Tristan D’acunha and the Isle of Amsterdam

           IFtheyachthadfollowedthelineoftheequator,the196degreeswhichseparateAustraliafromAmerica,or,morecorrectly,CapeBernouillifromCapeCorrientes,wouldhavebeenequalto11,760geographicalmiles;butalongthe37thparallelthesesamedegrees,owingtotheformoftheearth,onlyrepresent9,480miles.FromtheAmericancoasttoTristand’Acunhaisreckoned2,100miles—adistancewhichJohnMangleshopedtoclearintendays,ifeastwindsdidnotretardthemotionoftheyacht.Buthewasnotlonguneasyonthatscore,fortowardeveningthebreezesensiblylulledandthenchangedaltogether,givingtheDuncanafairfieldonacalmseafordisplayingherincomparablequalitiesasasailor.

           Thepassengershadfallenbackintotheirordinaryshiplife,andithardlyseemedasiftheyreallycouldhavebeenabsentawholemonth.InsteadofthePacific,theAtlanticstretcheditselfoutbeforethem,andtherewasscarcelyashadeofdifferenceinthewavesofthetwooceans.Theelements,afterhavinghandledthemsoroughly,seemednowdisposedtofavorthemtotheutmost.Theseawastranquil,andthewindkeptintherightquarter,sothattheyachtcouldspreadallhercanvas,andlenditsaid,ifneededtotheindefatigablesteamstoredupintheboiler.

           Undersuchconditions,thevoyagewassafelyandrapidlyaccomplished.TheirconfidenceincreasedastheyfoundthemselvesnearertheAustraliancoast.TheybegantotalkofCaptainGrantasiftheyachtweregoingtotakehimonboardatagivenport.