A Hospitable Colonist

           THEcaptain’sfirstcarewastoanchorhisvesselsecurely.Hefoundexcellentmoorageinfivefathoms’depthofwater,withasolidbottomofhardgranite,whichaffordedafirmhold.Therewasnodangernowofeitherbeingdrivenawayorstrandedatlowwater.Aftersomanyhoursofdanger,theDuncanfoundherselfinasortofcreek,shelteredbyahighcircularpointfromthewindsoutsideintheopensea.

           LordGlenarvangraspedJohnMangles’hand,andsimplysaid:"Thankyou,John."

           Thiswasall,butJohnfeltitamplerecompense.Glenarvankepttohimselfthesecretofhisanxiety,andneitherLadyHelena,norMary,norRobertsuspectedthegraveperilstheyhadjustescaped.

           Oneimportantfacthadtobeascertained.Onwhatpartofthecoasthadthetempestthrownthem?Howfarmusttheygotoregaintheparallel.AtwhatdistanceS.W.wasCapeBernouilli?Thiswassoondeterminedbytakingthepositionoftheship,anditwasfoundthatshehadscarcelydeviatedtwodegreesfromtheroute.Theywereinlongitude36degrees12minutes,andlatitude32degrees67minutes,atCapeCatastrophe,threehundredmilesfromCapeBernouilli.ThenearestportwasAdelaide,theCapitalofSouthernAustralia.

           CouldtheDuncanberepairedthere?Thiswasthequestion.Theextentoftheinjuriesmustfirstbeascertained,andinordertodothisheorderedsomeofthementodivedownbelowthestern.Theirreportwasthatoneofthebranchesofthescrewwasbent,andhadgotjammedagainstthesternpost,whichofcoursepreventedallpossibilityofrotation.