Poor George Fairfield was sick at heart. He was so anxious to get
home to his darling wife, and there he was for the second time at
sea in an open boat, without the means of communicating with his
loved Agnes, or of telling her why he was not at her side.
Nevertheless he accepted the state of affairs with calm resignation,
and he and the American Captain laid their heads together to find
out exactly where they were and what course they had best pursue.
As they had had time to take with them a sextant chromometer and
Palinurus, they had no difficulty next day in taking observations,
and found themselves about five hundred miles W.N.W. of Mizen Head.
As it was no use depending on being picked up they made all sail in
that direction, and so rapidly did the strong west wind propel them
that on taking observations the next day they found themselves
nearly one hundred and fifty miles nearer land. It was fortunate
that they made such headway, for they had only one day's provisions
left, and the water was getting pretty scarce; however, the wind
continued favorable, and in less than three days more, half famished
and thoroughly chilled from exposure, they found themselves at
midnight a few miles from the entrance of Queenstown Harbor.
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