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 A FLOATING FORT. 175 at full moon a few days ago, no sensible difference was produced on our shores." In spite of his despair, Thomas Black listened attentively to Hob- son's explanations, and could not but see the reasonableness of his deductions ; but he was furious at such a rare, unexpected, and, as he said, "ridiculous" phenomenon occurring just so as to make him miss the eclipse, and he said not a word, but maintained a gloomy, even haughty silence. " Poor Mr Black," said Mrs Barnett, " it must be owned that an astronomer was never more, hardly used than you since the world began ! " " In any case, however," said Hobson, turning to her, ** we have neither of us anything to reproach ourselves with. No one can find fault with us. Nature alone is to blame. The earthquake cut ofl our communication with the mainland, and converted our peninsula into a floating island ; and this explains why the furred and other animals, imprisoned like ourselves, have become so numerous round the fort ! " '* This, too, is why the rivals you so much dreaded have not visited us. Lieutenant ! '^ exclaimed Madge. " And this," added the Sergeant, " accounts for the non-arrival of the convoy sent to Cape Bathurst by Captain Craventy ! " " And this is why," said Mrs Barnett, looking at the Lieutenant, "I must give up all hope of returning to Europe this year at least ! " The tone of voice in which the lady made this last remark showed that she resigned herself to her fate more readily than could have been expected. She seemed suddenly to have made up her mind to make the best of the situation, which would no doubt give her an opportunity of making a great many interesting observations. And after all, what good would grumbling have done % Recrimina- tions were worse than useless. They could not have altered their position, or have checked the course of the wandering island, and there was no means of reuniting it to a continent. No; God alone could decide the future of Fort Hope. They must bow to His will.