Godfrey made a sign of affirmation; turning a last anxious glance at the low clouds which were chasing each other with extreme swiftness, he left the bridge, returned to his cabin, and soon resumed his interrupted slumbers. The next morning, the 22nd of June, as Captain Turcott had said, the wind having sensibly abated, the _Dream_ was headed in proper direction. This navigation towards the west during the day, towards the east during the night, lasted for forty-eight hours more; but the barometer showed some tendency to rise, its oscillations became less frequent; it was to be presumed that the bad weather would end in northerly winds. And so in fact it happened. On the 25th of June, about eight o'clock in the morning, when Godfrey stepped on deck, a charming breeze from the north-east had swept away the clouds, the sun's rays were shining through the rigging and tipping its projecting points with touches of fire. The sea, deep green in colour, glittered along a large section of its surface beneath the direct influence of its beams. The wind blew only in feeble gusts which laced the wave-crests with delicate foam. The lower sails were set. Properly speaking, they were not regular waves on which the sea rose and fell, but only lengthened undulations which gently rocked the steamer. Undulations or waves, it is true, it was all one to Professor Tartlet, as unwell when it was "too mild," as when it was "too rough." There he was, half crouching on the deck, with his mouth open like a carp fainted out of water. The mate on the poop, his telescope at his eye, was looking towards the north-east. Godfrey approached him. "Well, sir," said he gaily, "to-day is a little better than yesterday." "Yes, Mr. Godfrey," replied the mate, "we are now in smooth water." "And the _Dream_ is on the right road!" "Not yet." "Not yet? and why?" "Because we have evidently drifted north-eastwards during this last spell, and we must find out our position exactly." "But there is a good sun and a horizon perfectly clear." "At noon in taking its height we shall get a good observation, and then the captain will give us our course." "Where is the captain?" asked Godfrey. "He has gone off." "Gone off?" "Yes! our look-outs saw from the whiteness of the sea that there were some breakers away to the east; breakers which are not shown on the chart. So the steam launch was got out, and with the boatswain and three men, Captain Turcott has gone off to explore." "How long ago?" "About an hour and a half!" "Ah!" said Godfrey, "I am sorry he did not tell me. I should like to have gone too." "You were asleep, Mr. Godfrey," replied the mate, "and the captain did not like to wake you." "I am sorry; but tell me, which way did the launch go?" "Over there," answered the mate, "over the starboard bow, north-eastwards." "And can you see it with the telescope?" "No, she is too far off." "But will she be long before she comes back?"