He then relinquished the quadrant, and proceeded, compass in hand, to "prick off," as the sailors term it, the ship's place upon the chart. Looking the while at a large chart of the Southern and Northern Atlantic, Morley asked: "Where should a vessel, bound for the Mauritius, be now, if she left London at the same time I said the _Hermione_ would sail?" "Always the same thought, Morley?" said Bartelot, looking up with a smile. "Well, Tom?" "If winds are fair, and all went well"--at these words Morley gave a sigh of anxiety--"she should now be here, about St. Helena, or a few miles to the southward, and off the African coast." "And we are how far from that?" "Farther than I should like to fly, Morley." Poor Morley sighed again, and looked eagerly at the chart; thereon, by three spans of his hand, he could compass the world of waters that lay between him and Ethel Basset. On the 6th July, the _Princess_ was in latitude 19 deg. 57 min. south; longitude, 37 deg. 48 min. west; and Cabo Frio (or the cold cape of South America) bore about forty-five miles to the westward. They were drawing very near Rio de Janeiro, and many ships bound for the same quarter were in sight daily. The trade-wind continued steady and fine; Morley looked with keen interest on the ships that veered from time to time in sight. Among them all, might be one that would have a freight for the Isle of France. To search for such was to be his first object and occupation on landing; and worthy Tom Bartelot assured him that money should not be wanting to further his double purpose of joining Ethel and punishing Cramply Hawkshaw. "But, ah, Tom," said he, on one occasion, "how, or when, is a poor devil such as I to repay you?" "Think of that when the time comes," said Tom, laughing. About 10 A.M., on the morning of the 9th, the look-out man, old Noah Gawthrop, who was in the forecrosstrees, sung out, in his queer voice: "Land a-head!" "Where away?" asked Morrison, jumping off the companion seat. "Land on the starboard bow, sir," added Noah. Morley's heart leaped at the sound, and the telescopes of Bartelot and Morrison were speedily levelled in the direction indicated. "It should be Cabo Frio," said the Scotchman. "And Cabo Frio it is!" added Bartelot, emphatically. "Look, Morley, that is the great headland on the coast of Brazil." "It was there the _Thetis_ frigate was wrecked in 1830," added Morrison; "she had lost her reckoning, on a dark December night, and was borne more than twenty-four miles to leeward by the current." "Then we shall see Rio to-night?" said Morley. "No, no; Rio lies sixty-four miles beyond the Ilha de Cabo Frio--the cold cape, rather a misnomer in this season, at least," replied the mate. "Steward, bring up the case-bottle; let the men forward have each a tot of grog, while we'll have a glass below on the head of this." "Head of what, Tom?" asked Morley.