CHAPTER XXII.
THE UTILITY OF ADVERSITY--AN ENCOUNTER--THE HOROKEN--BILL ALIAS BOB.
A light but favorable breeze carried them away from land, and they were once again on the open sea.

Willis, after a prolonged investigation of the sun's position, taken in relation to some observations he had made the day before, concluded that the best course to pursue, under existing circumstances, was to steer for the Marian Islands.[H] In addition to the distance they had originally to traverse, all the way lost during the storm was now before them.

As regards provisions, they had little to fear; they could rely upon falling in with a boobie or sea-cow occasionally, and fresh fish were to be had at any time.

Their supply of water, however, gave them some uneasiness, for the quantity was limited, and they might be retarded by calms and contrary winds.

The chances of meeting a European ship were too slender to enter for anything into their calculations.
"It appears to me," said Jack, one beautiful evening, when they were some hundreds of miles from any habitable spot, "that, having escaped so many dangers, the watchful eye of Providence must be guarding us from evil." "Very possibly," replied Fritz; "one of the early chroniclers of the Christian Church says that Lazarus, whom our Saviour resuscitated at the gates of Jerusalem, became afterwards one of the most popular preachers of Christianity, and in consequence the Jews regarded him with implacable hatred." "But what, in all the world, has that to do with the Pacific Ocean ?" inquired Jack.
"Very little with the Pacific in particular, but a great deal with the ocean in general.