"Well, let us continue our conjectures. The two sailors and the captain _abor, land_. Where? _Contin_,--the _continent_, you understand; a continent, not an island. What becomes of them? We have fortunately two letters, _pr_, which inform us of their fate. These unfortunates, in short, are _captured_ (pris) or _prisoners_. By whom? The _cruel Indians_. Are you convinced? Do not the words fit naturally into the vacant places? Does not the document grow clear to your eyes? Does not light break in upon your mind?"
Glenarvan spoke with conviction. His looks betokened an absolute confidence; and his enthusiasm was communicated to his hearers. Like him they cried, "It is plain! it is plain!"
A moment after Lord Edward resumed, in these terms:
"All these hypotheses, my friends, seem to me extremely plausible. In my opinion, the catastrophe took place on the shores of Patagonia. However, I will inquire at Glasgow what was the destination of the Britannia, and we shall know whether she could have been led to these regions."
"We do not need to go so far," replied the captain; "I have here the shipping news of the _Mercantile and Shipping Gazette_, which will give us definite information."
"Let us see! let us see!" said Lady Glenarvan.
Captain Mangles took a file of papers of the year 1862, and began to turn over the leaves rapidly. His search was soon ended; as he said, in a tone of satisfaction,--
"May 30, 1862, Callao, Peru, _Britannia_, Captain Grant, bound for Glasgow."
"Grant!" exclaimed Lord Glenarvan; "that hardy Scotchman who wished to found a new Scotland in the waters of the Pacific?"
"Yes," answered the captain, "the very same, who, in 1861, embarked in the Britannia at Glasgow, and of whom nothing has since been heard."
"Exactly! exactly!" said Glenarvan; "it is indeed he. The Britannia left Callao the 30th of May, and on the 7th of June, eight days after her departure, she was lost on the shores of Patagonia. This is the whole story elucidated from the remains of these words that seemed undecipherable. You see, my friends, that what we can conjecture is very important. As to what we do not know, this is reduced to one item, the missing degree of longitude."
"It is of no account," added Captain Mangles, "since the country is known; and with the latitude alone, I will undertake to go straight to the scene of the shipwreck."