o accompany the expedition that the
captain gave way, and they sailed together.

"I may find the cargo so damaged as to be worthless," the captain said;
"but if it is, I shall make expeditions to the best of the deposits, and
come back laden with sulphur."

It was a pleasant voyage, one not troubled by calms, so that they had
but little fear of being overhauled by the Malay praus. The captain had
worked out his course very carefully, calculating with minuteness
exactly where the island must lie, and in due time a look-out was kept
for the conical point of the mountain, which Mark was sailor enough to
know would be the first to catch the eye.

"No, my lad," said the mate, in answer to a question from Mark, "and I
don't suppose we shall see it to-night. You come and keep the morning
watch with me, and look out for the point when the sun touches it first.
That's the time to see an island."

Mark kept the watch with the mate, but they did not see the island, and
the captain changed their course.

"It must be somewhere here," he said; and he had a consultation with the
two mates, who both agreed that they were near the spot, though no point
was visible.

The change of course produced no good effect, and after sailing here and
there for several days the captain decided to make for the island where
they had landed to have the day's shooting.

This was reached with the greatest of exactness, and then, after
examining the spot where the little engagement had taken place, a fresh
start was made, and the vessel's course laid in a direction which they
all felt must go over the same ground as the boat had drifted, and the
ship had been carried after the fire, and she had gone ashore.

"Breakers ahead!"

"Ah! I thought we should manage it this time," said the captain
eagerly, as, followed by Mark, he hurried on deck the next morning in
the grey light, and there before them was a long curving reef of coral
bending round to north-west and south-west, and inclosing smooth water
apparently in a ring.

"Why, Gregory!" exclaimed the captain.

"Yes, sir; that's it!" said the mate.

"Nonsense!" cried Mark, laughing at what seemed to him a joke. "Where's
the mountain?"

Where indeed!

With very little difficulty the opening in the reef was found, and a
boat lowered and rowed into the lagoon, where the lead was lowered
several times but no bottom found.

Returning to the ship sail was made again, and they went round to