The raft voyage continues
By the next day, constant winds have blown the raft far from the scene of the unparalleled and extraordinary struggle. For a while, time passes in a uniform and monotonous manner. However, during the next day, the air temperature goes up and the wind begins to blow only fitfully. Before long the travellers hear a vast noise in the distance.
At about four o'clock that afternoon, Hans spots something on the horizon. Peering through his telescope, the Professor identifies a tremendous water spout ahead. Could it signify another marine monster? "Perhaps," says the Professor, as they are blown towards it regardless.
By eight o'clock that evening, the mystery is solved. Before them lies a volcanic island. On it is a magnificent geyser, spouting water five hundred feet or more straight up into the air. The Professor christens it "Harry's Island" when Harry is first off the raft on onto the rock. They discover that the soil is hot and shivering because of the activity underneath. The water in the geyser emerges with a heat of over one hundred and sixty degrees!
As they get back on the raft, Harry calculates they have now travelled more than eight hundred miles on the great inland sea, putting them exactly under England.
The next day is Friday, August 23rd. The wind picks up first thing, the sea is calm and good progress is made. Over the course of the morning however, the clouds build up overhead and there is a tremendous amount of static electricity in the air. The party prepare to see out bad weather.
Before long, the wind wholly ceases and a great silence prevails. Then a mighty electrical storm sweeps in from the south. The mast bends like a reed beneath the violence of the wind and the three men hang on for dear life as the raft is swept along, completely out of control.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday the storm rages without break. The travellers are utterly broken and harassed by fatigue. The raft runs to the southeast invariably and the island is two hundred leagues behind them. By now a fireball has taken their mast and sail and all seems lost.
On Tuesday the raft is thrown up on a rocky shore, there is a tremendous deluge of rain and the storm abates. The terrible sea crossing is over, but where are they now?