Chapter 10 Summary

Before leaving the island, Chase put a flat stone and some firewood into each boat. The stones could be used as platforms for cooking, and that night, the men cooked the fish and birds they had caught. The officers hoped to sail directly east to Easter Island but for this to happen, they needed two weeks of westerly breezes. They were still in the trades however, where the winds blows from the southeast for more than 70 percent of the year. But that night, a breeze came from the northwest as they needed.

The officers also realized that they had to keep track of their longitude, which they had not done before. The noon observation would give them the latitude and they began using an improvised log line to gauge their speed. Their compass gave them direction. From these things, they would be able...