But they were all much invigorated, and began to think and talk of plans for the future.

The question, of course, was, how they should quit the shore on which shipwreck, and afterwards a chance wind, had cast them?
So far the coast appeared to be uninhabited, and although not so very inhospitable, as their experience had proved, still it would never do for them to remain there.
The American merchant-skipper had no ambition to match the Scotchman Selkirk, and make a second Crusoe of himself.

Neither would Murtagh or the Malay have cared to act as his man Friday for any very prolonged period of hermitage, so long as there was a mode of escaping from it.
During the remainder of that evening, therefore, they talked of a change of quarters, and discussed various plans for bringing this about.

It was a question whether they should take to their boat and again put out to sea, or endeavour, by an overland expedition, to reach some part of the coast where they might find a European, and therefore a civilised, settlement.

Captain Redwood knew there were more than one of these on the great island of Borneo.