"We have no log-line on board," replied Louis.
"But I wish to know how fast the Maud is going."
"We can easily ascertain that from the chart."
"I don't understand," added Felipe, shaking his head.
"When we are off Tarifa I will tell you just how many miles we have run," said Louis, as he consulted his watch. "We are two miles off Europa Point, and it is just half-past one. Put that down on your slate."
On board of the Guardian-Mother the engineer on duty made a record of the working of the engine, just as the officer in charge of the ship commits everything to the log-slate, to be copied into the log-book; but the engineer of the Maud had not yet opened a record book. Louis wandered about the deck with nothing to do, and almost wished he had been made captain or pilot so that he might have some regular work.
But Captain Scott had already ordered that the deck-hands should relieve the pilot, and he was to have two hours' work in every eight. But he seated himself with Felix in the standing-room. There was enough to see, for the shores of Europe and Africa were both in sight, and the Strait was full of vessels passing in and out. The captain joined them for a time; but his talk was mainly of tides and currents, showing that he had studied the subject very carefully.
"I don't understand you, Captain Scott, much better than Felipe did me when I talked to him about personification as a figure of speech," said Louis.
"Sorra one word I can mahke uv ut," added Felix; and as has been occasionally stated before, the Milesian varied his dialect to suit all the four quarters of the Emerald Isle.
"I borrowed the North Atlantic Directory of Captain Ringgold when I saw him looking it over. It treats mainly of prevailing winds, of tides and currents," replied the captain. "I had read in some other book that a current from the Atlantic always sets into the Mediterranean through the Strait."