While they were waiting for Dr. Hawkes and Professor Giroud, the party were presented to the four ladies in the barge, each giving his name and rank. They were all struck with the beauty of Miss Blanche; and as they retired from the boat, the captain told them that for her sake he had run away from the Fatimé three times. They declared that Gib would soon become too hot for His Highness. The missing members arrived, and the boat shoved off, the military gentlemen raising their caps, and bowing very politely, while they cried "_Bon Voyage!_" It was noon when they reached the deck of the ship, for the affair with the Pacha had delayed them a full hour. The steam was up and the steamer immediately tripped her anchor, for it had been "hove short" before, and she began her voyage. In a few minutes she had rounded Europa Point, and the course east by south had been given to the quartermaster at the wheel. The Viking had sailed for Malaga the day before. "Where do you suppose the Maud is just now, Captain Ringgold?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, the party being seated on the officers' promenade. "She is just fifteen miles north-west of Alboran Light," replied the commander with a smile. "I am just as wise now as I was before, and no more so!" added the lady. "I have not the least idea where Alboran is." "I did not suppose you had. It is a little island half a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide, belonging to Spain, inhabited only by a few fishermen, for there is not room for a great many of them. It is about half-way between Europe and Africa, and one hundred and thirty nautical miles from Europa Point, according to Captain Scott's figures." "Why do you say _nautical_ miles, Captain?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, who had given no attention whatever to navigation. "Because I mean nautical miles," laughed the commander, who was always delighted when he could get into a close conversation with this lady. "Isn't it just the same as a mile in Von Blonk Park?" "Not at all; the sailors call their miles knots." "I have heard you talk about sixteen knots an hour"-- "I can't talk as fast as that, for sixteen knots an hour is about the best speed of the Guardian-Mother," interposed the captain. "You know what I mean!" pouted the lady. "But I supposed it meant sixteen miles an hour, just as it is sixteen knots from the Park to New York." "Which it is not; it is only sixteen statute miles, or miles established by statute, or law." "Then will you please to tell me what a knot is?" "It is a geographical mile. Of course you are aware that a great circle, like the equator, a meridian, or any other that goes around the biggest part of the earth, contains three hundred and sixty degrees." "I learned all about it when I went to the academy, but I don't remember a great deal of it."