In the morning when they asked John for his opinion, he said, "The only course is to sail south, and circumnavigate the island. In doing so we shall effect a landing every ten miles or so, and then go into the interior. This will thus enable us to learn all about the land. At the same time we must survey the island, so as to learn its extent, as well as its general shape and outline."
"But how can we survey it without the instruments?"
"That is readily done, by observing the headlands, or some special coast line marks, and then taking the angles from those points."
"Well, that will be interesting, at least. How shall we start?"
"Do you see that point to the south which may be five or ten miles away?"
"Yes."
"Now, examine the compass, and turn it so that[p. 76] the cardinal points are directly north and south. Now sight across the face of the compass so that you get the exact line between this point and yonder object. What do you make it to be?"
"Why I make it out to be S. E."
