The Best to Do

           Sothen,afteravoyagelongdelayedbycalms,thenfavoredbywindsfromthenorthwestandfromthesouthwest—avoyagewhichhadnotlastedlessthanseventy-fourdays—the"Pilgrim"hadjustrunaground!

           However,Mrs.Weldon.andhercompanionsthankedProvidence,becausetheywereinsafety.Infact,itwasonacontinent,andnotononeofthefatalislesofPolynesia,thatthetempesthadthrownthem.Theirreturntotheircountry,fromanypointofSouthAmericaonwhichtheyshouldland,oughtnot,itseemed,topresentseriousdifficulties.

           Astothe"Pilgrim,"shewaslost.Shewasonlyacarcasswithoutvalue,ofwhichthesurfwasgoingtodispersethedébrisinafewhours.Itwouldbeimpossibletosaveanything.ButifDickSandhadnotthatjoyofbringingbackavesselintacttohisship-owner,atleast,thankstohim,thosewhosailedinherweresafeandsoundonsomehospitablecoast,andamongthem,thewifeandchildofJamesW.Weldon.

           AstothequestionofknowingonwhatpartoftheAmericancoasttheschoonerhadbeenwrecked,theymightdisputeitforalongtime.Wasit,asDickSandmustsuppose,ontheshoreofPeru?Perhaps,forheknew,evenbythebearingsoftheIsleofPaques,thatthe"Pilgrim"hadbeenthrowntothenortheastundertheactionofthewinds;andalso,withoutdoubt,undertheinfluenceofthecurrentsoftheequatorialzone.Fromtheforty-thirddegreeoflatitude,ithad,indeed,beenpossibletodrifttothefifteenth.