The English at the North Pole

izon. The sea appeared almost free from icebergs, and the few there were could easily be avoided. The wind veered round to the south-east, and the brig, under her

ctor observed some alca-alla, very much like the teal, with black neck, wings and back, an

appear, had not occurred on board. At six o'clock in the morning Richard Shandon, re-ente

e Comm

ARD S

d the 'F

in's

ng such a strange epistle he caused the doctor, James Wa

ery strange,"

tful!" thoug

Shandon, "we shal

e tore the envelope

, and courage that your men, your officers, and yourself have shown on the

ection towards Melville Bay, and from then

AIN OF TH

.

y, Apr

of Cape W

ll?" cried

Shandon, and the lette

ain doesn't even mention coming on board

s letter get her

n was

p the letter and turning it over in every direction; "th

hat?" asked S

e already," replie

d Shandon. "Wh

arrival of this letter i

his head in sig

hat case, that the captain has been with us ever since we set sail. It is not possible, I tell you. There isn't

do you admi

u like, in order to slip on board; we are not very far from land; there are Esquimaux ka?aks that pass unperceived betwe

"if we were not able to perceive an intruder slip on board, h

dent," excla

tor, "to my first hypothesis. Wha

n fiercely, "with the exception of suppos

e amongst the crew a man of his who

likely," adde

don. "I tell you I have kno

f, let him be man or devil, we'll receive him; but we ha

hat?" ask

ath not only towards Melville Bay

ht," answere

s?" echoed Shan

orth-West passage, as we shall leave to our left the only track that leads to it-that is

1853, and at the price of what dangers! For a long time he was thought to be lost in thos

ot?" cried

ne attempt made the boat

I see nowhere on the coast of Greenland except Disko or Uppernawik where he

"aren't you going to make known the

sion," replied Johnson, "I s

so?" aske

e of our expedition, and if the supernatural side of it is increased it may produce very serious r

what do you think

nson's reaso

you,

forthcoming, I shall stick to

ring a few minutes, and read t

on on this subject is certainly e

andon?" aske

aptain's congratulations to the crew, and up till to-day I have always blindly obe

readed the effect of such a communi

asons are excellent, but read-'he begs you to

o was besides a very strict observer of disc

replied

nce; the crew dispersed, a prey to a thousand suppositions. Clifton had heard enough to give himself up to all the wanderings of his superstitious imagination; he attributed a considerable share in this incident to the dog-captain, and when by chance

his spirit or his shadow watched on board; and henceforward the wi

using himself with watching the antics of a white bear and two cubs on the brink of a pack that lengthened out the land. Accompanied by Wall and Simpson, he tried to give chase to

e in the horizon. Godhavn Bay, the residence of the Governor-General of the Danish Settlements, was left to the right. Shan

also on that island on the 27th of August, 1859, that Captain McClintock set foot on his return, bringing back, alas! proofs too complete of the loss of the expedition.

f those which the strongest thaws are unable to detach; the conti

ls, throwing out air and water from their blow-holes. It was during the night between the 3rd and 4th of May that the doctor saw for the first time the sun graze the horizon without dipping his luminous disc into it. Since the 31st of January the days had been getting longer and longer till the sun went down no more. To strangers not accustomed to the pers

atitudes, but at present the straits were not sufficiently open to allow them to penetrate into Baffin's Bay. The following day the brig