to hug the shore.
It took the whole day to reach the promontory, for the vessel on
leaving port had only two hours of the ebb tide, and had therefore to
make way for six hours against the flood. It was nightfall before the
promontory was doubled.
The sailor then proposed to the engineer that they should continue
sailing slowly with two reefs in the sail. But Harding preferred to
anchor a few cable-lengths from the shore, so as to survey that part
of the coast during the day. It was agreed also that as they were
anxious for a minute exploration of the coast they should not sail
during the night, but would always, when the weather permitted it, be
at anchor near the shore.
The night was passed under the promontory, and the wind having fallen,
nothing disturbed the silence. The passengers, with the exception of
the sailor, scarcely slept as well on board the _Bonadventure_ as they
would have done in their rooms at Granite House, but they did sleep
however. Pencroft set sail at break of day, and by going on the
larboard tack they could keep close to the shore.
The colonists knew this beautiful wooded coast, since they had already
explored it on foot, and yet it again excited the
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