Look there, where I
point my finger."
"You're right, sir," replied Ready, "there is something; it is not the
land which you see, but it is the trees upon the land which are
refracted, as they call it, so as to appear, as you say, as if they
were in the air. That is an island, sir, depend upon it; but I will go
down and get my glass.
"It is the land, Mr. Seagrave," said Ready, after examining it with his
glass - "yes, it is so," continued he, musing; "I wish that we had seen
it earlier; and yet we must be thankful."
"Why so, Ready?"
"Only, sir, as the ship forges so slowly through the water, I fear that
we shall not reach it before dark, and I should have wished to have had
daylight to have laid her nicely on it."
"There is very little wind now."
"Well, let us hope that there will be more," replied Ready; "if not, we
must do our best. But I must now go to the helm, for we must steer
right for the island; it would not do to pass it, for, Mr. Seagrave,
although the ship does not leak so much as she did, yet I must now tell
you that I do not think that she could be kept more than twenty-four
hours above water. I thought otherwise this morning when I sounded the
well; but when I went down in the hold for the beef, I perceived that
we were in more danger than I had any idea of; however, there is the
land, and every chance of escape; so let us thank the Lord for all his
mercies.
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