XL] KOOST, 



209 



able wriggle, an instant ere it thundered down she had 

 twisted her stern on one side, and the waves passed under- 

 neath. In another minute her head was to the sea, the 

 mainsail was eased over, and all danger was past. 



What was now to be done ? That the land we had seen 

 was the coast of Norway I could not believe. Wrong as 

 our dead reckoning evidently was, it could not be so wrong 

 as that. Yet only one other supposition was' possible, viz., 

 that we had not come so far south as we imagined, and that 

 we had stumbled upon Roost — a little rocky island that lies 

 about twenty miles to the southward of the LorToden Islands. 

 Whether this conjecture was correct or not, did not much 

 matter; to go straight away to sea, and lie to until we 

 could get an observation, was the only thing to be done. 

 Away then we went, struggling against a tremendous sea for 

 a good nine hours, until we judged ourselves to be seventy 

 or eighty miles from where we had sighted the breakers, — 

 when we lay to, not in the best of tempers. The next morn- 

 ing, not only was it blowing as hard as ever, but all chance 

 of getting a sight that day seemed also out of the question. 

 I could have eaten my head with impatience. . However, 

 as it is best never to throw a chance away, about half-past 

 eleven o'clock, though the sky resembled an even sheet of 

 lead, I got my sextant ready, and told Mr. Wyse to do the 

 same. 



Now, out of tenderness for your feminine ignorance I 

 must state, that in order to take an observation, it is neces- 

 sary to get a sight of the sun at a particular moment of the 

 day : this moment is noon. When, therefore, twelve o'clock 

 came, and one could not so much as guess in what quarter 

 of the heavens he might be lying perdu, you may suppose I 

 almost despaired. Ten minutes passed. It was evident we 

 were doomed to remain, kicking our heels for another four- 

 and-twenty hours where we were. No ! — yes ! — no ! By 

 Phoebus ! there he is ! A faint spongy spot of brightness 

 gleamed through the grey roof overhead. The indistinct 

 outline grew a little clearer ; one-half of him, though still 



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