sented himself, fully
dressed, in the main cabin, where he found Captain Marshall already
seated at the table, partaking of an early breakfast, in which, by a
wave of the hand, he invited Chichester to join, which the latter
promptly did, falling to with a good appetite. A quarter of an hour
later, having finished their meal, the pair passed out on deck, where
they found the longboat, with six beakers of fresh water in her to serve
as ballast, with her locker full of provisions, with her rudder shipped,
and oars, masts, and sails lying upon her thwarts already slung and
ready for hoisting out.

It was a fine night, the sky clear, excepting for a few small drifting
clouds, between which the stars shone brilliantly, the water smooth, the
wind a moderate offshore breeze, and the land clearly in view some eight
miles to windward; it was in fact a perfectly ideal night for such an
expedition as was in contemplation. The task of preparing the longboat
had been entrusted to Mr Winter, who now reported her as ready;
nevertheless Captain Marshall, like a prudent mariner, subjected her to
a very close and careful scrutiny before giving the word to hoist her
out. Everything, however, was found to be quite as it should be,
therefore, the crew's weapons having also been subjected to a rigid
inspection, the order was given to heave the ship to and hoist out the
boat. Every preparation having been previously made, this business was
soon accomplished; and on the stroke of three, by the ship's clock, the
longboat shoved off and, stepping her masts, made sail for the land,
being sped on her way by a hearty cheer from all hands aboard the
_Adventure_, who had mustered to assist in and witness her departure.
Then, the moment that the boat was clear, the ship's helm was put up and
she was headed out to sea again under a press of canvas, with the object
of running out of sight of the land before the arrival of daylight.

As for the longboat, she was brought close to the wind, on the larboard
tack, with Dick at the helm and Marshall sitting beside him, while the
three mariners, perceiving that their services were not likely to be
required further for some time, stretched themselves out in the bottom
of the boat and were soon fast asleep.

For the first hour of their progress the land to windward merely
presented the appearance of a black blur, indistinctly seen under the
star-spangled indigo of the night sky; but by the end of that time