On an ordinary occasion they would most certainly have given it a pretty wide berth; but now, should the sky cloud over so much as to prevent their getting an observation of the sun by which to correct their latitude and longitude, the identification of the land would at once prove their position on the chart without further trouble. This was why they wanted to near it.
After breakfast, when Mr Meldrum came on deck again, the wind had freshened considerably, although still blowing from the north-west, while the outlook was generally squally; but the sky above still kept clear, with the sun shining down at intervals, when the scud, which was beginning to fly about again, did not interpose to hide its beams. The land, the while, was steadily rising to the northward and eastward.
“It’s Kerguelen Land, sure enough,” said Mr Meldrum, when, after imitating Captain Dinks and paying a visit to the maintop to reconnoitre, he returned to the poop. “I can see the outlying rocks towards its north-west extremity called ‘The Cloudy Isles,’ and away to the east I noticed the snow-white peak of Mount Ross, which stands in the centre of the island and is over six thousand feet high.”
“Well, you’ve good eyesight to see that at the distance,” observed Captain Dinks in a chaffing way. “I wish my optics were as clear.”
“I can see pretty well,” replied the other; “and if you had had to look out as sharply as I’ve had to do for pirate junks up the Gulf of Tonquin, I fancy you would have had your eyesight improved!”
“All right, Mr Meldrum,” said Captain Dinks frankly. “I’m sure I did not doubt your word for a moment. I’ve never been so far south before, and feel a little out in my reckoning. However, it will soon be time to take the sun, and that will decide the point.”
A few stray snowflakes came fluttering down on the deck just then, and both he and Mr Meldrum looked aloft. No cloud was to be seen exactly overhead, but a heavy bank of haze was creeping up from the south towards the zenith that looked ominous.
“We shall have a repetition of yesterday again, I’m afraid,” said Mr Meldrum presently with much concern, after a long interval of silence between the two.
“I’m afraid so,” was Captain Dinks’ reply; “but I hope it won’t come for another hour at least.” He then hailed the steward down the companion-way, telling him to bring up his sextant from the cabin.
Fortunately, it just kept clear enough for an observation to be taken; and when Captain Dinks had worked it out, both he and Mr Meldrum acting independently so as to test the accuracy of the reckoning, it was found that the ship was in 48 degrees 50 minutes south latitude, and 68 degrees 40 minutes east longitude. Consequently, the land they were approaching could be none other than Kerguelen Land.