"Acastaway!"exclaimedPencroft;"leftonthisTaborIslandnottwohundredmilesfromus!Ah,CaptainHarding,youwon’tnowopposemygoing."

           "No,Pencroft,"repliedCyrusHarding;"andyoushallsetoutassoonaspossible."

           "To-morrow?"

           "To-morrow!"

           Theengineerstillheldinhishandthepaperwhichhehadtakenfromthebottle.Hecontemplateditforsomeinstants,thenresumed,

           "Fromthisdocument,myfriends,fromthewayinwhichitisworded,wemayconcludethis:first,thatthecastawayonTaborIslandisamanpossessingaconsiderableknowledgeofnavigation,sincehegivesthelatitudeandlongitudeoftheislandexactlyasweourselvesfoundit,andtoasecondofapproximation;secondly,thatheiseitherEnglishorAmerican,asthedocumentiswrittenintheEnglishlanguage."

           "Thatisperfectlylogical,"answeredSpilett;"andthepresenceofthiscastawayexplainsthearrivalofthecaseontheshoresofourisland.Theremusthavebeenawreck,sincethereisacastaway.Astothelatter,whoeverhemaybe,itisluckyforhimthatPencroftthoughtofbuildingthisboatandoftryingherthisveryday,foradaylaterandthisbottlemighthavebeenbrokenontherocks."

           "Indeed,"saidHerbert,"itisafortunatechancethatthe‘Bonadventure’passedexactlywherethebottlewasstillfloating!"

           "Doesnotthisappearstrangetoyou?"askedHardingofPencroft.

           "Itappearsfortunate,that’sall,"answeredthesailor.