I had not seen Captain Nemo for a week, when, on the morning of the 27th, he came into the large drawing-room, always seeming as if he had seen you five minutes before.

I was busily tracing the route of the Nautilus on the planisphere.

The Captain came up to me, put his finger on one spot on the chart, and said this single word.
"Vanikoro." The effect was magical! It was the name of the islands on which La Perouse had been lost! I rose suddenly.
"The Nautilus has brought us to Vanikoro ?" I asked.
"Yes, Professor," said the Captain.
"And I can visit the celebrated islands where the Boussole and the Astrolabe struck ?" "If you like, Professor." "When shall we be there ?" "We are there now." Followed by Captain Nemo, I went up on to the platform, and greedily scanned the horizon.
To the N.E.two volcanic islands emerged of unequal size, surrounded by a coral reef that measured forty miles in circumference.

We were close to Vanikoro, really the one to which Dumont d'Urville gave the name of Isle de la Recherche, and exactly facing the little harbour of Vanou, situated in 16 deg.

4' S.lat., and 164 deg.