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Updated: April 30, 2025
He commanded the lead-line to be dropped overboard, and by its means ascertained that the ship was being rapidly driven shoreward by the force of the waves.
AN unfathomable gulf twenty-five miles long, and twenty miles broad was produced, but long before historic times, by the falling in of caverns among the trachytic lavas of the center of the island. And these waters falling from the surrounding heights have taken possession of this vast basin. The gulf has become a lake, but it is also an abyss, and no lead-line has yet sounded its depths.
We do not draw over five feet, so we will keep on till we touch. The moment we do so let the two anchors go. Wind and tide will take her off again quick enough. Pay out ten or twelve fathoms of chain, and directly she holds up drop the lead-line overboard to see if she drags; if she does, give her some more rope and chain."
"But, at any rate, is the water deep enough?" asked the engineer, "for a depth sufficient for the keel of the 'Bonadventure' would not be enough for those of our iron-clads." "That is easily found out," replied Pencroft. And the sailor sounded with a long cord, which served him as a lead-line, and to which was fastened a lump of iron.
This we had foreseen would happen, so we put it into one of the sailor's bags, and sank it with a lead-line in three fathoms of water, where it lay till the inspection was over, when we dressed it, and made an excellent dinner, drinking success to His Majesty's arms by land and sea.
But are we really afloat? The ship seems too absolutely motionless for that. Let us get the lead-line, and take a cast." "Ay, ay, Mr Troubridge; that's the proper thing to do!" exclaimed Saunders, who meanwhile had joined us. "I'll get the lead and take a few casts all round her." And he hurried off to put his resolve into execution.
"All you have to do is to take care they don't hoist the elephant upside-down before they get quite used to it." Jukes flung the new lead-line over on the fore-deck with a loud "Here you are, bo'ss'en don't forget to wet it thoroughly," and turned with immense resolution towards his commander; but Captain MacWhirr spread his elbows on the bridge-rail comfortably.
The jib was run in by the traveller and got down, the foresail had been cast off and had run down the forestay the moment she struck, and the three now set to work to lower the mainsail. "She is dragging," Tom said, examining the lead-line, "but not fast." "Give her another five or six fathoms of chain," Ben said, himself attending to the veering out of the hawser.
"I should have thought it well-nigh impossible to swim in such broken water. I was astonished when I saw him leap overboard." "He saw that the spar had drifted with the tide to windward of you and there was no other way of getting at it." "I was in hopes of seeing you throw the lead-line over our line. You might have hauled it in that way."
"And you wish to cut, and put every soul ashore at that very spot!" Jasper retorted, a little drily. "Throw a lead-line overboard, and ascertain the drift!" Cap now roared to the people forward. A sign from Jasper sustaining this order, it was instantly obeyed. All on deck watched, with nearly breathless interest, the result of the experiment.
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