"And now," said the doctor, "Heaven may waft us
whither it pleases!"
"Provided only that we go westward," added Kennedy.
"Bah!" said Joe; "I wouldn't be afraid if it was to
go back to Zanzibar by the same road, or to cross the
ocean to America."
"We would first have to be able to do that, Joe!"
"And what's wanting, doctor?"
"Gas, my boy; the ascending force of the balloon is
evidently growing weaker, and we shall need all our
management to make it carry us to the sea-coast. I shall
even have to throw over some ballast. We are too heavy."
"That's what comes of doing nothing, doctor; when a
man lies stretched out all day long in his hammock, he
gets fat and heavy. It's a lazybones trip, this of ours,
master, and when we get back every body will find us big
and stout."
"Just like Joe," said Kennedy; "just the ideas for
him: but wait a bit! Can you tell what we may have to
go through yet? We are still far from the end of our trip.
Where do you expect to strike the African coast, doctor?"
"I should find it hard to answer you, Kennedy. We
are at the mercy of very variable winds; but I should
think myself fortunate were we to strike it between Sierra
Leone and Portendick. There is a stretch of country in
that quarter where we should meet with friends.
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