“Yes; such a lee shore in a gale would terrify the Flying Dutchman himself.”

Here Becker shook his head dolefully, and they walked on a little further in silence.

“What islands do you suppose are nearest us, Willis?”

“I should say we are in or near the group marked in the chart Papuasia; beyond them is the territory of New Guinea, and a point to nor’ard are a whole nest of islands discovered by the celebrated buccaneer, Dampiere.”

“And their inhabitants?”

“Oh, some of them are pretty fair; but, taking them in the lump, they are a bad lot.”

“The islands to the west are those discovered by Cook, Vancouver, and Bougainville, are they not?”

“They are marked Polynesia in the charts.”

“Do you know of any European settlements on these islands?”

“Well, there is a fort of the Hudson’s Bay Company on Vancouver’s Island, but that is a long way north; and, I believe, a factory has recently been anchored in New Zealand, but that is a long way south.”

“And what are the principal islands between?”

“There is New Caledonia, the New Hebrides, the Friendly Islands, the Societies’ Islands, the Marquesas, Tahite, and the Pelew Islands; but each navigator gives them a new name, so that it is hard to say which is which; all you can do is to say that there is an island in latitude so and so and longitude so and so, but the name is almost out of the question.”

“And the natives?”

“Some of them are remarkably tame, and trade freely with strangers; but others have strongly marked cannibal propensities, and dote upon a white-skin feast when they can get one.”

Here Becker shuddered, and uttered an exclamation of horror.

“That would be a terrible fate, Willis.”

“Whatever can he mean?” thought the Pilot.

“Willis, to reach Europe from here, what course do you think would be best?”

“Now I think I shall fix him at last,” said the Pilot, levelling his rifle at an imaginary bird.

“You will only waste gunpowder,” said Becker; “I see nothing.”

“You asked me just now what course I should steer for Europe, did you not?”

“Yes.”

“Well, the most direct course would be to make the Straits of Macassar, and then steer for Java.”

“And when there?”

“You would then be fifteen or sixteen hundred leagues from the Cape.”

“So much?”

“Yes, that is about the distance in a straight line across the Indian Ocean.  When at the Cape, another fifteen days’ sail will bring you to the line; five or six weeks after that St. Helena will heave in sight; then you fall in with the Island of Ascension; leaving which a week or two will bring you to the Straits of Gibraltar, where you get the first glimpse of Europe.  But if you are bound for England, your daughter may commence working a pair of slippers for you; they will be ready by the time you get there.”