Chapter 9 Summary

The men at first feared that the land sighting would turn out to be another mirage but when they stood, they could all see the beach in the distance. The men in the three boats sprang to life. Pollard and Chase examined the maps and decided that the island must be Ducie Island. The men were worried that the island might be inhabited, but they saw no sign of others when they sailed around the island.

Chase led a scouting party onto the island. They looked for a source of water. If they couldn't find any fresh water, any time they spent on the island was cutting into their already slim chance for survival. Chase's first inclination was to leave immediately. But one of the men had discovered a cleft in a rock that gave off a slight trickle of water. They decided...