that's our best chance, sir," said several of the men.

"Give way then, my lads," said their officer. "We ought not to be more
than two days reaching the islands. We have guns, and so ought to be
able to get birds or seals; and if we can only find water, we may get on
well."

The north-east wind, which assumes almost the character of a trade wind
off the Cape, and which blows sometimes for weeks together, continued
steadily for the next two days; and the boats during part of the time
being able to carry sail, made rapid progress through the water, so that
on the morning of the third day all hands were eagerly on the look out
for land.

It was about ten o'clock in the morning that Jones, in the second boat,
called the lieutenant's attention to what he thought was land about
south-west of them. The telescope being used to discover what this was,
revealed the fact of land, which was rather low, and was estimated at
not more than ten miles' distance. The boat's course having been
altered to enable them to make direct for this land or island, as it was
known it must be, the lieutenant called to Jones to bring his boat
close, in order to tell him what should be now done.

"I'll take the lead, Jones, and we must have a man standing up in each
boat to look out for broken water. I think it will be better to go to
the leeward of the island, and land there, unless we can see some kind
of a bay. Don't you follow too close, for in case we strike a rock, or
are swamped, you must be far enough off not to fall in the same way."

"I've heerd, sir," replied Jones, "that these islands are surrounded by
long sea-weeds that make boat navigation rather difficult; but if you
know where the channel is, then you are all right, as weeds and rocks
don't come near the surface there."

As the boats neared the island, the lieutenant used his telescope in the
endeavour to discover if any ships were there, for he believed it
possible that whalers might have made use of this island, as afterwards
he found had been the case. The wind seemed to have blown itself out
towards mid-day, and shortly after it fell quite calm, and as the boats
neared the island, the sea had considerably diminished.

Upon reaching within about a mile of the shore, the surface of the sea
began to be sprinkled with sea-weed in abundance, which was some of it
floating, and other portions evidently growing from the rocks beneath.
Advancing slowly and cautiously, the li