TTTE  had  started  from  Sydney  on  the  evening  the  Cynthia  was
'  »  ready,  and  for  two  months  we  have  sailed  among  and  ex-
amined many  islands,  but  not  the  slightest  trace  of  the  wrecked
"  Godolpha,"  can  we  bring  to  light.  We  had  first  set  out  to
the  island  where  John  Gagler  had  been  a  slave  to  the  savages  for
two  years,  he  knowing  the  exact  latitude  and  longitude  of  it.
From  there  we  were  to  commence  our  search.  Either  John  Gag-
ler had  forgotten  to  which  point  of  the  compass  it  lay,  or  else
he  had  not  ascertained  it  correctly,  for  not  the  least  sign  of
it  could  we  find.  He  was  puzzled,  or  appeared  to  be.  Brad
was  disappointed,  and  judging  from  present  appearances,  began
to  doubt  John  Gagler's  story.  We  had  used  up  our  supply  of
coal,  and  had  been  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  our  sails,  by  which
we  made  but  slow  progress  ;  so  Brad  very  reluctantly  was  obliged
to  put  in  here  at  Colombo,  Ceylon,  to  get  a  supply  of  coal,  and
then  we  were  to  renew  the  search.
This  island,  in  comparison  to  its  limited  area,  is  wonderfully
endowed.  Brad  was  not  positive  that  he  could  be  supplied  here,
but  thought  he  would  try  as  it  would  save  the  trouble  of  going  to
Calcutta.  It  offered  to  Susie,  Jean,  and  I,  a  splendid  opportunity


152  A  ROMANCE  OF  PERFUME  LANDS.
for  the  examination  of  many  productions  of  this  place,  of  which  we
used  large  quantities.  During  the  time  Brad  would  be  making
his  contracts,  we  should  have  sufficient  time  to  see  all  we  wished.
