“Yaw, dot’s how it vhas. No man at sea can say how far she vhas from home. Der Cape of Goodt Hope, Mr. Fielding—dot, now, vhas a vast great roon from here?”

“Yaw; the whole width of the South Atlantic.”

“She vhas vide.”

“I’ll teach you how to measure distances on a chart, if you like.”

“Vell, I likes to know; but I doan believe dot I recollects to-morrow vhat you teaches him to-day. Mr. Fielding, vhere vhas Amsderdam Island?”

“Amsderdam Island?”

“Yaw. Der Doytch fell in mit her—vell, call it a hoondred year ago.”

“There is an Amsterdam Island in the Indian Ocean.”

“Dot vhas her.”

“What of it?”