THE FUR COUNTRY OR, Seventy Degrees North Latitude. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF JULES VERNE. BY N. D'ANVERS. NEW YORK: WILLIAM L. ALLISONS 93 CHAMBERS STREET. TO MY NEPHEWS, HERBERT, EDGAR, AND ROBERT 3 Cfjis translation s AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED, N. D'ANVERa CLAPHAM, 1873. College Library THE FUR COUNTRY. 1163528 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. TABS The beginning of the thaw, .......... 34 The mouth of the Coppermine River, ....... 64 " From this position they were Able," fto., 99 " She ran up to it," &c., 131 ' All might watch the progress of the phenomenon," .... 164 " Corporal Joliffe was extremely fond of him," . . . . . 199 " The bear seized Kalumah by the clothes," ...... 231 14 The Lieutenant tied round their necks," ...... 242 " Everybody started back," .272 " The lower framework was already floating," ...... 310 " The colonists, falling on their knees, returned thanks to God," . 332 Kalumah and tha bear, 334 PART I CONTENTS. PART L L A SOIREE AT TORT RELIANCE, . | * > 1 ii. THE HUDSON'S BAT FOR COMPACT, . 8 m. A SAVANT THAWED, . , Y | - 14 IV. A FACTORY, ... 20 T. FROM FORT RELIANCE TO TORT ENTERPRISE . 26 VT. A WAPITI DDEf>, . . . * * 83 TO. THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, 41 niL THE CHEAT BEAR LAKE, 48 IX A STORM ON THE LAKE, . , .65 X A RETROSPECT, 63 XL ALONG THE COAST, . 60 in. THE MIDNIGHT BUK, 76 xiii. FORT HOPE, . 83 XIV. SOME EXCURSIONS, . 90 XV. FIFTEEN MILES FROM CAPE BATHURST, . . .97 XVI. TWO SHOTS, 103 XVII. THE APPROACH OF WINTER, 110 XVIIL THE POLAR NIGHT, . 117 XIX A NEIGHBOURLY VISIT, 126 XX. MEBCDIIT FREEZES, 135 XXI. THE LARGE POLAR BEARS, .* 141 XXII. FIVE MONTHS MORE, 150 XXIU. THE ECLIPSE OF THE 18TH TUn I860, . S 1M THE FUR COUNTRY. CHAPTEB L A &OIR&R AT FORT REUANCM* ^ 6 even " 1 8 f fc ke l^k ^ arc h 1859, Captain Craventy gave a fete at Fort Reliance. Our readers must not at once imagine a grand entertainment, such as a court ball, or a musical soire'e with a fine orchestra. Captain Craventy's reception was a very simple affair, yet he had spared no pains to give it eclat. In fact, under the auspices of Corporal Joliffe, the large room OH the ground-floor was completely transformed. The rough walls, constructed of ronghly-hewn trunks of trees piled up horizontally, were still visible, it is true, but their nakedness was disguised by arms and armour, borrowed from the arsenal of the fort, and by au English tent at each corner of the room. Two lamps suspended by chains, like chandeliers, and provided with tin reflectors, relieved the gloomy appearance of the blackened beams of the ceiling, and ufficiently illuminated the misty atmosphere of the room. The narrow windows, some of them mere loop-holes, were so encrusted with hoar-frost, that it was impossible to look through them ; but two or three pieces of red bunting, tastily arranged about them, challenged the admiration of all who entered. The floor, of rough joists of wood laid parallel with each other, had been carefully wept by Corporal Joliffe. No sofas, chairs, or other modern furni- ture, impeded the free circulation of the guests. Wooden benches half fixed against the walls, huge blocks of wood cut with the axe, and two tables with clumsy legs, were all the appliances of luxury the saloon could boast of. But the partition wall, with a narrow door leading into the next room, was decorated in a style alike THE FUR COUNTRY. costly and picturesque. From the beams hung magnificent fur admirably arranged, the equal of which eould not be seen in the more favoured regions of Regent Street or the Perspective-Newski. It seemed as if the whole fauna of the ice-bound North were here represented by their finest skins. The eye wandered from the fur of wolves, grey bears, polar bears, otters, wolverenes, beavers, musk rats, water pole-cats, ermines, and silver foxes ; and above this display was an inscription in brilliantly-coloured and artistically- Bha>*.d cardboard the motto of the world-famous Hudson's Bay "PROPELLE CUTUM." " Really, Corporal Joliffe, you have surpassed yourself ! " said Captain Craventy to his subordinate. " I think I have, I think I have !" replied the Corporal; "but honour to whom honour is due, Mrs Joliffe deserves part of youi commendation ; she assisted me in everything." " A wonderful woman, Corporal." " Her equal is not to be found, Captain." An immense brick and earthenware stove occupied the centre ol the room, with a huge iron pipe passing from it through the ceiling, and conducting the dense black smoke into the outer air. This Btove contained a roaring fire constantly fed with fresh shovelfuls of coal by the stoker, an old soldier specially appointed to the ser- vice. Now and then a gust of wind drove back a volume of smoke into the room, dimming the brightness of the lamps, and adding fresh blackness to the beams of the ceiling, whilst tongues of flame shot forth from the stove. But the guests of Fort Reliance thought little of this slight inconvenience ; the stove warmed them, and they could not pay too dearly for its cheering heat, so terribly cold waa it outside in the cutting north wind. Tbe storm could be heard raging without, the snow fell fast, be- coming j|pidly solid and coating the already frosted window panes with fresh ice. The whistling wind made its way through the cranks and chinks of the doors and windows, and occasionally the rattling noise drowned every other sound. Presently an awful silence ensued. Nature seemed to be taking breath ; but suddenly the squall recommenced with terrific fury. The house was shaken to its foundations, the planks cracked, the beams groaned. A stranger less accustomed than the habitues of the fort to the war of the element*, would have asked if the end of the world weie coma A SOIR&B AT FORT RELIANCE. But, ' "with two exceptions, Captain Craventy's guests troubled themselves little about the weather, and if they had been outside they would have felt no more fear than the stormy petrels disport- ing themselves in the midst of the tempest. Two only of the assembled company did not belong to the ordinary society of the neighbourhood, two women, whom we shall introduce when we have enumerated Captain Craventy's other guests : these were, Lieutenant Jaspar Hobson, Sergeant Long, Corporal Joliffe, and his bright active Canadian wife, a certain Mac-Nab and his wife, both Scotch, John Rae, married to an Indian woman of the country, and some sixty soldiers or employes of the Hudson's Bay Company. The neighbouring forts also furnished their contingent of guests, for in these remote lands people look upon each other as neighbours although their homes may be a hundred miles apart. A good many employe's or traders came from Fort Providence or Fort Resolution, of the Great Slave Lake district, and even from Fort Chippeway and Fort Liard further south. A rare break like this in the monotony of their secluded lives, in these hyberborean regions, was joyfully welcomed by all the exiles, and even a few Indian chiefs, about a dozen, had accepted Captain Craventy's invi- tation. They were not, however, accompanied by their wives, the luckless squaws being still looked upon as little better than slaves. The presence of these natives is accounted for by the fact that they are in fonstant intercourse with the traders, and supply the greater number of furs which pass through the hands of the Hudson's Bay Company, in exchange for other commodities. They are mostly Chippeway Indians, well grown men with hardy con- etitutions. Their complexions are of the peculiar reddish black colour always ascribed in Europe to the evil spirits of fairyland. They wear very picturesque cloaks of skins and mantles of fur, with & head-dress of eagle's feathers spread out like a lady's fan, and quivering with every motion of their thick black hair. Such was the company to whom the Captain was doing the honours of Fort Reliance. There was no dancing for want of music, but the " buffet " admirably supplied the want of the hired musicians of the European balls. On the table rose a pyramidal pudding made by Mrs Joliffe's own hands; it was an immense truncated cone, composed of flour, fat, rein-deer venison, and musk beef. The eggs, milk, and citron prescribed in recipe books were, it is true, wanting, but their absence was atoned for by its huge THB FUR COUNTRY. proportions. Mrs Joliffe served out slice after slice with liberal hands, yet there remained enough and to spare. Piles of sandwiches also figured on the table, in which ship biscuits took the place of thin slices of English bread and butter, and dainty morsels of corned beef that of the ham and stuffed veal of the old world. The harp teeth of the Chippeway Indians made short work of the tough biscuits; and for drink there was plenty of whisky and gin handed round in little pewter pots, not to speak of a great bowl of punch which was to close the entertainment, and of which the Indians talked long afterwards in their wigwams. Endless were the compliments paid to the Joliffes that evening, but they deserved them ; how zealously they waited on the guests, with what easy grace they distributed the refreshments ! They did not need prompting, they anticipated the wishes of each one. The sandwiches were succeeded by slices of the inexhaustible pudding, the pudding by glasses of gin or whisky. " No, thank you, Mr JolifFe." " You are too good, Corporal ; but let me have time to breathe." " Mrs JolifFe, I assure you, I can eat no more." " Corporal Joliffe, I am at your mercy." " No more, Mrs Joliffe, no more, thank you 1 * Such were the replies met with on every side by the zealous pair, but their powers of persuasion were such that the most reluctant yielded in the end. The quantities of food and drink consumed were really enormous. The hubbub of conversation increased. The soldiers and employes became excited. Here the talk was of hunt- ing, there of trade. What plans were laid for next season ! The entire fauna of the Arctic regions would scarcely supply game enough for these enterprising hunters. They already saw bears, foxes, and musk oxen, falling beneath their bullets, and pole-cats by hundreds caught in their traps. Their imagination pictured the costly furs piled up in the magazines of the Company, which was this year to realise hitherto unheard of profits. And whilst the spirits thus freely circulated inflamed the imagination of the Europeans, the large doses of Captain Craventy'a " fire-water * imbibed by the Indians had an opposite effect. Too proud to show admiration, too cautions to make promises, the taciturn chief* listened gravely and silently to the babel of voices around them. The captain enjoying the hurly burly, and pleased to see the poor people, brought back aa it were to the civilised world, enjoying A S02R&S A T FORT REUANCX. 5 themselves so thoroughly, was here, there, and everywhere, answer- ing all inquiries about the fete with the words "Ask Joliffe, ask Joliffe!" A*v* they asked Joliffe, who had a gracious word fof very- body. Some of those employed in the garrison and civil service of Fort Reliance must here receive a few words of special notice, for they were presently to go through experiences of a most terrible nature, which no human perspicacity could possibly have foreseen. Amongst others we must name Lieutenant Jaspar Hobson, Ser- geant Long, Corporal and Mrs Joliffe, and the two foreign women already alluded to, in whose honour Captain Craventy's fete was given. Jaspar Hobson was a man of forty years of age. He was short and slight, with little muscular power ; but a force of will which carried him successfully through all trials, and enabled him to rise superior to adverse circumstances. He was " a child of the Com- pany." His father, Major Hobson, an Irishman from Dublin, who had now been dead for some time, lived for many years at Fort Assiniboin with his wife. There Jaspar Hobson was born. His childhood and youth were spent at the foot of the Rocky Moun- tains. His father brought him up strictly, and he became a man in self control and courage whilst yet a boy in years. Jaspar Hobson was no mere hunter, but a soldier, a brave and intelligent officer. During the struggles in Oregon of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany with the rival companies of the Union, he distinguished himself by his zeal and intrepidity, and rapidly rose to the rank of lieutenant. His well-known merit led to his appointment to the command of an expedition to the north, the aim of which was to explore the northern shores of the Qreat Bear Lake, and to found a fort on the confines of the American continent. Jaspar Hobson was to set out on his journey early in April If the lieutenant was the type of a good officer, Sergeant Long was that of a good soldier. He was a man of fifty years of age, with a rough beard that looked as if it were made of cocoa-nut fibre. Constitutionally brave, and disposed to obey rather than to com- mand, he had no ambition but to obey the orders he received never questioning them, however strange they might appear, never reasoning for himself when on duty for the Company a true machine In uniform j but a perfect machine, never wearing out ; ever on th THE FUR COUNTRY. march, yet never showing signs of fatigue. Perhaps Sergeant Long was rather hard upon his men, as he was upon himself. He would not tolerate the slightest infraction of discipline, and mercilessly ordered men into confinement for the slightest neglect, whilst he himself had never been reprimanded. In a word, he was a man Taorn to obey, and this self-annihilation suited his passive tempera- ment. Men such as ho are the materials of which a formidable army is formed. They are the arms of the service, obeying a single head. Is not this the only really powerful organisation ? The two types of fabulous mythology, Briareus with a hundred arms and Hydra with a hundred heads, well represent the two kinds of armies; and in a conflict between them, which would be victorious? Briareus without a doubt ! We have already made acquaintance with Corporal Joliffe. He was the busy bee of the party, but it was pleasant to hear him hum- ming. He would have made a better major-domo than a soldier; and he was himself aware of this. So he called himself the " Cor- poral in charge of details," but he would have lost himself a hundred times amongst these ' details, had not little Mrs Joliffe guided him with a firm hand. So it came to pass, that Corporal Joliffe obeyed his wife without owning it, doubtless thinking to himself, like the philosopher Sancho, " a woman's advice is no such great thing, but he must be a fool who does not listen to it." It is now time to say a few words of the two foreign women already alluded to more than once. They were both about forty years old, and one of them well deserved to take first rank amongst cele- brated female travellers. The name of Paulina Barnett, the rival of the Pfeiffers, Tinnis, and Haimaires of Hull, has been several time* honourably mentioned at the meetings of the Royal Geographical Society. In her journeys up the Brahmaputra, as far as the mountains of Thibet, across an unknown corner of New Holland, from Swan Bay to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Paulina Barnett had given proof of the qualities of a great traveller. She had been a widow for fifteen years, and her passion for travelling led her con- stantly to explore new lands. She was tall, and her face, framed in long braids of hair, already touched with white, was full of energy. She was near-sighted, and a double eye-glass rested upon her long straight nose, with its mobile nostrils. We must confess that her walk was somewhat masculine, and her whole appearance was suggestive of moral power, rather than of female grace. She A SOIR&R AT PORT KSUANCM. was an Englishwoman from Yorkshire, possessed of some fortune, the greater part of which was expended in adventurous expeditions and some new scheme of exploration had now brought her to Fort Reliance. Having crossed the equinoctial regions, she was doubt- less anxious to penetrate to the extreme limits of the hyperborean. Her presence at the fort was an event. The governor of the Company had given her a special letter of recommendation to Captain Craventy, according to which the latter was to do all in hU power to forward the design of the celebrated traveller to reach the borders of the Arctic Ocean. A grand enterprise ! To follow in the steps of Hearne, Mackenzie, Rae, Franklin, and others. What fatigues, what trials, what dangers would have to be gone through in the conflict with the terrible elements of the Polar climate I How could a woman dare to venture where so many explorers have drawn back or perished ? But the stranger now shut up in Fort Reliance was no ordinary woman ; she was Paulina Barnett, a laureate of the Royal Society. We must add that the celebrated traveller was accompanied by a servant named Madge. This faithful creature was not merely a servant, but a devoted and courageous friend, who lived only for her mistress. A Scotchwoman of the old type, whom a Caleb might have married without loss of dignity. Madge was about five years older than Mrs Barnett, and was tall and strongly built. The two were on the most intimate terms; Paulina looked upon Madge aa an elder sister, and Madge treated Paulina as her daughter. It was in honour of Paulina Barnett that Captain Craventy was this evening treating his employe's and the Chippeway Indians. In fact, the lady traveller was to join the expedition of Jaspar Hobson for the exploration of ths north. It was for Paulina Barnett that the large saloon of the factory resounded with joyful hurrahs. And it was no wonder that the stove consumed a hundredweight of coal on. this memorable evening, for the cold outside was twenty-four degrees Fahrenkeit below zero, and Fort Reliance is situated in 1 47' N. Lat. at least four degrees from the Polar circle. CHAPTER II TBE HUDSON'S BAY FUR APTAINCraventyr "MrsBarnettf " What do you think of your Lieutenant, Jaapai Hobsont" " I think he is an officer who will go far." " What do you mean by the words, Will go far ? Do you mean that he will go beyond the Twenty -fourth parallel?" Captain Craventy could not help smiling at Mrs Paulina Barnett's question. They were talking together near the stove, whilst the guests were passing backwards and forwards between the eating and drinking tables. " Madam," replied the Captain, " all that a man can do, will be done by Jaspar Hobson. The Company has charged him to explore the north of their possessions, and to establish a factory as near as possible to the confines of the American continent, and he will establish it." " That is a great responsibility for Lieutenant Hobson ! ' Bald the traveller. " It is, Madam, but Jaspar Hobson has never yet drawn back from a task imposed upon him, however formidable it may have appeared." " I can quite believe it, Captain," replied Mrs Barnett, " and we shall now see the Lieutenant at work. But what induces the Com- pany to construct a fort on the shores of the Arctic Ocean t " " They have a powerful motive, Madam," replied the Captain. " I may add a double motive. At no very distant date, Russia will probably cede her American possessions to the Government of the United States. 1 When this cession has taken place, the Company will find access to the Pacific Ocean extremely difficult, unless the passage discovered by M'Clure be practicable. Fresh Oftotata CrTent y' gnae^^j hci linoa bui rMJiwd. THE HUDSON'' s BAY FUR explorations will decide this, for the Admiralty is about to send a vessel which will coast along the North American continent, from Behring Strait to Coronation Gulf, on the eastern aide of which the new fort is to be established. If the enterprise succeed, thia point will become an important factory, the centre of the northern fu trade. The transport of furs across the Indian territories involves a vast expenditure of time and money, whereas, if the new route be available, steamers will take them from the new fort to the Pacific Ocean in a few days." " That would indeed be an important result of the enterprise, If this North-west passage can really be used," replied Mrs Paulina Barnett j " but I think you spoke of a double motive." " I did, Madam," said the Captain, " and I alluded to a matter of rital interest to the Company. But I must beg of you to allow me to explain to you in a few words how the present state of things came about, how it is in fact that the very source of the trade of this once flourishing Company is in danger of destruction." The Captain then proceeded to give a brief sketch of the history of the famous Hudson's Bay Company. In the earliest times men employed the skins and furs of animals s clothing. The fur trade is therefore of very great antiquity. Luxury in dress increased to such an extent, that sumptuary laws were enacted to control toe great extravagance, especially in furs, for which there was a positive passion. Vair and the furs of Siberian squirrels were prohibited at the middle of the 12th century. In 1553 Russia founded several establishments in the mrthem steppes, and England lost no time in following her example. The trade in sables, ermines, and beavers, was carried on through the agency of the Samoiedes ; but during the reign of Elizabeth, a royal decree restricted the use of costly furs to such an extent, that for several years this branch of industry was completely paralysed. On the 2nd May, 1670, a licence to trade in furs in the Hudson's Bay Territory was rented to the Company, which numbered several men of high rank amongst its shareholders : the Duke of York, the Duke of Albemarle, the Earl of Shaftesbury, w in con- solidating the freshly-fallen snow, and making it practicable for sledges. Lieutenant Hobson, therefore, lost no time in resuming his journey, urging on the dogs to their utmost speed. The route was, however, slightly changed. Instead of bearing due north, the expedition advanced towards the west, following, so to speak, the curve of the Arctic Circle. The Lieutenant was most anxious to reach Fort Confidence, built on the northern extremity of the Great Bear Lake. These few cold days were of the greatest service to him ; he advanced rapidly, no obstacle was encountered, and his little troop arrived at the factory on the 30th May. At this time Forts Confidence and Good Hope were the most advanced posts of the Company in the north. Fort Confidence waa a most important position, built on the northern extremity of the lake, close to its waters, which being frozen over in winter, and navigable in summer, afforded easy access to Fort Franklin, on the southern shores, and promoted the coming and going of the Indian hunters with their daily spoils. Many were the hunting and fishing expeditions which started from Forts Confidence and Good Hope, especially from the former. The Great Bear Lake is quite a Mediterranean Sea, extending over several degrees of latitude and longitude. Its shape is very irregular : two promontories jut into it towards the centre, and the upper portion forms a triangle ; its appearance, as a whole, much resembling the extended skin of a ruminant without the head. Fort Confidence was built at the end of the " right paw," at least two hundred miles from Coronation Gulf, one of the nnmeioua estuaries which irregularly indent the coast of North America. It THE GREA T BEAR LAKE. was therefore situated beyond the Arctic Circle, but three degrees south of the seventieth parallel, north of which the Hudson's Bay Company proposed forming a new settlement. Fort Confidence, as a whole, much resembled other factories further south. It consisted of a house for the officers, barracks for the soldiers, and magazines for the furs all of wood, surrounded by palisades. The captain in command was then absent. He had gone towards the east on a hunting expedition with a fsw Indians and soldiers. The last season had not been good, costly furs had been scarce ; but to make up for this the lake had supplied plenty of otter-skins. The stock of them had, however, just been sent to the central factories in the south, so that the magazines of Fort Confidence were empty on the arrival of our party. In the absence of the Captain a Sergeant did the honours of the fort to Jaspar Hobson and his companions. This second officer, Felton by name, was a brother-in-law of Sergeant Long. He showed the greatest readiness to assist the views of the Lieutenant, who being anxious to rest his party, decided on remaining two or three days at Fort Confidence. In the absence of the little garrison there was plenty of room, and dogs and men were soon comfortably installed. The best room in the largest house was of course given to Mrs Paulina Barnett, who was delighted with the politeness cf Sergeant Felton. Jaspar Hobson's first care was to ask Felton if any Indians from the north were then beating the shores of the Great Bear Lake "Yes, Lieutenant," replied the Sergeant; "we have just received notice of the encampment of a party of Hare Indiana on the other northern extremity of the lake." " How far from here 1 " inquired Hobson. " About thirty miles," replied Sergeant Felton. " Do you wish fie enter into communication with these Indians ] " " Yes," said Hobson; " they may be able to give me some valuable information about the districts bordering on the Arctic Ocean, and bounded by Cape Bathurst Should the site be favourable pro- pose constructing our new fort somewhere about there." " Well, Lieutenant, nothing is easier than to go to the Hare en- campment." " Along the shores of the lake 1 " "No, across it ; it is now free from ice, and the wind it faTour D THE FUR COUNTRY. able. We will place a cutter and a boatman at your service, and in a few hours you will be in the Indian settlement." " Thank you, Sergeant ; to-morrow, then." " Whenever you like, Lieutenant." The start was fixed for the next morning ; and when Mrs Paulina Barnett heard of the plan, she begged the Lieutenant to allow her to accompany him, which of course he readily did. But now to tell how the rest of this first day was passed. Mm Barnett, Hobson, two or three soldiers, Madge, Mrs Mac-Nab, and Joliffe explored the shores of the lake under the guidance of Felton. The neighbourhood was by no means barren of vegetation ; the hills, iiow free from snow, were crowned by resinous trees of the Scotch pine species. These trees, which attain a height of some forty feet, supply the inhabitants of the forts with plenty of fuel through the long winter. Their thick trunks and dark gloomy branches form a striking feature of the landscape ; but the regular clumps of equal height, sloping down to the very edge of the water, are somewhat monotonous. Between the groups of trees the soil was clothed with a sort of whitish weed, which perfumed the air with a sweet thymy odour. Sergeant Felton informed his guests that this plant was called the " herb of incense " on account of the fragrance it emit* when burnt. Some hundred steps from the fort the party came to a little natural harbour shut in by high granite rocks, which formed an admirable protection from the heavy surf. Here was anchored the fleet of Fort Confidence, consisting of a single fishing-boat the very one which was to take Mrs Barnett and Hobson to the Indian encampment the next day. From this harbour an extensive view was obtained of the lake ; its waters slightly agitated by the wind, with its irregular shores broken by jagged capes and intersected by creeks. The wooded heights beyond, with here and there the rugged, outline of a floating iceberg standing out against the clear blue air formed the background on the north ; whilst on the south a regular sea horizon, a circular line clearly cutting sky and water, and at this moment glittering in the sunbeams, bounded the sight. The whole scene was rich in animal and vegetable life. The surface of the water, the shores strewn with flints and blocks of granite, the slopes with their tapestry of herbs, the tree-crowned hill-tops, were all alike 1 frequented by various specimens of the feathered tribe. Several varieties of ducka, uttering their different THE GREA T BEAR LAKE. 5 1 cries and calls, eider ducks, whistlers, spotted redshanks, " old women," those loquacious birds whose beak is never closed, skimmed the surface of the lake. Hundreds of puffins and guillemots with outspread wings darted about in every direction, and beneath the trees strutted ospreys two feet high a kind of hawk with a grey body, blue beak and claws, and orange-coloured eyes, which build their huge nests of marine plants in the forked branches of trees. The hunter Sabine managed to bring down a couple of these gigantic cspr3y3, which reassured nearly six feet from tip to tip of their wings, and were therefore magnificent specimens of these migratory birds, who feed entirely on fish, and take refuge on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico when winter sets in, only visiting the higher latitudes of North America during the short summer. But the most interesting event of the day was the capture of an otter, the skin of which was worth several hundred roubles. The furs of these valuable amphibious creatures were once much sought after in China ; and although the demand for them has con- siderably decreased in the Celestial Empire, they still command very high prices in the Russian market. Russian traders, ready to buy up sea-otter skins, travel all along the coasts of New Cornwall as far as the Arctic Ocean ; and of course, thus hunted, the animal is becoming very rare. It has taken refuge further and further north, and the trackers have now to pursue it on the shores of the Kamtchatka Sea, and in ths islands of the Behring Archipelago. " But," added Sergeant Felton, after the preceding explanation, " American inland otters are not to be despised, and those which frequent the Great Bear Lake are worth from 50 to .60 each." The Sergeant was right ; magnificent otters are found in these waters, and he himself skilfully tracked and killed one in the pre- sence of his visitors which was scarcely inferior in value to those from Kxrctchatka itself. The creature measured three feet from fche nmzzle to the end of its tail ; it had webbed feet, short legs, and its fur, darker on the upper than on the under part of its body, was long and silky. " A good shot, Sergeant," said Lieutenant Hobson, who with Mrs Barnett had been attentively examining the magnificent fur of the dead animal. " Yes, Lieutenant," replied Felton ; "and if each day brought us such a skin as that, we should have nothing to complain of. But much time is wasted in watching these animals, who swim and diva 52 THE FUR COUNT RV. with marvellous rapidity. We generally hunt them at night, as they very seldom venture from their homes in the trunks of trees or the holes of rocks in the daytime, and even expert hunters find it very difficult to discover their retreats." " And are these otters also becoming scarcer and scarcer?" inquired Mrs Barnett. "Yes, madam," replied the Sergeant; "and when this speeiea becomes extinct, the profits of the Company will sensibly decline. All the hunters try to obtain its fur, and the Americans in particular are formidable rivals to us. Did you not meet any American agenta on your journey up, Lieutenant? " " Not one," replied Hobson. " Do they ever penetrate as far as this ? " " Oh yes ! " said the Sergeant ; " and when you hear of their approach, I advise you to be on your guard." " Are these agents, then, highway robbers ? " asked Mrs Paulina Barnett. " No, madam," replied the Sergeant ; " but they are formidable rivals, and when game is scarce, hunters often come to blows about it. I daresay that if the Company's attempt to establish a fort on the verge of the Arctic Ocean be successful, its example will at once be followed by these Americans, whom Heaven confound ! " "Bah!" exclaimed the Lieutenant; " the hunting districts are vast, and there 's room beneath the sun for everybody. As for us, let 's make a start to begin with. Let us press on as long as we have firm ground beneath our feet, and God be with us ! " After a walk of three hours the visitors returned to Fort Confi- dence, where a good meal of fish and fresh venison awaited them. Sergeant Long did the honours of the table, and after a little pleasant conversation, all retired to rest to forget their fatigues in a healthy and refreshing sleep. The next day, May 31st, Mrs Barnett and Jaspar Hobson were on foot at five A.M. The Lieutenant intended to devote this day to visiting the Indian encampment, and obtaining as much useful information as possible. He asked Thomas Black to go with him, but the astronomer preferred to remain on terra firma. He wished to make a few astronomical observations, and to determine exactly the latitude and longitude of Fort Confidence ; so that Mrs Barneit and Jaspar Hobson had to cross the lake alone, under the guidance of an THE GREAT BEAR LAKE. 53 old boatman named Norman, who had long been in the Company*! service. The two travellers were accompanied by Sergeant Long as far as the little harbour, where they found old Norman ready to embark. Their little vessal was but an open fishing-boat, 16 feet long, rigged like a cutter, which one man could easily manage. The weather was beautiful, and the slight breeze blowing from the north-east was favourable to the crossing. Sergeant Felton took leave of hia guests with many apologies for being unable to accompany them in the absence of his chief. The boat was let loose from its moorings and tacking to starboard, shot across the clear waters of the lake. The little trip passed pleasantly enough. The taciturn old sailor sat silent in the stern of the boat with the tiller tucked under his arm. Mrs Barnett and Lieutenant Hobson, seated opposite to each other, examined with interest the scenery spread out before them. The boat skirted the northern shores of the lake at about three miles' distance, following a rectilinear direction, so that the wooded heights sloping gradually to the west were distinctly visible. From this side the district north of the lake appeared perfectly flat, and the horizon receded to a considerable distance. The whole of this coast contrasted strongly with the sharp angle, at the extremity of which rose Fort Confidence, framed in green pines. The flag of the Company was still visible floating from the tower of the fort. The oblique rays of the sun lit up the surface of the water, and striking on the floating icebergs, seemed to convert them into molten silver of dazzling brightness. No trace remained of the solid ice-mountains of the winter but these moving relics, which the solar rays could scarcely dissolve, and which seemed, as it were, to protest against the brilliant but not very powerful Polar un, now describing a diurnal arc of considerable length. Mrs Barnett and the Lieutenant, as was their custom, commnni cated to each other the thoughts suggested by the strange scenes through winch they were passing. They laid up a store of pleasant recollections for the future whilst the boat floated rapidly along Upon the peaceful waves. The party started at six in the morning, and at nine they neared the point on the northern bank at which they were to land. The Indian encampment was situated at the north-west angle of the Great Bear Lake. Before ten o'clock old Norman ran the boat aground on a low bank at the foot of a cliff of moderate height. 54 THE FUR COUNTRY. Mrs Barnett and the Lieutenant landed at once. Two or three Indians, with their chief, wearing gorgeous plumes, hastened to meet them, arid addressed them in fairly intelligible English. These Hare Indians, like the Copper and Beaver Indians, all belong to the Chippeway race, and differ but little in customs and tostumes from their fellow-tribes. They are in constant communica- tion with the factories, and have become, so to speak, "Britainised" at least as much so as is possible for savages. They bring the spoils of the chase to the forts, and there exchange them for the necessaries of life, which they no longer provide for them- selves. They are in the pay of the Company, they live upon it, and it is not surprising that they have lost all originality. To find a native race as yet uninfluenced by contact with Europeans we must go to still higher latitudes, to the ice-bound regions frequented by the Esquimaux, who, like the Greenlanders, are the true children of Arctic lands. Mrs Barnett and Jaspar Hobson accompanied the Indians to their camp, about half a mile from the shore, and found some thirty natives there, men, women, and children, who supported themselves by hunting and fishing on the borders of the lake. These Indians had just come from the northernmost districts of the American continent, and were able to give the Lieutenant some valuable, although necessarily incomplete, information on the actual state of the sea-coast near the seventieth parallel. The Lieutenant heard with considerable satisfaction that a party of Americans or Europeans had been seen on the confines of the Polar Sea, and that it wag open at this time of year. About Cape Bathurst, properly so called, the point for which he intended to make, the Hare Indians could tell him nothing. Their chief said, however, that the district between the Great Bear Lake and Cape Bathurst was very difficult to cross, being hilly and intersected by streams, at this season of the year free from ice. He advised the Lieutenant to go down the Coppermine river, from the north-east of the lake, which would take him to the coast by the shortest route. Once at the Arctic Ocean, it would be easy to skirt along its shores and to choose the best spot at which to halt. Lieutenant Hobson thanked the Indian chief, and took leave afte? giving him a few presents. Then accompanied by Mrs Barnett, he explored the neighbourhood of the camp, not returning to the boat until nearly three o'clock in the afternoon. CHAPTER IX. A STORM ON THE LAKE. E old sailor was impatiently awaiting the return of tha I HI travellers ; for during the last hour the weather had changed, and the appearance of the sky was calculated to render any one accustomed to read the signs of the clouds uneasy. The sun was obscured by a thick mist, the wind had fallen, but an ominous moaning was heard from the south of the lake. These symptoms of an approaching change of temperature were developed with all the rapidity peculiar to these elevated latitudes. " Let us be off, sir ! let us be off ! " cried old Norman, looking anxiously at the fog above his head. " Let us start without losing an instant. There are terrible signs in the air ! " " Indeed," exclaimed the Lieutenant, "the appearance of the sky is quite changed, and we never noticed it, Mrs Barnett ! " " Are you afraid of a storm? " inquired the lady of old Norman. "Yes, madam," replied the old sailor; "and the storms on the Great Bear Lake are often terrible. The hurricane rages as if upon the open Atlantic Ocean. This sudden fog bodes us no good ,' but the tempest may hold back for three or four hours, and by that time we shall be at Fort Confidence. Let us then start without a moment's delay, for the boat would not be safe near these rocks. " The Lieutenant, feeling that the old man, accustomed as he was to navigate these waters, was better able to judge than himself, decided to follow his advice, and embarked at once with Mrs Barnett. But just as they were pushing off, old Norman, as if possessed by Home sudden presentiment, murmured * "Perhaps it would be better to wait." Lieutenant Hobson overheard these words, and looked inquiringly at the old boatman, already seated at the helm. Had he been alone he would not have hesitated to start, but as Mrs Barnett was with him caution was necessary. The lady At once saw and understood his hesitation. 56 THE PUR COUNTRY. " Never mind about me, Lieutenant," she said ; "act as if I were not present. Let us start immediately, as our brave guide suggests." " We are off, then," cried Norman, letting go the moorings, " to the fort by the shortest route." For about an hoiir the bark made little head. The sail, scarcely filled by the fitful breeze, flapped against the mast, The fog became thicker. The waves began to rise and the boat to rock consider- ably; for the approaching hurricane affected the water sooner than the atmosphere itself. The two travellers sat still and silent, whilst the old sailor peered into the darkness with bloodshot eyes. Prepared for all contingencies, he awaited the shock of the irind, ready to pay out rapidly should the attack be very violent. The conflict of the elements had not, however, as yet commenced ; and all would have been well if they had been able to advance, but after an hour's sail they were still only about two hours' distance from the Indian encampment. A few gusts of wind from the shore drove them out of their course, and the dense fog rendered it impossible for them to make out the coast-line. Should the wind settle in the north, it would probably go hard with the light boat, which, unable to hold its own course, would be drifted out into the lake no one knew where. " We are scarcely advancing at all," said the Lieutenant to old Norman. " No, sir," replied Norman ; " the wind is not strong enough to fill the sail, and if it were, I fear it comes from the wrong quarter. If so," he added, pointing to the south, " we may see Fort Franklin before Fort Confidence." "Well," said Mrs Barnett cheerfully, "our trip will have been all the more complete. This is a magnificent lake, well worth ex- ploring from north to south. I suppose, Norman, one might get back even from Fort Franklin 1 " " Yes, madam, if we ever reach it," replied the old man. " But tempests lasting fifteen days are by no means rare on this lake ; and if our bad luck should drive us to the south, it may be a mouth before Lieutenant Hobson again sees Fort Confidence." " Let us be careful, then," said the Lieutenant ; " for such a delay would hinder our projects very much. Do the best you can under the circumstances, and if you think it would be prudent, go back to the north. I don't suppose Mrs Baruett would wiud a walk of twenty or twenty-live uiilea." A STORM ON THE LAKE. 57 " I should be glad enough to go back to the north, Lieutenant," replied Norman, " if it were still possible. But look, the wind eeems likely to settle against us. All I can attempt is to get to *he wipe on the north-east, and if it doesn't blow too hard, I hope to ucceed." But at about half-past four the storm broke. The shrill whistling of the wind was heard far above their heads, but the state of the atmosphere prevented it from as yet descending upon the lake ; this was, however, only delayed for a brief space of time. The cries of frightened birds flying through the fog mingled with the noise of the wind. Suddenly the mist was torn open, and revealed low jagged masses of rain-cloud chased towards the south. The fears of the old sailor were realised. The wind blew from the north, and it was not long before the travellers learned the meaning of a squall upon the lake. " Look out ! " cried old Norman, tightening sail so as to get his boat ahead of the wind, whilst keeping her under control of the helm. The squall came. It caught the boat upon the flank, and it was turned over on its side ; but recovering itself, it was flung upon the crest of a wave. The billows surged as if upon an open sea. The waters of the lake not being very deep, struck against the bottom and rebounded to an immense height. "Help! helpl" cried old Norman, hurriedly struggling to haul down his saiL Mrs Barnett and Hobson endeavoured to come to his assistance, but without success, for they knew nothing of the management of a boat. Norman, unable to leave the helm, and the halliarda being entangled at the top of the mast, could not take in the sail. Every moment the boat threatened to capsize, and heavy seas broke over its sides. The sky became blacker and blacker, cold rain mingled with snow fell in torrents, whilst the squall redoubled its fury, lash- ing the crests of the waves into foam. " Cut it ! cut it 1 " screamed Norman above the roaring of the storm. The Lieutenant, his cap blown away and his eyes blinded by the spray, seized Norman's knife and cut the halliard like a harp-string ; but the wet cordage no longer acted in tht long maintain this course. The waves which struck its bow would soon have inevitably crushed it ; the front planks were already beginning to separate, and when its whole weight was flung into the hollows of the waves it seemed as if it could rise no more. ** We must tack, we must tack, whatever happens ! " murmured the old sailor. And pushing the tiller and paying out sail, he turned the head of the boat to the south. The sail, stretched to the utmost, brought the boat round with giddy rapidity, and the immense waves, chased by the wind, threatened to engulf the little bark. This Avas the frreat danger of shifting with the wind right aft. The billows hurled themselves in rapid succession upon the boat, which could not evade them. It filled rapidly, and the water had to be baled out without a moment's pause, or it must have foundered. As they got nearer and nearer to the middle of the lake the waves became rougher. Nothing there broke the fury of the wind ; no clumps of trees, no hills, checked for a moment the headlong course of the hur- ricane. Now and then momentary glimpses were obtained through the fog of icebergs dancing like buoys upon the waves, and driven towards the south of the lake. It waa half paat five. Neither Norman nor the Lieutenant had A STORM ON THE LAKE. 59 any idea of where they were, or whither they were going. They had lost all control over the boat, and were at the mercy of the winds and waves. And now at about a hundred feet behind the boat a huge wave upreared its foam-crowned crest, whilst in front a black whirlpool was formed by the sudden sinking of the water. All surface agita- tion, crushed by the wind, had disappeared around this awful gulf, which, growing deeper and blacker every moment, drew the devoted little vessel towards its fatal embrace. Ever nearer came the mighty wave, all lesser billows sinking into insignificance before it. It gained upon the boat, another moment and it would crush it in atoms. Norman, looking round, saw its approach; and Mrs Barnett and the Lieutenant, with eyes fixed and staring, awaited in fearful suspense the blow from which there was no escape. The wave broke over them with the noise of thunder ; it enveloped the stern of the boat in foam, a fearful crash was heard, and a cry burst from the lips of the Lieutenant and his companion, smothered beneath the liquid mass. They thought that all was over, and that the boat had sunk; but no, it rose once more, although more than half filled with water. The Lieutenant uttered a cry of despair. Where was Norman t The poor old sailor had disappeared ! Mrs Paulina Barnett looked inquiringly at Hobson. " Norman ! " he repeated, pointing to his empty place. " Unhappy man ! " murmured Mrs Barnett ; and at tho risk of being flung from the boat rocking on the waves, the two started to their feet and looked around them. But they could see and hear nothing. No cry for help broke upon their ears. No dead body floated in the white foam. The old sailor had met his death in the element he loved so well. Mrs Barnett and Hobson sank back upon their seats. They were now alone, and must see to their own safety; but neither of them knew anything of the management of a boat, and even an experi- enced hand could scarcely have controlled it now. They were at the mercy of the waves, and the bark, with distended sail, swept alcng in mad career. What could the Lieutenant do to check or direct its course? What a terrible situation for our travellers, to be thus overtaken by a tempest in a frail bark which they could not manage I " \Ve are lost ! " said the Lieutenant 6O THE FUR COUNTRY. "No, Lieutenant," replied Mrs Barnett; "let us make another effort Heaven helps those who help themselves ! " Lieutenant Hobson now for the first time realised with how in- trepid * woman fate had thrown him. The first thing to be done was to get rid of the water which weighed down the boat. Another wave shipped would have filled it in a moment, and it must have sunk at once. The vessel light- ened, it would have a better chance of rising on the waves ; and the two set to work to bale out the water. This was no easy task ; fc* fresh waves constantly broke over them, and the scoop could not be laid aside for an instant. Mrs Barnett was indefatigable, and the Lieutenant, leaving the baling to her, took the helm himself, and did the best he could to guide the boat with the wind right aft. To add to the danger, night, or rather darkness, for in these lati- tudes night only lasts a few hours at this time of year, fell upon them. Scarce a ray of light penetrated through the heavy clouds and fog. They could not see two yards before them, and the boat must have been dashed to pieces had it struck a floating iceberg. This danger was indeed imminent, for the loose ice-masses advance with such rapidity that it is impossible to get out of their way. " You have no control over the helm ? " said Mrs Barnett in a slight lull of the storm. "No, madam," he replied ; "and you must prepare for the worst." " I am ready ! " replied the courageous woman simply. As she spoke a loud ripping sound was heard. The sail, torn away by the wind, disappeared like a white cloud. The boat sped rapidly along for a few instants, and then stopped suddenly, the waves buffeting it about like an abandoned wreck. Mrs Barnett and Ilobson, flung to the bottom of the boat, bruised, shaken, and torn, felt that all was lost. Not a shred of canvas was left to aid in navigating the craft ; and what with the spray, the snow, and tha rain, they could scarcely see each other, whilst the uproar drowned their voices. Expecting every moment to perish, they remained for an hour in painful suspense, commending themselves to God, who alone could save them. Neither of them could have said how long they waited when they were aroused by a violent shock. The boat had jiut struck an enormous iceberg, a floating block with rugged, slippery aides to which it would be impossible to cling, A STORM ON THE LA KB. 6 1 A.t this sudden blow, which could not have been parried, the bow of the boat was split open, and the water poured into it in torrents. " )Ve are sinking ! we are sinking ! " oried Jaspar Hobson. He was right. The boat was settling down ; the water had already reached the seats. " Madam, madam, I am here I I will not leave you ! " added the Lieutenant. " No, no," cried Mrs Barnett : " alone, you may aare yourself j together, we should perish. Leave me 1 leave me 1 " " Never ! " cried Hobson. But he had scarcely pronounced this word when the boat, struck by another wave, filled and sank. Both were drawn under water by the eddy caused by the sudden settling down of the boat, but in a few instants they rose to the surface. Hobson was a strong swimmer, and struck out with one arm, supporting his companion with the other. But it was evident that he could not long sustain a conflict with the furious waves, and that he must perish with her he wished to save. At this moment a strange sound attracted his attention. It was not the cry of a frightened bird, but the shout of a human voice ! By one supreme effort Hobsoii raised himself above the waves and looked around him. But he could distinguish nothing in the thick fog. And yet he again heard cries, this time nearer to him. Some bold men were coming to his succour ! Alas ! if it were so, they would arrive too late. Encumbered by his clothes, the Lieutenant felt himself sink- ing with the unfortunate lady, whose head he could scarcely keep above the water. With a last despairing effort he uttered a heart- rending cry and disappeared beneath the waves. It was, however, no mistake he had heard voices. Three men, wandering about by the lake, had seen the boat in danger, and put oil to its rescue. They were Esquimaux, the only men who could Lave hoped to weather such a storm, for theirs are the only boats constructed to escape destruction in these fearful tempests. The Esquimaux boat or kayak is a long pirogue raised at each end, made of a light framework of wood, covered with stretched seal-skins strongly stitched with the sinews of the Walrus. In the upper part of the boat, also covered with skins, is an opening in which the Esquimaux takes his place, fastening his waterproof jacket to the back of his seat ; so that he is actually joined to his bark. THE FUR COUNTRY. which not a drop of water can penetrate. This light, easily- managed kayak, floating, as it does, on the crests of the waves, can never be submerged; and if it be sometimes capsized, a blow of the paddle rights it again directly ; so that it is able to live and make way in seas in which any other boat would certainly be dashed to pieces. The three Esquimaux, guided by the Lieutenant's last despairing cry, arrived at the scene of the wreck just in time. Hobson and Mrs Barnett, already half drowned, felt themselves drawn up by power- ful hands ; but in the darkness they were unable to discover who were their deliverers. One of the men took the Lieutenant and laid him across his own boat, another did the same for Mrs Barnett, and the three kayaks, skilfully managed with the paddles, six feet long, sped rapidly over the white foam. Half an hour afterwards, the shipwrecked travellers were lying on the sandy beach three miles above Fort Providence. Tke old sailor alone was THE MOUTH OF THE COPPERMINE EIVER. Page 64. CHAPTER X. A RETROSPECT. |pY.^f T was about ten o'clock the same night when Mrs Barnefci and Lieutenant Hobson knocked at the postern gate of the fort. Great was the joy on seeing them, for they had been given up for lost ; but this joy was turned to mourning at the news of the death of Norman. The brave fellow had been beloved by all, and his loss was sincerely mourned. The intrepid and devoted Esquimaux received phlegmatically the earnest expressions of gratitude of those they had saved, and could not be persuaded to come to the fort. What they had done seemed to them only natural, and these were not the first persons they had rescued ; so they quietly returned to their wild life of adventure on the lakej where they hunted the otters and water-birds day and night. For the next three nights the party rested. Hobson always intended to set out on June 2d ; and on that day, all having recovered from, their fatigues and the storm havirg abated, the order was given to start. Sergeant Felton had done all in his power to make his guesta comfortable and to aid their enterprise ; some of the jaded dogs were replaced by fresh animals, and now the Lieutenant found all his sledges drawn up in good order at the door of the enceinte, and awaiting the travellers. The adieux were soon over. Each one thanked Sergeant Felton for his hospitality, and Mrs Paulina Barnett was most profuse in her expressions of gratitude. A hearty shake of the hand between the Sergeant and his brother-in-law, Long, completed the leave- taking. Each pair got into the sledge assigned to them ; but this time Mrs Barnett and the Lieutenant shared one vehicle, Madge and Sergeant Long following them. According to the advice of the Indian chief, Hobson determined to get to the coast by the shorten route, and to take a north-easterly 64 THE FUR CO UNTR Y. direction. After consulting his map, which merely gave a rough outline of the configuration of the country, it seemed best to him to descend the valley of the Coppermine, a large river which flows into Coronation Gulf. The distance between Fort Confidence and the mouth of this river is only a degree and a half that is to say, about eighty-five or ninety miles. The deep hollow formed by the gulf is bounded on the north by Cape Krusenstein, and from it the coast juts out towards the north-west, ending in Cape Bathurst, which is above the seventieth parallel. The Lieutenant, therefore, now changed the route he had hitherto followed, directing his course to the east, so as to reach the river in a few hours. In the afternoon of the next day, June 3d, the river was gained. It was now free from ice, and its clear and rapid waters flowed through a vast valley, intersected by numerous but easily fordable streams. The sledges advanced pretty rapidly, and as they went along, Hobson gave his companion some account of the country through which they were passing. A sincere friendship, founded on mutual esteem, had sprung up between these two. Mrs Paulina Barnett was an earnest student with a special gift for discovery, and was therefore always glad to converse with travellers and explorers. Hobson, who knew his beloved North America by heart, was able to answer all her inquiries fully. " About ninety years ago," he said, " the territory through which the Coppermine flows was unknown, and we are indebted for its discovery to the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company. But aa always happens in scientific matters, in seeking one thing, another was found. Columbus was trying to find Asia, and discovered America." "And what were the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company Becking I The famous North- West Passage ? n 11 No, madam," replied the young Lieutenant. " A century ago the Company had no interest in the opening of a new route, which would have been more valuable to its rivals than to it. It is even Baid that in 1741 a certain Christopher Middleton, sent to explore these latitudes, was publicly charged with receiving a bribe of 500 from the Company to say that there was not, and could not b, a Ma passage between the oceans." A RETROSPECT 6$ " That was not much to the credit of the celebrated Company,** said Mrs Barnett. " I do not defend it in the matter," replied Hobson ; " and ita interference was severely censured by Parliament in 1746, when a reward of 20,000 was offered by the Government for the discovery of the passage in question. In that year two intrepid explorers, William Moor and Francis Smith, penetrated as far as Repulse Bay in the hope of discovering the much-longed-for passage. But they were unsuccessful, and returned to England after an absence of a year and a half." " But did not other captains follow in their steps, resolved to conquer where they had failed ? " inquired Mrs Barnett. " No, madam ; and in spite of the large reward offered by Par- liament, no attempt was made to resume explorations in English America until thirty years afterwards, when some agents of the Company took up the unfinished task of Captains Moor and Smith." " The Company had then relinquished the narrow-minded egotis- tical position it had taken up 1 " " No, madam, not yet. Samuel Hearne, the agent, only went to reconnoitre the position of a copper-mine which native miners had reported. On November 6, 17G9, this agent left Fort Prince of Wales, on the river Churchill, near the western shores of Hudson's Bay. He pressed boldly on to the north-west ; but the excessive cold and the exhaustion of his provisions compelled him to return without accomplishing anything. Fortunately he was not easily discouraged, and on February 23d of the next year he set out again, this time taking some Indians with him. Great hardships were endured in this second journey. The fish and game on which Hearne had relied often failed him ; and he had once nothing to eat for seven days but wild fruit, bits of old leather, and burnt bones. He was again compelled to return to the fort a disappointed man. But he did not even yet despair, and started a third time, December 7th, 1770 ; and after a struggle of nineteen months, he discovered the Coppermine river, July 13th, 1772, the 'course of which he fol- lowed to its mouth. According to his own account, he saw the open eea, and in any case he was the first to penetrate to the northern coast of America." " But the North- West Passage that ia to say, the direct com- 66 THE PUR COUNTRY. munication by sea between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was not then discovered 1 " " Oh no, madam," replied the Lieutenant ; " and what countles adventurous sailors have since gone to seek it I Phipps in 1773, James Cook and Clerke in 1776 to 1779, Kotzebue in 1815 to 1818, Ross, Parry, Franklin, and others have attempted this diffi- cult task; but it was reserved to M'Clure in our own day to pasa from one ocean to the other across the Polar Sea." " Well, Lieutenant, that was a geographical discovery of which we English may well be proud. But do tell me if the Hudson's Bay Company did not adopt more generous views, and send out some other explorer after the return of Hearne." " It did, madam ; and it was thanks to it that Captain Franklin was able to accomplish his voyage of 1819 to 1822 between the river discovered by Hearne and Cape Tui-nagain. This expedition endured great fatigue and hardships ; provisions often completely failed, and two Canadians were assassinated and eaten by their comrades. But in spite of all his sufferings, Captain Franklin explored no less than five thousand five hundred and fifty miles of the hitherto unknown coast of North America !" " He was indeed a man of energy," added Mrs Earned ; " and h gave proof of his great qualities in starting on a fresh Polar expedi- tion after all he had gone through." " Yes," replied the Lieutenant j " and he m only few pairs of those speckled quails remained which the Indians appropriately call " winter birds," because they wait in the Arctic regions until the commencement of the Polar night, but they too were soon to take their departure. Lieutenant Hobson, therefore, urged on the setting of the trapa and snares which were to remain in different parts of Cape Bathurst throughout the winter. These traps consisted merely of rough joists supported on a square, formed of three pieces of wood so balanced as to fall on the least touch in fact, the same sort of trap as that used for snaring birds in fields on a large scale. The end of the horizontal piece of wood was baited with venison, and every animal of a moderate height, a fox or a marten, for instance, which touched it with its paw, could not fail to be crushed. Such were the traps set in the winter over a space of several miles by the famous hunters whose adventurous life has been so poetically described by Cooper. Some thirty of these snares were set round Fort Hope, and were to be visited at pretty frequent intervals. On the 12th November a new member was born to the little colony. Mrs Mac-Nab was safely confined of a fine healthy boy, of whom the head carpenter was extremely proud. Mrs Barnett stood god-mother to the child, which received the name of Michael Hops. The ceremony of baptism was performed with considerable solemnity, and a kind of fete was held in honour of the little creature which had just come into the world beyond the 70th degree N. Lat. A few days afterwards, on November 20th, the sun sunk below the horizon not to appear again for two mouths. The Polar night hod commenced I CHAPTER XVIH, TUB POLAR NIGHT. tr-^fi S long night was ushered in by a violent storm. Th eold tpJ was perhaps a little less severe, but the air was very damp. ^* and, in spite of every precaution, the humidity penetrated into the houae, and the condensers, which were emptied every morn- ing, contained several pounds of ice. Outside drifts whirled past like waterspouts the snow seemed no longer to fall horizontally but vertically. The Lieutenant was obliged to insist upon the door being kept shut, for had it been opened the passages would immediately have become blocked up. The explorars were literally prisoners. The window shutters were hermetically closed, and the lamps were kept burning through the long hours of the sleepless night. But although darkness reigned without, the noise of the tempest replaced the silence usually so complete in these high latitudes. The roaring of the wind between the house and the cliff never ceased for a moment, the house trembled to its foundations, and had it not been for the solidity of its construction, must have succumbed to the violence of the hurricane. Fortunately the accumulation of enow round the walls broke the force of the squall, and Mac-Nnb's only fear was for the chimneys, which were liable to be blown over. However, they remained firm, although they had constantly to be freed from the snow which blocked up the openings. In the midst of the whistling of the wind, loud reports were heard, of which Mrs Barnett could not conjecture the cause. It was the falling of icebergs in the offing. The echoes caught up the sounds, which were rolled along like the reverberations of thunder. The ground shook as the ice-fields split open, crushed by the falling of these mighty mountains, and none but those thoroughly inured to the horrors of these wild rugged climates could witness these strange phenomena without a shudder. Lieutenant Hobson and his com- panions were accustomed to all these things, and Mrs Barnett and Madge were gradually becoming so, and were, besides, not altogether Il8 THE FUR COUNTRY. unfamiliar with those terrible winds which move at the rate of forty miles an hour, and overturn twenty-four pounders. Here, however, the darkness and the snow aggravated the dread might of the Btorm ; that which was not crushed was huried and smothered, and, probably twelve hours after the commencement of the tempest, house, kennel, shed, and enceinte would Jnve disappeared beneath bed of snow of uniform thickness. The time was not wasted during this lon impriscnmast. All these good people agreed together perfectly, ard neither ill-humour nor ennui marred the contentment of the little party shut up in such a narrow space. They were used to life under similar conditions at Forts Enterprise and Reliance, and there was nothing to excite Mrs Barnett's surprise in their ready accommodation of themselves to circumstances. Part of the day waa occupied with work, part with, reading and games. Garments had to be made and mended, arms to be kept bright and in good repair, boots to be manufactured, and the daily journal to be issued in which Lieutenant Hobson recorded the slightest events of this northern wintering the weather, the tempera- ture, the direction of the wind, the appearance of meteors so fre- quent in the Polar regions, storm which pre- vented him from making nocturnal observations. The three married women had also plenty to see to : Mrs Mac-Nafo busied herself with her baby who got on wonderfully, whilst Mrs JoUffe, assisted by Mrs Rae, and with the Corporal always at her hwh,. presided in the kitchen. When work was done the entire party assembled in the large room, spending the whole of Sunday together. Reading w aa th? chief unuscmeat The Bible and some books of travels were *w THE POLAR NIGHT. 1 19 library of the fort ; but they were all the good folks required. Mrs Burnett generally read aloud, and her audience listened with delight. The Bible and accounts of adventures received a fresh charm whei read out in her clear earnest voice ; her gestures were so expressiv< that imaginary persons seemed to live when she spoke of them, and sll were glad when she took up the book. She was, in fact, the lifi and soul of the little community, eager alike to give and receiv i instruction ; she combined the charm and grace of a woman with ti 10 energy of a man, and she consequently became the idol of the rot gh eoldiers, who would have willingly laid down their lives in her er- vice. Mrs Barnett shared everything with her companions, n< yer holding herself aloof or remaining shut up in her cabin, but worl ing Eealously amongst the others, drawing out the most reticent by her intelligent questions and warm sympathy. Good humour and ^ood health prevailed throughout the little community, and neither h mds nor tongues were idle. The storm, however, showed no signs of abating. The part/ had now been confined to the house for three days, and the snow- drifts were as wild and furious as ever. Lieutenant Hobson began to get anxious. It was becoming imperatively necessary to renew she air of the rooms, which was too much charged with carbonic acid. The light of the lamps began to pale in the unhealthy atmosphere, and the air-pumps would not act, the pipes being choked up with ice; they were not, in fact, intended to be used when the house wag buried in snow. It was necessary to take counsel ; the Lieutenant and Sergeant Long put their heads together, and it was decided on November 23d that, as the wind beat with rather less violence on the front of the house, one of the windows at the end of the passage on that side should be opened. This was no light matter. It was easy enough to open the win- dow from inside, but the shutter outside was encrusted over with thick lumps of ice, and resisted every effort to move it. It had to be taken off its hinges, and the hard mass of snow was then attacked with pickaxe and shovel ; it was at least ten feet thick, and it was not until a kind of channel had been scooped out that the outer air was admitted. Hobson, the Sergeant, several soldiers, and Mrs Barnfltt herself ventured to creep through this tunnel or channel, but not without considerable difficulty, for the wind rushed in with fearful fury. What a scene was presented by Cape Bathurst and the surrounding I2O TUB FUR COUNTRY. plain. It was mid-day, and but a few faint twilight rays glimmered upon the southern horizon. The cold was not so intense as one would have supposed, and the thermometer marked only 15 Fahren- heit above zero; but the snow-drifts whirled along with terrific force, and all would inevitably have been thrown to the ground, had Dot the snow in which they were standing up to their waists helped Jo sustain them against the gusts of wind. Everything around them was white, the walls of the enceinte, and the whole of the house even to the roof were completely covered over, and nothing but a few blue wreaths of smoke would have betrayed the existence of a human habitation to a stranger. Under the circumstances the " promenade " was soon over ; bnt Mrs Barnett had made good use of her time, and would never forget the awful beauty of the Polar regions in a snow-storm, a beauty upon which few women had been privileged to look. A few moments sufficed to renew the atmosphere of the house, and all unhealthy vapours were quickly dispersed by the introduc- tion of a pure and refreshing current of air. The Lieutenant and his companions hurried in, and the window was again closed ; but after that the snow before it was removed every day for the sake of ventilation. The entire week passed in a similar manner; fortunately the rein-deer and dogs had plenty of food, so that there was no need to visit them. The eight days during which the occupants of the fort were imprisoned so closely, could not fail to be somewhat irksome to strong men, soldiers and hunters, accustomed to plenty of ex- ercise in the open air ; and we must own that listening to reading aloud gradually lost its charm, and even cribbage became uninterest- ing. The last thought at night was a hope that the tempest might have ceased in the morning, a hope disappointed every day. Fresh snow constantly accumulated upon the windows, the wind roared, the icebergs burst with a crash like thunder, the smoke was forced back into the rooms, and there were no signs of a diminution of the fury of the storm. At last, however, on the 28th November the Aneroid barometer in the large room gave notice of an approaching change in the state of the atmosphere. It rose rapidly, whilst the thermometer outside fell almost suddenly to less than four degrees below zero. These were symptoms which could not be mistaken, and on the 29th November the silence all around the fort told that the tempest had ceased. THE POLAR NIGHT. 121 Every one was eager to get out, the confinement had lasted long enough. The door could not be opened, and all had to get through the window, and clear away the fresh accumulation of tnosv ; this time, however, it was no soft mass they had to remove, but compact blocks of ice, which required pick -axes to break them up. It took about half-an-hour to clear a passage, and then ercry one in the fort, except Mrs Mac-Nab, who was not yet up, hastened into the interior court, glad once more to be able to walk about. The cold was still intense, but t,he wind having gone down it was possible to endure it, although great care was necessary to escape serious consequences on leaving the heated rooms for the open air, the difference between the temperature inside and outside being some fifty-four degrees. It was eight o'clock in the morning. Myriads of brilliant con- stellations studded the sky, and at the zenith shone the Pole star. Although in both hemispheres there are in reality but 5000 fixed stars visible to the naked eye, their number appeared to the observers incalculable. Exclamations of admiration burst involun- tarily from the lips of the delighted astronomer as he gazed into the cloudless heavens, once more undimmed by mists or vapours. Never had a more beautiful sky been spread out before the eyes of an astromoner. Whilst Thomas Black was raving in ecstasy, dead to all terrestrial matters, his companions had wandered as far as the enceinte. The snow was as hard as a rock, and so slippery that there were a good many tumbles, but no serious injuries. It is needless to state that the court of the fort was completely filled up. The roof of the house alone appeared above the white mass, the surface of which had been worn smooth by the action of the wind ; of the palisade nothing was visible but the top of the stakes, and the least nimble of the wild animals they dreaded could easily have climbed over them. But what was to be done ? It was no use to think of clearing away a mass of frozen snow ten fact thick, extending over so large an extent of ground. All they could attempt would be to dig away the ice inside the enceinte, so as to form a kind of moat, the counterscarp of which \vould protect the palisade. But alas the winter was only beginning, and a fresh tempest might at any time fill in the ditch a few hours. Whilst the Lieutenant was examining the works, which could no 122 THE FUR CO UNTR Y. more protect his fort than a single sunbeam could melt the solid layer of snow, Mrs JolifFe suddenly exclaimed : " And our dogs ! our reindeer ! " It was indeed time to think about the poor animals. The dog- house and stable being lower than the house were probably entirely covered, and the supply of air had perhaps been completely cut off. Some hurried to the dog-house, others to the reindeer table, and all fears were quickly dispelled. The wall of ice, which connected the northern corner of the house with the cliff, had partly protected the two buildings, and the snow round them was not more than four feet thick, so that the apertures left in the walls had not been closed up. The animals were all well, and when the door was opened, the dogs rushed out barking with delight. The cold was so intense, that after an hour's walk every on began to think of the glowing stove in the large room at home. There was nothing left to be done outside, the traps buried beneath ten feet of snow could not be visited, so all returned to the house, the window was closed, and the party sat down to the dinner awaiting them with sharpened appetites. We can readily imagine that the conversation turned on the intensity of the cold, which had so rapidly converted the soft snow into a solid mass. It was no light matter, and might to a certain extent compromise the safety of the little colony. " But, Lieutenant," said Mrs Barnett, " can we not count upon a few days' thaw will not all this snow be rapidly converted into water 1 " " Oh no. madam," replied Hobson, " a thaw at this time of year is not at all likely. Indeed I expect the thermometer will fall still lower, and it is very much to be regretted that we were unable to remove the snow when it was soft." " What, you think the temperature likely to become much colder]" " I do most certainly, madam, 4 below zero what is that at this latitude?" " What would it be if we were at the Pole itself?" " The Pole, madam, is probably not the coldest point of the globe, for most navigators agree that the sea is there open. From ceitain peculiarities of its geographical position it would appear that a certain spot on the shores of North Georgia, 95 longitude and 78 latitude, has the coldest mean temperature in the world: 2 THE POLAR NIGHT. 1 23 below zero all the year round. It is, therefore, called the ' pole of cold.' " *' But," said Mrs Barnett, " we are more than 8 further south than that famous point." " Well, I don't suppose we shall suffer as much at Cape Bathurst %s we might have done in North Georgia. I only tell you of the pole of cold,' that you may not confound it with the Pole properly oxllad when the lowness of the temperature ia discussed. Great cold has besides been experienced on other points of the globe. The difference is, that the low temperature is not there maintained." " To what places do you allude ? " inquired Mrs Barnett j " I assure you I take the greatest interest in this matter of degrees of cold." "As far as I can remember, madam," replied the Lieutenant, " Arctic explorers state that at Melville Island the temperature fell to 61* below zero, and at Port Felix to 65V " But Melville Island and Port Felix are some degrees farther north latitude than Cape Bathurst, are they not ? " "Yes, madam, but in a certain sense we may say that their latitude proves nothing. A combination of different atmospheric conditions is requisite to produce intense cold. Local and other causes largely modify climate. If I remember rightly in 1845 . . . Sergeant Long, you were at Fort Reliance at that date I " Yes, sir," replied Long. " Well, was it not in January of that year that the cold was so excessive ? " " Yes it was, I remember only too well that the thermometer marked 70 below zero." "What!" exclaimed Mrs Barnett, "at Fort Reliance, on the Great Slave Lake?" " Yea, madam," replied the Lieutenant, " and that was at 65* north latitude only, which is the same parallel as that of Christian!* and St Petersburg." " Then we must be prepared for everything." " Yes, indeed, we must when we winter in Arctic countries." During the 29th and 30th November, the cold did not decrease, and it was necessary to keep up huge fires to prevent the freez- ing in all the corners of the house of the moisture in the 124 THE FVR COUNTRY. atmosphere. Fortunately there was plenty of fuel, and it was no* spared. A mean temperature of 52" Fahrenheit was maintained in- doors in spite of the intensity of the cold without. Thomas Black was so anxious to take stellar observations, nov? that the sky was so clear, that he braved the rigour of the outside temperature, hoping to be able to examine some of the magnifi- cent constellations twinkling on the zenith. But he was compelled to desist his instruments "burnt" his hands! "Burnt" is tha only word to express the sensation produced by touching a metallic body subjected to the influence of intense cold. Exactly simila? results are produced by the sudden introduction of heat into an animate body, and the sudden withdrawal of the same from it, as the astronomer found to his cost when he left the skin of his fingers on his instruments. He had to give up taking observations.. However, the heavens made him the best amends in their power by displaying the most beautiful and indescribable phenomena of lunar halo and an Aurora Borealis. The lunar halo was a white corona with a pale red edge encir- cling the moon. This luminous meteor was about forty-five degrees in diameter, and was the result of the diffraction of the lunar rays through the small prismatic ice-crystals floating in the atmosphere. The queen of the night shone with renewed splendour and heightened beauty from the centre of the luminous ring, the colour and consistency of which resembled the milky transparent lunar rain- bows which have been so often described by astronomers. Fifteen hours later the heavens were lit up, by a magnificent Aurora Borealis, the arch of which extended over more than a hundred geographical degrees. The vertex of this arch was situated in the magnetic meridian, and, as is "often the case, the rays darted ty the luminous meteor were of all the colours of the rainbow, red predominating. Here and there the stars seemed to be floating in blood. G'owing lines of throbbing colour spread from the dark segment on the horizon, some of them passing the zenith and quenching the light of the moon in their electric waves, which oscillated and trembled as if swept by a current of air. No description could give an adequate idea of the glory which flushed the northern sky, converting it into a vast dome of fire, but after the magnificent spectacle had been enjoyed for about half an liour, it suddenly disappeared not fading gradually away after a TUB POLAR NIGHT. 12$ concentration of its rays, or a diminution of its splendour, but dying abruptly, as if an invisible hand had cut off the supply of electricity which gave it life. It was time it w a over, for the sake of Thomas Black, for ii Another five minutes he would have been frozen where he stood I CHAPTEE XIX. 4 NEIGHBOURLY VISIT. the 2nd December, tlie intensity of the cold decreased The phenomena of the lunar halo and Aurora Borealis were symptoms which a meteorologist would have been at no loss to interpret. They implied the existence of a certain quantity of watery vapour in the atmosphere, and the barometer fell slightly, whilst the thermometer rose to 15 above zero. Although this temperature would have seemed very cold to the in- habitants of a temperate zone, it was easily endured by the colonists. The absence of wind made a great difference, and Hobson having noticed that the upper layers of snow were becoming softer, ordered his men to clear it away from the outer approaches of the enceinte. Mac-Nab and his subordinates set to work zealously, and completed their task in a few days. The traps were now uncovered and re-set. A good many footprints showed that there were plenty of furred animals about the cape, and as they could not get any other food, it was probable that the bait in the snares would soon attract them. In accordance with the advice of Marbre the hunter, a reindeer trap was constructed in the Esquimaux style. A trench was dug twelve feet deep, and of a uniform width of ten feet. A see-saw plank, which would rebound when lowered, was laid across it. A bait of herbs was placed at one end of the plank, and any animal venturing to take them, was inevitably flung to the bottom of the pit, and the plank immediately returning to its former position, would allow of the trapping of another animal in tLe same manner. Once in, there was no getting out. The only difficulty Marbre had to contend with in making his trap, was the extreme hardness of the ground to be dug out, but both he and the Lieutenant were not a little surprised at finding beneath some fiva feet of earth and sand a bed of snow, as hard as a rock, which appeared to be very thick. After closely examining the geological structure of the ground, Hobson A NEIGHBOURLY VISIT. \2"J " This part of the coast must have been subjected to intense cold for a considerable length of time a great many years ago. Probably the ice rests on a bed of granite, and the earth and sand upon it have accumulated gradually." " Well, sir, our trap -won't be any the worse for that, the reindeer Trill find a slippery wall, which it will be impossible for them to riimb." Marbre was right, as the event proved. On the 5th September, he and Sabine were on their way to tha trench, when they heard loud growls. They stood still and listened. " It 's no reindeer making that noise, " said Marbre, " I know well enough what creature has fallen into our pit." " A bear ? " replied Sabine. " Yes," said Marbre, whose eyes glistened with delight. " Well," remarked Sabine, " we won't grumble at that, bears' steaks are as good as reindeers', and we get the fur in ! Come along." The two hunters were armed. They quickly slipped balls into their guns, which were already loaded with lead, and hurried to the trap. The see-saw plank had swung back into its place, but the bait had disappeared, having probably been dragged down into the trench. The growls became louder and fiercer, and looking down the hunters saw that it was indeed a bear they had taken. A huge mass was huddled together in one corner of the pit, looking in the gloom like a pile of white fur with two glittering eyes. The sides of the trench had been ploughed up by the creature's sharp claws, and Lad they been made of earth instead of ice, it would certainly have managed to scramble out, but it could get no hold on the slippery Burface, and it had only managed to enlarge its prison, not to eacaj>o from it. Under the circumstances the capture was easy. Two balls carefully aimed put an end to the bear's life, and the next thing to do was to get it out of the pit. The two hunters returned to the fort for reinforcements, and ten of the soldiers, provided with ropes, returned with them. It was not without considerable difficulty that the body was hauled up. It was a huge creature, six feet long, weighing six hundred pounds, and must have possessed immense strength. It belonged to the sub-order of white bears, and had the flattened head, long neck, short and slightly curved clawi, narrow 128 THE FUR COUNTRY. muzzle, and smooth white fur characteristic of the species. The edible portions of this valuable animal were confided to Mrs Joliffe, and by her carefully prepared for the table. The next week the traps were in full activity. Some twenty martens were taken, in all the beauty of their winter clothing, but only two or three foxes. These cunning creatures divined the snare laid for them, and scratching up the ground near the trap, they often managed to run off with the bait without being caught. This made Sabine beside himself with rage ; " for," he said, " such a subterfuge was unworthy of a respectable fox." About the 10th December, the wind having veered round to the south-west, the snow again began to fall, but not in thick flakes, or in large quantities. The wind being high, however, the cold was severely felt, and it was necessary to settle in-doors again, and resume domestic occupations. Hobson distributed lime lozenges and lime juice to every one as a precaution against the scorbutic affections, which damp cold produces. No symptoms of scurvy had fortunately as yet appeared amongst the occupants of the fort, thanks to the sanitary precautions taken. The winter solstice was now approaching, when the darkness of the Polar night would be most profound, as the sun would be at the lowest maximum point below the homon of the northern hemi- sphere. At midnight the southern edges of the long white plains were touched with a faint glimmer of twilight, that was all, and it would be impossible to imagine anything more melancholy than the gloomy stillness and darkness of the vast expanse. Holeoii felt more secure from the attacks of wild beasts, now that the approaches to the enceinte had been cleared of snow, which waa * fortunate circumstance, as ominous growlings were heard, the nature of which no one could mistake. There was no fear of visits from Indian hunters or Canadians at this time of year, but att incident occurred proving that these dis- tricts were not altogether depopulated even in the winter, and which was quite an episode in the long dreary dark months. Some human beings still lingered on the coast hunting morses and camping under the snow. They belonged to the race of Esquimaux, " or eaters of raw flesh," which is scattered over tha continent of North America, from Baffin's Bay to Behring Strait, seldom, however, advancing farther south than the Great Slave Lake. On the morning of the 14th December, or rather nine hours A NEIGHBOURLY VISIT. before midday, Sergeant Long, on his return from an excursion along the coast, ended his report to the Lieutenant by saying, that if his eyes had not deceived him, a tribe of nomads were encamped about four miles from the fort, near a little cape jutting out from the coast. " What do you suppose these nomads are? " inquired Hobson. ' Either men or morses," replied the Sergeant. " There 'a no medium !" The brave Sergeant would have been considerably surprised if any one had told him that some naturalists admit the existence of the "medium," the idea of which he scouted; and certain savants have with some humour classed the Esquimaux as an "intermediate species " between man and the sea-cow. Lieutenant Hobson, Mrs Barnett, Madge, and a few others at once went to ascertain the truth of the report. Well wrapt up, and on tbeir guard against a sudden chill, their feet cased in furred boots, and guns and hatchets in their hands, they issued from the postern, incl made their way over the froaen snow along the coast, strewn with masses of ice. The moon, already in the last quarter, shed a few faint rays through the mists which shrouded the ice-fields. After marching for about an hour, the Lieutenant began to think that the Sergeant had been mistaken, and that what he had seen were morses, who had returned to their native element through the holes in the ice which they always keep open. But Long, pointing to a grey wreath of smoke curling out of a conical protuberance on the ice-field some hundred steps off, con- tented himself with observing quietly " The morses are smoking, then ! " As he spoke some living creatures came out of the hut dragging themselves along the snow. They were Esquimaux, but whether male or female none but a native could have said, for their costumea were all exactly alike. Indeed, without in the least sharing the opinion of the naturalist quoted above, any one might have taken the rough shaggy figures for seals or some other amphibious animals. There were six of them four full-grown, and two children. Although very short, they were broad-chested and muscular. They had the flat noses, long ye-lashes, large mouths, thick lips, long black coarse hair, and beardless chins of their race. Their costume consisted of a round 130 THE FUR COUNTRY. coat made of the skin of the walrus, a hood, boots, trousers, and mittena of the same material. They gazed at the Europeans in silence. "Docs any one understand Esquimaux?" inquired the Lieu- tenant. No one was acquainted with that idiom, and every one started when a voice immediately exclaimed in English, " Welcome ! wel- come ! " It was an Esquimaux, and, as they learned later, a woman, who, approaching Mrs Barnett, held out her hand. The lady, much surprised, replied in a few words, which the native girl readily understood, and the whole family was invited to follow the Europeans to the fort. The Esquimaux looked searchingly at the strangers, and after a few moments' hesitation they accompanied the Lieutenant, keeping close together, however. Arrived at the enceinte, the native woman, seeing the house, of the existence of which she had had no idea, exclaimed " House ! snow-house ! " She asked if it were made of snow, which was a natural question enough, for the house was all but hidden beneath the white mass which covered the ground. She was made to understand that it was built of wood ; she then turned and said a few words to her companions, who made signs of acquiescence, and they all passed through the postern, and were taken to the large room in the chief building. They removed their hoods, and it became possible to distinguish sexes. There were two men, about forty or fifty years old, with yellowish-red complexions, sharp teeth, and projecting cheek- bonea, which gave them something of the appearance of carnivorous animals ; two women, still young, whose matted hair was adorned with the teeth and claws of Polar bears ; and two children, about five or sir years old, poor little creatures with intelligent faces, who looked about them with wide wondering eyes. " I believe the Esquimaux are always hungry," said Hobson, "so I don't suppose our guests would object to a slice of venison." In obedience to the Lieutenant's order, Joliffe brought some reindeer-venison, which the poor creatures devoured with greedy avidity ; but the young woman who had answered in English behaved with greater refinement, and watched Mrs Barnett and the A NE1GHBO URL Y VISIT* 1 3 1 women of the fort without once removing her eyes from them. Presently noticing the baby in Mrs Mac-Nab's arms, she rose and ran up to it, speaking to it in a soft voice, and caressing it tenderly. Indeed if not exactly superior, the young girl was certainly more civilised tkan her companions, which was especially noticeable when, being attacked by a slight fit of coughing, she put her hand before her mouth in the manner enjoined by the first rules of civilised society. This significant gesture did not escape any one, and Mrs B&rnett, who chatted for some time with the Esquimaux woman, learned from her in a few short sentences that she had been for a year in the service of the Danish governor of Upper Navik, whooe wife waa English, and that she had left Greenland .to follow her family to the hunting grounds. The two men were her brothers ; the other woman was her sister-in-law, married to one of the men, and mother of the two children. They were all returning from Melbourne Island, on the eastern coast of English America, arid were making for Point Barrow, on the western coast of Russian America, the home of their tribe, and were considerably astonished to find a factory established on Cape Bathurst. Indeed the two men shook their heads when they spoke of it. Did they disapprove of the con- struction of a fort at this particular point of the coast? Did they think the situation ill-chosen? In spite of all his endeavours, Hobson could get no satisfactory reply to these questions, or rather he could not understand the answers he received. The name of the young girl was Kalumah, and she seemed to have taken a great fancy to Mrs Barnett. Bufc sociable as she was, ehe appeared to feel no regret at having left the governor of Upper Navik, and to be sincerely attached to her relations. After refreshing themselves with the reindeer-venison, and drinking half-a-pint of rum, in which the children had their share, the Esquimaux took leave of their hosts ; but before saying good- bye, the young girl invited Mrs Barnett to visit their snow-hut, and the lady promised to do so the next day, weather permitting. The next day was fine, and accompanied by Madge, Lieutenant Hobson, and a few soldiers, well armed in case any bears should be prowling about, Mrs Barnett set out for " Cape Esquimaux," as they had named the spot where the little colony had encamped. Kalumah hastened forward to meet her friend of yesterday, and pointed to the hut with an air of pride. It was a large cone of 15 THE PUR COUNTRY. snow, with an opening in the summit, through which the smok from the fire inside made its way. These snow-houses, called igloos in the language of the Esquimaux, are constructed with great rapidity, and are admirably suited to the climate. In them their owners can endure a temperature 40 below zero, without fires, and without suffering much. In the summer the Esquimaux encamp in tents made of seal and reindeer skins, which are called tityncs. It was no easy matter to get in to this hut. The only opening wan i liole close to the ground, and it was necessary to creep through kind of passage three or four feet long, which is about the thickness of the walls of these snow houses. But a traveller by profession, laureate of the Royal Society, could not hesitate, and Mrs Paulina Barnett did not hesitate ! Followed by Madge, she bravely entered the narrow tunnel in imitation of her guide. Lieutenant Hobson and his men dispensed with paying their respects inside. And Mrs Barnett soon discovered that the chief difficulty was not getting into the hut, but remaining in it when there. The room was heated by a fire, on which the bones of morses were burning; and the air was full of the smell of the fetid oil of a lamp, of greasy garments, and the flesh of the amphibious animals which form the chief article of an Esquimaux's diet. It was suffocating and sick- ening ! Madge could not stand it, and hurried out at once, but Mrs Barnett, rather than hurt the feelings of the young native, showed superhuman courage, and extended her visit over five long minutes ! five centuries ! The two children and their mother were at home, but the men had gone to hunt morses four or five miles from their camp. Once out of the hut, Mrs Barnett drew a long sigh of relief, and the color returned to her blanched cheeks. " "Well, madam," inquired the Lieutenant, " what do you think oi Esquimaux houses? " " The ventilation leaves something to be desired ! " she replied limply. The interesting native family remained encamped near Cape Esquimaux for eight days. The men passed twelve hours out of tvery twenty-four hunting morses. With a patience which none but sportsmen could understand, they would watch for the amphibious animals near the holes through which they come Tip to the surface of the ice-field to breathe. When the morse appears, a rope with a running nooso is flung round its body a little below the A NEIGHBOURLY VISIT. 133 head, and it is dragged on to the ice-field, often with considerable difficulty, and killed with hatchets. It is really more like fishing than hunting. It is considered a great treat to drink the warm blood of the walrus, and the Esquimaux often indulge in it to excess. Kalumah came to the fort every day in spite of the severity of the weather. She was never tired of going through the different rooms, and watching Mrs Joliffe at her cooking or sewing. She asked tho English name of everything, and talked for hours together with Mrs Barnett, if the term " talking " can be applied to an exchange of words after long deliberation on both sides. When Mrs Barnett read aloud, Kalumah listened with great attention, although she probably understood nothing of what she heard. The young native girl had a sweet voice, and sometimes sang some strange melancholy rhythmical songs with a peculiar metre, and, if we may so express it, a frosty ring about them, peculiarly characteristic of their origin. Mrs Barnett had the patience to translate one of these Greenland sagas, which was sung to a sad air, interspersed with long pauses, and filled with strange intervals, which produced an indescribable effect. We give an English rendering of Mrs Barnett's translation, which may give a faint idea of this strange hyperborean poetry ; GREENLAND SONO. Dark is the sky, The sun sinks wearily ; My trembling heart, with sorrow filled, Aches drearily ! My aweet child at my songs is smiling still, While at his tender heart the icicles lie Child of my dreams ! Thy love doth cheer me ; Tho cruel biting frost I brave But to be near thee ! All me, Ah me, could these hot tears of mine But melt the icicles around that heart of thiaftf Could we once more Meet heart to heart, Thy little hands close clasped In mine, No more to part. Then on thy chill heart rays from heaven abora Should fall, and softly melt it with the warmth of low I 134 THE FUR COUNTRY. On the 20th December the Esquimaux family came to take leave of the occupants of the fort. Kalumah was sorry to part with Mrs Barnett, who would gladly have retained her in her service, but the young native could not be persuaded to leave her own people; she promised, however, to return to Fort Hope in the Bummer. Her farewell was touching. She presented Mrs Barnett with copper ring, and received in exchange a necklace of black beads, which she immediately put on. Hobson gave the poor people a good stock of provisions, which they packed in their sledge ; and after a few words of grateful acknowledgment from Kalumah, thd whole party set out towards the west, quickly disappearing in tb thick fogs on tie s&ora. CHAPTER UBRCURY FREEZES* FEW days of dry calm weather favoured the oporatk of the hunters, but they did not venture far from the fort ; the abundance of game rendered it unnecessary to do so, and Lieutenant Hobson could justly congratulate himself on having chosen so favourable a situation for the new settlement A great number of furred animals of ail kinds were taken in the traps, and Sabine and Marbre killed a good many Polar hares. Some twenty starving wolves were shot. Hunger rendered the lattei animals aggressive, and bands of them gathered about the fort, filling the air with hoarse howls, and amongst tha " hummocks " on the ice- fields sometimes prowled huge bears, whose movements were watched with great interest. On the 25th December all excursions had again to be given up. The wiiid veered suddenly to the north, and the cold became ex- ceedingly severe. It was impossible to remain out of doors with- out being frost-bitten. The Fahrenheit thermometer fell to 18 below zero, and the gale roared like a volley of musketry. Hobson took care to provide the animals with food enough to last several weeks. Christmas Day, the day of home-gatherings BO dear to the heart of all Englishmen, was kept with due solemi.ity. The colonists re- turned thanks to God for preserving them through so many perils ; and the workmen, who had a holiday in honour of the day, afterwards assembled with their masters and the ladies round a well-filled board, on which figured two huge Christmas puddings. In the evening a huge bowl of punch flamed in the centre of the table ; the lamps were put out, and for a time the room was lighted only by the livid flames of the spirit, the familiar objects assuming strange fantastic forms. The spirits of the soldiers rose as they watched the flickering illumination, and their excitement was not lessened after imbibing some of the burning liquid. But now the flames began to pale ; bluish tongues still fitfully 136 THE FUR COUNTRY. licked the plump sides of the national pudding for a few minutea, and then died away. Strange to say, although the lamps had not been relit, the room did not become dark on the extinction of the flames. A bright red light was streaming through the window, which had passed un- noticed in the previous illumination. The revellers started to their feet, and looked at each other "in astonishment. " A fire ! " cried several. But unless the house itself were burning, there could not be a fire anywhere near Cape Bathurst. The Lieutenant rushed to the window, and at once understood the cause of the phenomenon. It was an eruption. Indeed, above the western cliffs beyond Walruses' Bay the horizon was on fire. The summits of the igneous hills, some miles from Cape Bathurst, could riot be seen ; but the sheaf of flame shot up to a considerable height, lighting up the whole country in a weird, unearthly manner. " It is more beautiful than the Aurora Borealis 1 " exclaimed Mrs Barnett. Thomas Black indignantly protested against this assertion. A terrestrial phenomenon more beautiful than a meteor ! But no one was disposed to argue with him about it, for all hurried out, in spite of the bitter gale and biting cold, to watch the glorious spectacle of the flashing sheaf of flames standing out against the black back- ground of the night sky, Had not the mouths and ears of the party been cased in furs, they would have been able to hear the rumbling noise of the erup- tion, and to tell each other of the impressions made upon them by this magnificent sight ; but, as it was, they could neither speak nor hear. They might well be content, however, with gazing upon such a glorious scene a scene which once looked upon could never be forgotten. The glowing sheets of flames contrasted alike with the gloomy darkness of the heavens and the dazzling whiteness of the far-stretching carpet of snow, and produced effects of light and shade which no pen or pencil could adequately portray. The throbbing reverberations spread beyond the zenith, gradually quenching the light of all the stars. The white ground became dashed with golden tints, the hummocks on the ice-field and the huge icebergs in the background reflecting the glimmering colours MERCURY FREEZES. 137 like so many glowing mirrors. The rays of light, striking on the edges or surfaces of the ice, became bent and diffracted ; the angles and varying inclinations on which they fell fretting them into fringes of colour, and reflecting them back with changed and heightened beauty. It was like a fairy scene in which ico and snow combined to add eclat to a melee of rays in which, luminous wave* rojhsd upon each other, breaking into coloured ripples. But the excessive cold soon drove the admiring spectators back to their warm dwelling, and many a nose paid dearly for the feast enjoyed by the e'yes. During the following days the cold became doubly severe. The mercurial thermometer was of course no longer of any use for mark- ing degrees, and an alcohol thermometer had to be used. On the night of the 28th to the 29th December the column fell to 32' below zero. The stoves were piled tip with fuel, but tho temperature in the house could not be maintained above 20 degrees. The bed- rooms were exceedingly cold, and ten feet from the stove, in the large room, its heat could not be felt at alL The little baby had the warmest corner, and its cradle was rocked in turn by those who came to the fire. Opening doors or windows was strictly forbidden, as the vapour in the rooms would immediately have been converted into snow, and in the passage the breathing of the inmates already produced that result. Every now and then dull reports were heard, which startled those unaccustomed to living in such high latitudes. They were caused by the cracking of the trunks of trees, of which, the walk were composed, under the influence of the intense cold. The stock of rum and gin stowed away in the garret had to be brought down into the sitting-room, as the alcohol was freezing and sinking to the bottom of the bottles. The spruce-beer made from a decoction of young fir-branchlets burst the barrels in which it waa kept as it froze, whilst all solid bodies resisted the introduction of heat as if they were petrified. Wood burnt very slowly, and Hobson was obliged to sacrifice some of the walrus-oil to quicken its com- bustion. Fortunately the chimneys drew well, so that there was no disagreeable smell inside, although for a long distance outside the air was impregnated with the fetid odour of the smoke from Fort Hope, which a casual observer might therefore have pronounced an unhealthy building. One symptom we must notice was the great thirst from which 138 THE FUR COUNTRY. every one suffered. To relieve it, different liquids had to be melted at the fire, for it would have been dangerous to eat ice. Another effect of the cold was intense drowsiness, which Hobson earnestly entreated his companions to resist Some appeared unable to do so ; but Mrs Barnett was invaluable in setting an example of constant activity : always brave, she kept herself awake, and encouraged others by her kindness, brightness, and sympathy. Sometimes she read aloud accounts of travels, or sang some old familiar English song, in the chorus of which all joined. These joyous strains roused up the sleepers whether they would or no, and their voices soon swelled the chorus. The long days of imprisonment passed wearily by, and the Lieutenant, consulting the outside thermometer through the win- dows, announced that the cold was still on the increase. On the 31st December, the mercury was all frozen hard in the cistern of the instrument, so that the temperature was 44 below freezing- point. The next day, 1st January 1860, Lieutenant Hobson wished Mrs Barnett a happy new year, and complimented her on the courage and good temper with which she endured the miseries of this northern winter. The astronomer was not forgotten in the universal interchange of good wishes amongst the members of the little colony ; but his only thought on entering another year was, that it was the beginning of that in which the great eclipse was to take place. Fortunately the general health still remained good, and any symptoms of scurvy were promptly checked by tha use of lime-juice and iime-lozenges. It would not do, however, to rejoice too scon. The winter had still to last three months. The sun would doubtless reappear above the horizon in due time ; but there was no reason to think that tha cold had reached its maximum intensity, especially as in most northern countries February is the month during which the tem- perature fulls lowest. However that might be, there was no decrease in the severity ^.f the weather during the first days of the new year, and on the 8th January the alcohol thermometer placed outside the window of the passage marked 66 below zero. A few degrees more and the minimum temperature at Fort Reliance in 1835 would be reached ! Jaspar Hobson grew more and more uneasy at the continued severity if the cold. lie began to fear that the furred animals would have to eek a less rigorous climate further south, which MERCUR Y FREEZES. 139 would of course thwart all bis plans for hunting in the early spring. Moreover, he sometimes heard subterranean rumblings, which were evidently connected with the volcanic eruption. The western horizon still glowed with the reflection of the burning lava, and it was evident that some great convulsion was going on in the bowels of the earth. Might not the close vicinity of au active volcano be dangerous to the new fort ? Such was the question which tha subterranean rumblings forced upon the mind of the Lieutenant, but he kept his vague apprehensions to himself. Of course under these circumstances no one dreamt of leaving the house. The animals were well provided for, and being accus- tomed to long fasts in the winter, required no attention from their masters, so tliat there really was no necessity for any exposure out of doors. It was difficult enough to endure the inside tempera- ture, even with the help of a plentiful combustion of wood and oil ; for, in spite of every precaution, damp crept into the ill-ventilated rooms, and layers of ice, increasing in thickness every day, were formed upon the beams. The condensers were choked up, and one of them burst from the pressure of the ice. Lieutenant Hobson did not spare his fuel ; he was, in fact, rather lavish of it in his anxiety to raise the temperature, which, when the fires got low as of course sometimes happened fell to 15 Fahrenheit. The men on guard, who relieved each other every hour, had strict orders to keep up the fires, and great was the dismay of the Lieutenant when Sergeant Long said to him one day " We shall be out of wood soon 1 " " Out of wood 1 " exclaimed Hobson. " I mean our stock is getting low, and we must lay In fresh stores oon. Of course I know, though, that it will be at the risk of 1 s life that any one goes out in this cold ! " " Yes," replied Hobson. " It was a mistake not to build the wooden shed close to the house, and to make no direct communica- tion with it. I see that now it is too late. I ought not to have forgotten that we were going to winter beyond the seventieth parallel. But what 's done can't be undone. How long will the wood last I " " There is enough to feed the furnace and stove for another two or three days," replied the Sergeant. " Let us hope by that time that the severity of the cold may I4O THE fUR COUNTRY. have decreased, and that we may venture across the court of the fort without danger." " I doubt it, sir," replied Long, shaking his head. " The atmo- sphere is very clear, the wind is still in the north, and I shall not be surprised if this temperature is maintained for aother fif teem days until the new moon, in fact." " Well, my brave fellow," said the Lieutenant, " we won't die of cold if we can help it, and the day we have to brave the outside " We will brave it, sir," said Long. Hobson pressed his subordinate's hand, well knowing the poo fellow's devotion. We might fancy that Hobson and the Sergeant were exaggerating when they alluded to fatal results from sudden exposure to the open air, but they spoke from experience, gained from long resi- dence in the rigorous Polar regions. They had seen strong men fall fainting on the ice under similar circumstances ; their breath failed them, and they were taken up in a state of suffocation. Incredible as such facts may appear, they have been of frequent o^urrence amongst those who have wintered in the extreme north. To their journey along the shores of Hudson's Bay iu 1746, Moor and Smith saw many incidents of this kind, some of their companions were killed, struck clown by the cold, and there can be no doubt that sudden death may result from braving a temperature in vhich. mercury freezes. Such was the distressing state of things at Fort Hope, whwa ft new danger arose to aggravate the sufferings of the colonists. CHAPTER XXL THE LARGE POLAR BEARS. HE only one of the four windows through which it wai possible to look into the court of the fort was that opening at the end of the entrance passage. The outside shutters had not been closed ; but before it could be seen through it had to be washed with boiling water, as the panes were covered with a thick coating of ice. This was done several times a day by the Lieutenant's orders, when the districts surrounding the fort were carefully examined, and the state of the sky, and of the alcohol thermometer placed outside, were accurately noted. On the 6th January, towards eleven o'clock in the morning, Kellet, whose turn it was to look out, suddenly called the Sergeant, and pointed to some moving masses indistinctly visible in the gloom. Long, approaching the window observed quietly " They are bears ! " In fact half-a-dozen of these formidable animals had succeeded in getting over the palisades, and, attracted by the emoke from the chimneys, were advancing upon the house. On hearing of the approach of the bears, Hobson at once ordered the window of the passage to be barricaded inside ; it was the only unprotected opening in the house, and when it was secured it appeared impossible for the bears to effect an entrance. The window was, therefore, quickly closed up with bars, which the carpenter Mac-Nab wedged firmly in, leaving a narrow slit through which to watch the movements of the unwelcome visitors. " Now," observed the head carpenter, " these gentlemen can't get in without our permission, and we have time to hold a council of war." " Well, Lieutenant," exclaimed Mrs Barnett, " nothing has been wanting to our northern winter ! After the cold come the bears." "Not after," replied the Lieutenant, "but, which is a serious matter, vrith the cold, and a cold so intense that we cannot venture THE FUR COUNTRY. outside ! I really don't know how we shall get ri-1 of these tiresome brutes." "I suppose they will soon get tired of prowling about," said the lady, " and return as they came." Hobson shook his head as if he had his doubts. " You don't know these animals, madam. They are famished with hunger, and will not go until we make them 1 '' " Are you anxious, then ? " " Yes and no," replied the Lieutenant. " I don't think the bears will get in ; but neither do I see how we can get out, should it become necessary for us to do so." . With these words Hobson turned to tho window, and Mrs Barnett joined the other women, who had gathered round the Sergeant, and were listening to what he had to say about the bears. He spoke like a man well up in his subject, for he had had many an encounter with these formidable carnivorous creatures, which- are often met with even towards the south, where, however, they can be safely attacked, whilst here the siege would be a regular blockade, for the cold would quite prevent any attempt at a sortie. Throughout the whole day the movements of the bears were attentively watched. Every now and then one of them would lay his great head against the window-pane and an ominous growl was heard. The Lieutenant and the Sergeant took council together, and it was agreed that if their enemies showed no sign of beating a retreat, they would drill a few loopholes in the walls of the house, and fire at them. But it was decided to put off this desperate measure for a day or two, as it was desirable to avoid giving access to the outer air, the inside temperature being already far too low. The walrus- oil to be burnt was frozen so hard that it had to be broken up with hatchets. The day passed without any incident. The bears went and came, prowling round the house, but attempting no direct attack. Watch was kept all night, and at four o'clock in the morning they seemed to have left the court at any rate, they were nowhere to be seen. But about seven o'clock Marbre went up to the loft to fetch gome provisions, and on his return announced that tho bears were walking about the roof. Hobson, the Sergeant, Mac-Nab, and two or three soldiers seized their arms, and rushed to the ladder in the passage, which com- municated with the loft by a trap-door. The cold was, however, su THE LARGE POLAR BEARS. 143 intense in the loft that the men could not hold the barrels of their guns, and their breath froze as it left their lips and floated about them as snow. Marbre was right ; the bears were all on the roof, and the sound of their feet and their growls could be distinctly heard. Their great claws caught in the laths of the roof beneath the ice, and there was some danger that they might have sufficient strength to tea? way the woodwork. The Lieutenant and his men, becoming giddy and faint from the intense cold, were soon obliged to go down, and Hobson announced the state of affairs in as hopeful a tone as he could assume. " The bears," he said, " are now upon the roof. We ourselves have nothing to fear, as they can't get into our rooms j but they may force an entrance to the loft, and devour the furs stowed away there. Now these furs belong to the Company, and it is our duty to preserve them from injury. I ask you then, my friends, to aid me in removing them to a place of safety." All eagerly volunteered, and relieving each other in parties of two or three, for none could have supported the intense severity of the cold for long at a time, they managed to carry all the furs into the large room in about an hour. Whilst the work was proceeding, the bears continued their efforts to get in, and tried to lift up the rafters of bhe roof. In some places the laths became broken by their weight, and poor Mac-Nab was in despair; he had not reckoned upon such a contingency when he constructed the roof, and expected to see it give way every moment. The day passed, however, without any change in the situation. The bears did not get in ; but a no less formidable enemy, the cold, gradually penetrated into every room. The fires in the stoves burnt low ; the fuel in reserve was almost exhausted ; and before twelve o'clock, the last piece of wood would be burnt, and the genial warmth of the stove would no longer cheer the unhappy colo- nists. Death would then await them death in its most fearful form, from cold. The poor creatures, huddled together round the stove, felt that their own vital heat must soon become exhausted, but not a word of complaint passed their lips. The women bore their sufferings with the greatest heroism, and Mrs Mac-Nab pressed her baby convulsively to her ice-cold breast. Some of the soldiers 144 THR FUR COUNTRY. slept, or rather were wrapped in a heavy torpor, which could scarcely be called sleep. At three o'clock in the morning, Hobson consulted the thermo- meter hanging in the large room, about ten feet from the stove. It marked 4 Fahrenheit below zero. The Lieutenant pressed his hand to his forehead, and looked mournfully at his silent companions without a word. His half-con- densed breath shrouded his face in a white cloud, and he was stand- ing rooted to the spot when a hand was laid upon his shoulder. He started, and looked round to see Mrs Barnett beside him. " Something must be done, Lieutenant Hobson ! " exclaimed the energetic woman ; " we cannot die like this without an effort to save ourselves ! " "Yes," replied the Lieutenant, feeling revived by the moral courage of his companion " yes, something must be done ! " and he called together Long, Mac-Nab, and Rae the blacksmith, as the bravest men in his party. All, together with Mrs Barnett, hastened to the window, and having washed the panes with boiling water, they consulted the thermometer outside. " Seventy-two degrees ! " cried Hobson. " My friends, two courses only are open to us, we can risk our lives to get a fresh supply of fuel, or we can burn the benches, beds, partition walls, and every- thing in the house to feed our stoves for a few days longer. A desperate alternative, for the cold may last for some time yet j there is no sign of a change in the weather.* " Let us risk our lives to get fuel I " said Sergeant Long. All agreed that it would be the best course, and without another word each one set to work to prepare for the emergency. The following were the precautions taken to save the lives of those who were about to risk themselves for the sake of the general good : The shed in which the wood was stored was about fifty steps on the left, behind the principal house. It was decided that one of the men should try and run to the shed. Ho was to take one rope wound round his body, and to carry another in his hand, one end of which was to be held by one of his comrades. Once at the shed, he was to load one of the sledges there with fuel, and tie one rope to the front, and the other to the back of the vehicle, so that it could be dragged backwards and forwards between the house and the shed without much danger. A tug violently shaking one or th THE LARGE POLAR BEARS. 145 other cord would be the signal that the sledge was filled with fuel at the shed, or unloaded at the house. A very clever plan, certainly ; but two things might defeat it. The door of the shed might be so blocked up with ice that it would be very difficult to open it, or the bears might come down from the roof and prowl about the court. Two risks to be run ! LoTig, Mac-Nab, and Rae, all three volunteered for the perilous service ; but the Sergeant reminded the other two that they were married, and insisted upon being the first to venture. When the Lieutenant expressed a wish to go himself, Mrs Barnett aid earnestly, " You are our chief ; you have no right to expos( yourself. Let Sergeant Long go." Hobson could not but realise that his office imposed caution, and being called upon to decide which of his companions should go, ha chose the Sergeant. Mrs Barnett pressed the brave man's hand with ill-concealed emotion ; and the rest of the colonists, asleep or stupefied, knew nothing of the attempt about to be made to save their lives. Two long ropes were got ready. The Sergeant wound one round his body above the warm furs, worth some thousand pounds sterling in which he was encased, and tied the other to his belt, on which h hung a tinder-box and a loaded revolver. Just before starting h swallowed down half a glass of rum, as he said, " to insure a good load of wood." Hobson, Rae, and Mac-Nab accompanied the brave fellow through the kitchen, where the fire had just gone out, and into the passage. Rae climbed up to the trap-door of the loft, and peeping through it, made sure that the bears were still on the roof. The moment for action had arrived. One door of the passage was open, and in spite of the thick furs In which they were wrapped, all felt chilled to the very marrow of their bones ; and when the second door was pushed open, they re- coiled for an instant, panting for breath, whilst the moisture held In suspension in the air of the passage covered the walls and th< floor with fine snow. The weather outside was extremely dry, and the stars shone with extraordinary brilliancy. Sergeant Long rushed out without a moment's hesitation, dragging the cord behind him, one end of which was held by his companions ; the outer door was pushed to, and Hobson, Mac-Nab, and Rae went back to the passage and closed K 146 THE FUR COUNTRY. the second door, behind which they waited. If Long did not return in a few minutes, they might conclude that his enterprise had succeeded, and that, safe in the shed, he was loading the first train with fuel Ten minutes at the most ought to suffice for this opera- tion, if he had been able to get the door open. When the Sergeant was fairly off, Hobson and Mac-Nab walked together towards the end of the passage. Meanwhile Rae had been watching the boars and the loft. It was BO dark that all hoped Long's movements would escape the notice of the hungry animals. Ten minutes elapsed, and the three watchers went back to the narrow space between the two doors, waiting for the signal to be given to drag in the sledge. Five minutes more. The cord remained motionless in their hands ! Their anxiety can be imagined. It was a quarter of an hour since the Sergeant had started, plenty of time for all he had to do, and he had given no signal Hobson waited a few minutes longer, and then tightening his hold of the end of the rope, he made a sign to his companions to pull with him. If the load of wood were not quite ready, the Sergeant could easily stop it from being dragged away. The rope was pulled vigorously. A heavy object seemed to slide along the snow. In a few moments it reached the outer door. It was the body of the Sergeant, with the rope round his waist. Poor Long had never reached the shed. He had fallen fainting to the ground, and after twenty minutes' exposure to such a tempera- ture there was little hope that he would revive. A cry of grief and despair burst from the lips of Mac-Nab and Rae. They lifted their unhappy comrade from the ground, and carried him into the passage ; but as the Lieutenant was closing the outer door, something pushed violently against it, and a horrible growl was heard. "Help! "cried Hobson. Mac-Nab and Rae rushed to their officer's assistance ; but Mm Barnett had been beforehand with them, and was struggling with all her strength to help Hobson to close the door. In vain j the monstrous brute, throwing the whole weight of its body against it, would force its way into the passage in another moment. Mrs Barnett, whose presence of mind did not forsake her now, eked one of *** pistols in the Lieutenant's belt, and waiting quietly THE LARGE POLAR BEARS. 147 until the animal shoved its head between the door and the wall, discharged the contents into its open mouth. The bear fell backwards, mortally wounded no doubt, and the door was shut and securely fastened. The body of the Sergeant was then carried into the large room. Bat, alas ! the fire was dying out. How was it possible to restore he vital heat with no means of obtaining warmth ? " I will go I will go and fetch some wood I " cried the blacksmith Eae. " Yes, Rae, we will go together I n exclaimed Mrs Barnett, whose courage was unabated. " No, my friends, no ! " cried Hobson ; " you would fall victims to the cold, or the bears, or both. Let us burn all there is to burn in the house, and leave the rest to God ! " And the poor half-frozen settlers rose and laid about them with their hatchets like madmen. Benches, tables, and partition walls were thrown down, broken up, crushed to pieces, and piled up in the stove of the large room and kitchen furnace. Very soon good fires were burning, on which a few drops of walrus-oil were poured, so that the temperature of the rooms quickly rose a dozen degrees. Every effort was made to restore the Sergeant. He was rubbed with warm rum, and gradually the circulation of his blood was restored. The white blotches with which parts of his body were covered began to disappear ; but he had suffered dreadfully, and several hours elapsed before he could articulate a word. He was laid in a warm bed, and Mrs Barnett and Madge watched by him until the next morning. Meanwhile Hobson, Mac-Nab, and Rae consulted how best to escape from their terrible situation. It was impossible to shut their yes to the fact that in two days this fresh supply of fuel would be exhausted, and then, if the cold continued, vhat would become of them all ? The new moon had risen forty-eight hours ago, and there was no sign of a change in the weather 1 The north wind still swept the face of the country with its icy breath ; the barometer remained at " fine dry weather ; " and there was not a vapour to be seen above the endless succession of ice-fields. There was reason to fear that the intense cold would last a long time yet, but what waa to be done 1 Would it do to try once more to get to the wood- shed, when the bears had been roused by the shot, and rendered doubly dangerous 1 Would it be possible to attack these dreadful creatures 148 THE FUR COUNTRY. in the open air f No, it would be madness, and certain death foi all! Fortunately the temperature of the rooms had now become mor bearable, and in the morning Mrs Joliffe served up a breakfast of hot meat and tea. Hot grog was served out, and the brave Ser- geant was able to take his share. The heat from the stoves warmed the bodies and reanimated the drooping courage of the poor colonists, who were now ready to attack the bears at a word from H.obson. But the Lieutenant, thinking the forces unequally matched, would not risk the attempt ; and it appeared likely that the day would pass without any incident worthy of note, when at about three o'clock in the afternoon a great noise was heard on the top of the house. " There they are ! " cried two or three soldiers, hastily arming themselves with hatchets and pistols. It was evident that the bears had torn away one of the rafters of the roof, and got into the loft. " Let every one remain where he is! ** cried the Lieutenant. " Rae, the trap!" The blacksmith rushed into the passage, scaled the ladder, and shut and securely fastened the trap-door. A dreadful noise was now heard growling, stamping of feet, and tearing of claws. It was doubtful whether the danger of the anxious listeners was increased, or the reverse. Some were of opinion that if all the bears were in the loft, it would be easier to attack them. They would be less formidable in a narrow space, and there would not be the same risk of suffocation from cold. Of course a conflict with such fierce creatures must still be very perilous, but it no longei appeared so desperate as before. It was now debated whether it would be better to go and attack the besiegers, or to remain on the defensive. Only one soldier could get through the narrow trap-door at a time, and this made Hobson hesitate, and finally resolve to wait The Sergeant and others, whose bravery none could doubt, agreed that he was in the right, and it might be possible that some new incident would occur to modify the situation. It was almost impossible for the bears to break through the beams of the ceiling, as they had the rafters of the roof, so that there was little fear that they would get on to the ground-floor. The day passed by in anxious expectation, and at night no on could alep for the uproar made by the furious beasts. THE LARGE POLAR BEARS. 149 Tb* nert day, about nine o'clock, a fresh complication compelled Hobsoi: to take active steps. He knew that the pipes of the stove and kitchen furnace ran all along the loft, and being made of lime-bricks but imperfectly cemented together, they could not resist great pressure for any length of time. Now some of the bears scratched at the masonry, whilst others leant against the pipes for the sake of the warmth from the stove ; so that the bricks began to give way, and soon the stoves and furnace ceased to draw. This really was an irreparable misfortune, which would have dis- heartened less energetic men. But things were not yet at their worst. Whilst the fire became lower and lower, a thick, nauseous, acrid smoke filled the house ; the pipes were broken, and the smoke soon became so thick that the lamps went out. Hobson now saw that he must leave the house if he wished to escape suffocation, but to leave the house would be to perish with cold. At this fresh misfor- tune some of the women screamed ; and Hobson, seizing a hatchet, houted in a loud voice " To the bears ! to the bears, my friends ! " It was the forlorn-hope. These terrible creatures must be destroyed. All rushed into the passage and made for the ladder, Hobson leading the way. The trap-door was opened, and a few shots were fired into the black whirlpool of smoke. Mingled howls and screams were heard, and blood began to flow on both sides ; but the fearful conflict was waged in profound darkness. In the midst of the melee a terrible rumbling sound suddenly drowned the tumult, the ground became violently agitated, and the house rocked as if it were being torn up from its foundations. The beams of the walls separated, and through the openings Hobson and his companions saw the terrified bears rushing away into the dark* fcow'Jng with rage and fright. CHAPTER XXIL FIVE MONTHS MORE. VIOLENT earthquake had shaken Capo Bathurst. Su!i *' convulsions were probably frequent in this volcanic region, and the connection between them and eruptions was onca more demonstrated. Hobson well understood the significance of what had occurred, and waited in anxious suspense. He knew that the earth might open and swallow up the little colony ; but only one shock was felt, and that was ratbar a rebound than a vertical upheaval, which made the house lean over towards the lake, and burst open its walls. Immediately after this one shock, the ground again became firm and motionless. The house, although damaged, was still habitable ; the breaches in the walls were quickly repaired, and the pipes of the chimneys were patched together again somehow. Fortunately the wounds the soldiers had received in their struggle with the bears were slight, and merely required dressing. Two miserable days ensued, during which the woodwork of the beds and the planks of the partition walls were burnt, and the moat pressing repairs executed by Mac-Nab and his men. The piles, well driven into the earth, had not yielded ; but it was evident that the earthquake had caused a sinking of the level of the coast on which the fort was built, which might seriously compromise the safety of the building. Hobson was most anxious to ascertain the extent of the alteration of elevation, but the pitiless cold prevented him from venturing outside. But at last there were symptoms of an approaching change in the wtather. The stare shone with rather less brilliancy, and on tha llth January the barometer fell slightly ; hazy vapours floated in the nir, the condensation of which would raise the temperature ; and on the 12th January tha wind veered to the outh-weat, and snow fell at irregular interval*. PIVR MONTHS MORE. The thermometer outside suddenly rose to 15 above zero, and fee the frozen colonists it was like the beginning of spring. At eleven o'clock the same morning all were out of doors. They were liice a band of captives unexpectedly set free. They were, however, absolutely forbidden to go beyond the enceinte of the fort, in case cf awkward meetings. The sun had not yet reappeared above the horizon, but it approached it nearly enough to produce a long twilight, during which objects could be distinctly seen to a distance of two miles ; and Hobson's first thought was to ascertain what difference the earthquake had produced in the appearance of the surrounding districts. Certain changes had been effected. The crest of the promontory of Cape Bathurst had been broken off, and large pieces of the clifl had been flung upon the beach. The whole mass of the capo seemed to have been bent towards the lake, altering the elevation of the plateau on which the fort was built. The soil on the west appeared to have been depressed, whilst that on the east had been elevated. One of the results of this change of level would unfor- tunately be, that when the thaw set in, the waters of the lake and of Paulina river, in obedience to the law requiring liquids to main- tain their level, would inundate a portion of the western coast. The stream would probably scoop out another bed, and the natural harbour at its mouth would be destroyed. The hills on the eastern bank seemed to be considerably depressed, but the cliffs on the west were too far off for any accurate observations to be made. The important alteration produced by the earthquake may, in fact, be summed up in a very few words : the horizontal character of the ground was replaced by a slope from east to west. "Well, Lieutenant," said Mrs Barnett, laughing, "you were good enough to give my name to the port and river, and now there will be neither Paulina river nor Port Burnett. I must say I have been hardly used." " Well, madam," replied Hobson, " although the river is gone, the lake remains, and we will call it Lake Barnett. I hope that it at least will remain true to you." Mr and Mrs Joliffe, on leaving the hoxise, had hurried, one to the doghouse, the other to the reindeer-stable. The dogs had not tailored much from their long confinement, and rushed into the THE FUR COUNTRY. court barking with delight. One reindeer had died, but the others, though thin, appeared to be in good health. " Well, madam," said the Lieutenant, " we have got through out troubles better than we could have expected." " I never despaired," replied the lady. " The miseries of an Arctic winter would not conquer men like you and your com- panions.** " To own the truth, madam," replied Hobson, " I never experi- enced such intense cold before, in all the years I have spent in tht north ; and if it had lasted many days longer we should all have been lost. " The earthquake came in the nick of time then, not only to drive away the bears, but also to modify the extremity of the cold 1 " " Perhaps BO, madam. All natural phenomena influence each other to a certain extent. But the volcanic structure of the soil makes me rather uneasy. I cannot but regret the close vicinity of this active volcano. If the lava from it cannot reach us, the earthquakes connected with it can. Just look at our house now ! " " Oh, all that can be put right when the fine weather comes, and you will make it all the stronger for the painful experience you have gained." " Of course we shall, but meanwhile I am afraid you won't find it very comfortable." " Are you speaking to me, Lieutenant t to an old traveller like me 1 I shall imagine myself one of the crew of a small vessel, and now that it does not pitch and toss, I shall have no fear of being sea-sick." " What you say does not surprise me," replied Hobson j " we all know your grandeur of character, your moral courage and imper- turbable good temper. You have done much to help us all to bear our troubles, and I thank you in my own name and that of my men." " You flatter me, Lieutenant ; you flatter me." " No, no j I only say wli.it every one thinks. But may I ask yon one question. You knosv that next June, Captain Craventy is to send us a convoy with provisions, which will take back our furs tc Fort Reliance. I suppose our friend Thomas Black, after having eceu hia eclipse, will return with the Captain's men. Do you mean to accompany him t " PI VB MON THS AfOSJt. 153 " Do you mean to send me back I * asked the lady with a mile. " O madam ! " " Well, my superior officer," replied Mre Barnett, extending her hand to the Lieutenant, " I shall ask you to allow me to spend another winter at Fort Hope. Next year one of the Company's ships will probably anchor off Cape Bathurst, and I shall return in it Having come overland, I should like to go back by Behring Strait." The Lieutenant was delighted with his companion's decision. The two had become sincerely attached to each other, and had many tastes and qualities in common. The hour of separation could not fail to be painful to both ; and who could tell what further trials awaited 'the colonists, in which their combined influence might sustain the courage of the rest ? On the 20th January the sun at last reappeared, and the Polar night was at an end. It only remained above the horizon for a few minutes, and was greeted with joyous hurrahs by the settlers. From this date the days gradually increased in length. Throughout the month of February, and until the 15th March, there were abrupt transitions from fine to bad weather. The fine days were so cold that the hunters could not go out ; and in the bad weather snowstorms kept them in. It was only between whiles that any outdoor work could be done ; and long excursions were out of the question. There was no necessity for them, however, as the traps were in full activity. In the latter end of the winter, martens, foxes, ermines, wolverines, and other valuable animals were taken in large numbers, and the trappers had plenty to do. In March an excursion was ventured on as far as Walruses' Bay and it was noticed that the earthquake had considerably altered the form of the cliffs, which were much depressed ; whilst the igneoua hills beyond, with their summits wrapped in mist, seemed to look larger and more threatening than ever. About the 20th March the hunters sighted the first swans migrat ing from the south, and uttering shrill cries as they flew. A few BIIOW buntings and winter hawks were also seen. But the ground was still covered with thick layers of frozen snow, and the sun was powerless to melt the hard surface of the lake and sea. The breaking up of the frost did not commence until early in April. The ice burst with a noise like the discharge of artillery, 154 THE FUR COUNTRY. Sudden changes took place in the appearance of the icebergs : broken by collisions, undermined by the action of the water once more set free, huge masses rolled over with an awful crash, in con- sequence of the displacement of their centre of gravity, causing fractures and fissures in the ice-fields which greatly accelerated their breaking up. At this time the mean temperature was 32* above zero, so that the upper layer of ice on the beach rapidly dissolved, wbik* the chain of icebergs, drifted along by the currents of the Pol at Sea, gradually drew back and became lost in the fogs on tha horizon. On the 15th April the sea was open, and a vessel from the Pacific Ocean coming through Behring Strait, could certainly have skirted along the American coast, and have anchored off Cape Bathurst. Whilst the ice was disappearing from the ocean, Lake Barnett was also laying aside its slippery armour, much to the delight of the thousands of ducks and other water-fowl which began to teem upon its banks. As Hobson had foreseen, however, the level of the lake was affected by the slope of the soil. That part of the beach which stretched away from the enceinte of the fort, and was bounded on the east by wooded hills, had increased considerably in extent ; and Hobson estimated that the waters of the lake had receded five hundred paces on the eastern bank. As a natural con- sequence, the water on the western side had risen, and if not held back by some natural barrier, would inundate the country. On the whole, it was fortunate that the slope was from east to west ; for had it been from west to east, the factory must have been submerged. The little rirer dried up as soon as the thaw set free its waters. It might almost be said to have run back to its source, so abrup was the slope of its bed from north to south. "We have now to erase a river from the map of the Arctic regions," observed Hobson to his Sergeant. " It would have been embarrassing if we had been dependent on the truant for drinkable water. Fortunately we have still Lake Barnett, and I don't suppose our thirsty men will drain it quite dry." "Yes, we've got the lake," replied the Sergeant; "but do you think its waters have remained sweet ? " Hobson started and looked at his subordinate with knitted brows. It had not occurred to him that a fissure in the ground might have Fl VE MONTHS MOSS. 155 established a communication between the lake and the sea ! Should It be so, ruin must ensue, and the factory would inevitably h*vo to be abandoned after all. The Lieutenant and Hobson rushed to the lake and found their (oars groundless. Its waters were still sweet. Early in May the snow had disappeared in several places, and a ecanty vegetation clothed the soil. Tiny mosses and slender grasses timidly pushed up their stems above the ground, and the sorrel and eochlearia seeds which Mrs Joliffe had planted began tc sprout. The carpet of snow had protected them through the bitter winter ; but they had still to be saved from the beaks of birds and the teeth of rodents. This arduous and important task was confided to the worthy Corporal, who acquitted himself of it with the zeal and devotion of a scarecrow in a kitchen-garden. The long days had now returned, and hunting was resumed. Hobson was anxious to have a good stock of furs for the agents from Fort Reliance to take charge of when they arrived, as they would do in a few weeks. Marbre, Sabine, and the others, therefore, commenced the campaign. Their excursions were neither long nor fatiguing : they never went further than two miles from Cape Bathurst, for they had never before been in a district so well stocked with game ; and they were both surprised and delighted. Martens, reindeer, hares, caribous, foxes, and ermines passed close to their guns. One thing, however, excited some regret in the minds of the colonists, not a trace was to be seen of their old enemies the bears ; and it seemed as if they had taken all their relations with them. Perhaps the earthquake had frightened them away, for they have a very delicate nervous organisation, if such an expression can be applied to a mere quadruped. It was a pity they were gone, for vengeance could not be wreaked upon them. The month of May was very wet. Rain and snow succeeded each other. The mean temperature was only 41" above zero. Fogs were of frequent occurrence, and so thick that it would often have been imprudent to go any distance from the fort. Petersen and Kellet once caused their companions grave anxiety by disappearing for forty-eight hours. They had lost their way, and turned to the south when they thought they were near to Walruses' Bay. They came back exhausted and half dead with hunger. June came at last, and with it really fine warm weather. The 156 THX F UR COUNT R Y. colonists were able to leave off their winter clothing. They worked zealously at repairing the house, the foundations of which had to be propped up ; and Hobson also ordered the construction of a large magazine at the southern corner of the court. The quantity of game justified the expenditure of time and labour involved : the number of furs collected was already considerable, and it was necessary to have some place set aside injwhich to keep them. The Lieutenant now expected every day the arrival of the detachment to be sent by Captain Craventy. A good many thing* were still required for the new settlement. The stores were getting low ; and if the party had left the fort in the beginning of May, they ought to reach Cape Bathurst towards the middle of June. It will be remembered that the Captain and his Lieutenant had fixed upon the cape as the spot of rendezvous, and Hobson having constructed his fort on it, there was no fear of the reinforcements failing to find him. From the 15th June the districts surrounding the cape were carefully watched. The British flag waved from the summit of the cliff, and could be seen at a considerable distance. It was probable that the convoy would follow the Lieutenant's example, and skirt along the coast from Coronation Gulf. If not exactly the shortest, it was the surest route, at a time when, the sea being free from ice, the coast-line could be easily followed. When the month of June passed without the arrival of the expected party, Hobson began to feel rather uneasy, especially as the country again became wrapped in fogs. He began to fear that the agents might lose their way, and often talked the matter over with Mrs Barnett, Mac-Nab, and Rae. Thomas Black made no attempt to conceal his uneasiness, fur ha was anxious to return with the party from Fort Reliance as soon ai he had seen his eclipse ; and should anything keep them back from coming, he would have to resign himself to another winter, a prospect which did not please him at all ; and in reply to his eager questions, Hobson could say little to reassure him. The 4th July dawned. No news ! Some men sent to the south- east to reconnoitre, returned, bringing no tidings. Either the agents had never started, or they had lost their way. The latter hypothesis was unfortunately the more probable. Hobson knew Captain Craventy, and felt confident that he had sent off the convoy at the time named. P1VB MONTHS MORB. His increasing anxiety will therefore be readily understood. The fine season was rapidly passing away. Another two months and the Arctic winter, with its bitter winds, its whirlpools of snow, and its long nights, would again set in. Hobson, as we well know, was not a man to yield to misfortune without a struggle. Something must be done, and with the ready concurrence of the astronomer the following plan was decided on. It was now the 5th July. In another fortnight July 18th the eolar eclipse was to take place, and after that Thomas Black would be free to leave Fort Hope. It was therefore agreed that if by that time the agents had not arrived, a convoy of a few men and four or five sledges should leave the factory, and make for the Great Slave Lake, taking with them some of the most valuable furs ; and if no accident befell them, they might hope to arrive at Fort Reli- ance in six weeks at the latest that is to say, towards the end cf August. This matter settled, Thomas Black shrank back into his shell, and became once more the man of one idea, awaiting the moment when the moon, passing between the orb of day and "himself," totally eclipse the disc of the san. CHAPTER THS ECLIPSE OP THE l*TH JULY I860. mists did not disperse. The sun shone feebly through thick curtains of fog, and the astronomer began to have a great dread lest the eclipse should not be visible after all. Sometimes the fog was so dense that the summit of the cape could lot be seen from the court of the fort. Hobson got more and more uneasy. He had no longer any doubt that the convoy had gone astray in the strange land ; moreover, vague apprehensions and sad forebodings increased his depression. He could not look into the future with any confidence why, he would have found it impossible to explain. Everything apparently combined to reassure him. In spite of the great rigour of the winter, his little colony was in excellent health. No quarrels had arisen amongst the colonists, and their zeal and enthusiasm was still unabated. The surrounding districts were well stocked with game, the harvest of furs had surpassed his expectations, and the Company might well be satisfied with the result of the enterprise. Even if no fresh supply of provisions arrived, the resources of the country wera euch that the prospect of a second winter need awake no misgivings. Why, then, was Lieutenant Hobson losing hope and confidence ? He and Mrs Barnett had many a talk on the subject ; and the latter did all she could to raise the drooping spirits of the command- ing officer, urging upon him all the considerations enumerated above ; and one day walking with him along the beach, she pleaded the cause of Cape Bathuret and the factory, built at the cost of so much suffering, with more than usual eloquence. " Yes, yes, madam, you are right," replied Hobson ; " but w can't help our presentiments. I am no visionary. Twenty times in my soldier's life I have been in critical circumstances, and have never lost presence of mind for one instant ; and now for the first time in my life I am uneasy about the future. If I had to face a positive THE ECLIPSE. \ 59 danger, I should have no fear ; but a vague uncertain peril of which 1 have only a presentiment" " What danger do you mean ? " inquired Mrs Barnatt ; " a danger from men, from animals, or the elements?" " Of animals I have no dread whatever, madam ; it is for them to tremble before the hunters of Cape Bathurst, nor do I fear men ; tliese districts are frequented by none but Esquimaux, and the Indians seldom venture so far north." " Besides, Lieutenant," said Mrs Barnett, " the Canadians, whose wrival you so much feared in the fine season, have never appeared." " I am very sorry for it, madam." " What ! you regret the absence of the rivals who are BO evidently hostile to your Company ? " " Madam, I am both glad and sorry that they have not come ; that will of course puzzle you. But observe that the expected con- voy from Fort Reliance has not arrived. It is the same with the agents of the St Louis Fur Company j they might have come, and they have not done so. Not a single Esquimaux has visited this part of the coast during the summer either " "And what do you conclude from all this?" inquired Mrs Barnett. " I conclude that it is not so easy to get to Cape Bathurst or to Fort Hope as we could wish." The lady looked into the Lieutenant's anxious face, struck with the melancholy and significant intonation of the word easy. " Lieutenant Hobson," she said earnestly, " if you fear neither men nor animals, I must conclude that your anxiety haa reference to the elements." " Madam," he replied, " I do not know if my spirit be broken, or if my presentiments blind me, but there seems to me to be something uncanny about this district. If I had known it better I should not have settled down in it. I have already called your attention to certain peculiarities, which to me appear inexplicable ; the total absence of stones everywhere, and the clear-cut line of the coast. I can't make out about the primitive formation of this end of the continent. I know that the vicinity of a volcano may cause some phenomena ; but you remember what I said to you ou the subject of the tides ? " " Oh yes, perfectly." " Where the sea ought, according to the observations of explorer* I6O TUB FUR COUNTRY. in these latitudes, to hare risen fifteen or twenty feet, it has scarcely risen one ! " " Yes ; but that you accounted for by the irregular distribution of land and the narrowness of the straits." " I tried to account for it, that is all," replied Hobson ; " but the day before yesterday I noticed a still more extraordinary pheno- menon, which I cannot even try to explain, and I doubt if the greatest Kivants could do so either." Mrs Barnett looked inquiringly at Hobson. " What has happened? " she exclaimed. " Well, the day before yesterday, madam, when tie mean TTM full, and according to the almanac the tide ought to have been very high, the sea did not even rise one foot, as it did before it did not rise at all." " Perhaps you may be mistaken," observed Mrs Barnett. " I am not mistaken. I saw it with my own eyes. The day before yesterday, July 4th, there was positively no tide on the coast of Cape Bathurst." "And what do you conclude from thatt" inquired Mrs Barnett. " I conclude, madam," replied the Lieutenant, " either that the laws of nature are changed, or that this district is very peculiarly situated ... or rather ... I conclude nothing ... I explain nothing ... I am puzzled ... I do not understand it ; and therefore . . . therefore I am anxious." Mrs Barnett asked no more questions. Evidently the total absence of tides was as unnatural and inexplicable as would be the absence of the sun from the meridian at noon. Unless the earthquake had so modified the conformation of the coast of the Arctic regions as to account for it but no, such an idea could not be entertained by any one accustomed to note terrestrial pheno- mena. As for supposing that the Lieutenant could be mistaken in his observations, that was impossible ; and that very day he and Mrs Barnett, by means of beach-marks made on the beach, ascertained beyond all doubt that whereas a year before the sea rose a foot, there was now no tide whatever. The matter was kept a profound secret, as Hobson was unwilling to render his companions anxious. But he might often be seen tUnding motionless and silent upon tiie summit of the cape, gazing THE ECLIPSE. l6l across the sea, which was now open, and stretched away as far aa the eye could reach. During the month of July hunting the furred animals was dis- continued, as the martens, foxes, and others had already lost their winter beauty. No game was brought down but that required for food, such as caribous, Polar hares, &c., which, strange to aay, instead of being scared away by the guns, continued to multiply near the fort. Mrs Barnett did not fail to note this peculiar, and, *s the event proved, significant fact. No change had taken place in the situation on the 15th July. No news from Fort Reliance. The expected convoy did not arrive, and Hobson resolved to execute his project of sending to Captain Craventy, as Captain Craventy did not come to him. Of course none but Sergeant Long could be appointed to the command of the little troop, although the faithful fellow would rather not have been separated from his Lieutenant. A considerable time must necessarily elapse before he could get back to Fort Hope. He would have to pass the winter at Fort Reliance, and return the next summer. Eight mouths at least ! It is true either Mac-Nab or Rae could have taken the Sergeant's place ; but then they were married, and the one being a master carpenter, and the other the only blacksmith, the colonists could not well haye dispensed with their services. Such were the grounds on which the Lieutenant chose Long, and the Sergeant submitted with military obedience. The four soldiers elected to accompany him were Belcher, Pond, Petersen, and Kellet, who declared their readiness to start. Four sledges and their teams of dogs were told off for the service. They were to take a good stock of provisions, and the most valuable of the furs. Foxes, ermines, martens, swans, lynxes, musk-rats, gluttons, or PAM L PART II. CONTENTS. PART II. CHAP. PAGB I. A FLOATING FORT, . . . , . . a 169 II. WHERE AKE WE? ..... 176 III. A TOUR OF THE ISLAND, . o . 183 IV. A NIGHT ENCAMPMENT, .. 191 V. FROM JULY 25TH TO AUGUST 20TH, . , . 199 VI. TEN DATS OF TEMPEST, . c 207 VII. A FIRE AND A CRT, . . . . .214 VIII. MRS PAULINA BARNETl'S EXCURSION, 223 ix. KALUMAH'S ADVENTURES, ...... 232 X. THE KAMTCHATKA CURRENT, . . . . . 239 XI. A COMMUNICATION FROM LIEUTENANT HOBSON, . . , 246 XII. A CHANCE TO BE TRIED, . . . . e , 253 XIII. ACROSS THE ICE-FIELD, ....*. 260 XIV. THE WINTER MONTHS, . 266 XV. A LAST EXPLORING EXPEDITION, ..... 273 XVI. THE BREAK-UP OF THE ICE, . . . . 282 XVII. THE AVALANCHE, ....... 289 XVIII. ALL AT WORK, .... 295 XIX. BEHRING SEA, ....,. 303 XX. IN THE OFFING, ....... 310 XXL THE ISLAND BECOMES AN ISLET, . . 315 XXII. THK FOUR FOLLOWING DATS, . . . 320 XXIII. ON A PIECE OF ICE, . 325 XXIV. CONCLUSION, ...,. , 333 CHAPTER L A FLOATING FORT. BO Fort Hope, founded by Lieutenant kobson on tha borders of the Polar Sea, had drifted ! Was the courageous agent of the Company to blame for this ? No ; any one might have been deceived as he had been. No human prevision could have foreseen such a calamity. He meant to build upon a rock, and he had not even built upon sand. The peninsula of Victoria, which the best maps of English America join to the American continent, had been torn suddenly away from it. This peninsula was in fact nothing but an immense piece of ice, five hundred square miles in extent, converted by successive deposits of sand and earth into apparently solid ground well clothed with vegetation. Connected with the mainland for thousands of cen- turies, the earthquake of the 8th of January had dragged it away from its moorings, and it was now a floating island, at the mercy of the winds and waves, and had been carried along the Arctic Ocean by powerful currents for the last three months ! Yes, Fort Hope was built upon ice ! Hobson at once under* stood the mysterious change in their latitude. The isthmus that is to say, the neck of land which connected the peninsula of Victoria with the mainland had been snapped in two by a sub- terranean convulsion connected with the eruption of the volcano some months before. As long as the northern winter continued, the frozen sea maintained things as they were ; but when the thaw came, when the ice fields, melted beneath the rays of the sun, and the huge icebergs, driven out into the offing, drew back to the farthest limits of the horizon when the sea at last became open, the whole peninsula drifted away, with its woods, its cliffs, its pro- montories, its inland lagoon, and its coast-line, under the influence of a current about which nothing was known. For months thii drifting had been going on unnoticed by the colonists, who even I/O THE FUR COUNTRY. when hunting did not go far from Fort Hope. Beach-marks, if they had been made, would have been useless ; for heavy mists obscured everything at a short distance, the ground remained apparently firm and motionless, and there was, in short, nothing to hint to the Lieutenant and his men that they had become islanders. The position of the new island with regard to the rising and setting of the sun was the same as before. Had the cardinal points changed their position, had the island turned round, the Lieutenant, the astronomer, or Mrs Barnett, would certainly have noticed and understood the change ; but in its course the island had thus far followed a parallel of latitude, and its motion, though rapid, had been imperceptible. Although Hobson had no doubt of the moral and physical courage and determination of his companions, he determined not to acquaint them with the truth. It would be time enough to tell them of their altered position when it had been thoroughly studied. Fortunately the good fellows, soldiers or workmen, took little notice of the astronomical observations, and not being able to see the consequences involved, they did not trouble themselves about the change of latitude just announced. The Lieutenant determined to conceal his anxiety, and seeing no remedy for the misfortune, mastered his emotion by a strong effort, and tried to console Thomas Black, who was lamenting his dis- appointment and tearing his hair. The astronomer had no doubt about the misfortune of which he was the victim. Not having, like the Lieutenant, noticed tha peculiarities of the district, he did not look beyond the one fact in which he was interested : on the day fixed, at the time named, the moon had not completely eclipsed the sun. And what could he conclude but that, to the disgrace of observatories, the almanacs were false, and that the long desired eclipse, his own eclipse, Thomas Black's, which he had come so far and through so many dangers to see, had not been " total " for this particular district under the seventieth parallel ! No, no, it was impossible to believe it; he could not face the terrible certainty, and he was overwhelmed with disappointment. He was soon to learn the truth, however. Meanwhile Hobson let his men imagine that the failure of the eclipse could only interest himself and the astronomer, and they returned to their ordinary occupations ; but as they were leaving^ Corporal Joliffe stopped suddenly and said, touching his cap A FLOATING FORT. u May I ask you one question, sir 1 " " Of course, Corporal ; say on," replied the Lieutenant, who won* dered what was coming. But Joliffe hesitated, and his little wife nudged his elbow. " Well, Lieutenant," resumed the Corporal, " it 's just about th teventieth degree of latitude if we are not where we thought we wero." The Lieutenant frowned. " Well,", he replied evasively, " we made a mistake in our reckon- ing, . . . our first observation was wrong ; . . . but what doea that concern you ? " " Please, sir, it 's because of the pay," replied Joliffe with a ecowl. "You know well enough that the Company promised us double pay." Hobson drew a sigh of relief. It will be remembered that the men had been promised higher pay if they succeeded in settling on or above the seventieth degree north latitude, and Joliffe, who always had an eye to the main chance, had looked upon the whole matter from a monetary point of view, and was afraid the bounty would be withheld. " You needn't be afraid," said Hobson with a smile ; " and you can tell your brave comrades that our mistake, which is really inexplicable, will not in the least prejudice your interests. We are not below, but above the seventieth parallel, and so you will get your double pay." " Thank you, sir, thank you," replied Joliffe with a beaming face. " It isn't that we think much about money, but that the money sticks to us." And with this sage remark the men drew off, little dreaming what a strange and fearful change had taken place in the position of the country. Sergeant Long was about to follow the others when Hobson topped him with the words " Remain here, Sergeant Long." The subordinate officer turned on his heel and waited for the Lieutenant to address him. All had now left the cape except Mrs Barnett, Madge, Thomas Black, and the two officers. Since the eclipse Mrs Barnett had not uttered a word. She looked inquiringly at Hobson, who tried to avoid meeting her eye*. THE FUR COUNTRY. The brave woman seemed rather surprised than uneasy, and it waa doubtful whether or no she understood the significance of what had occurred. Had the truth flashed upon her as it had upon the Lieutenant ? had she, like him, at once seen all the consequences involved ? However it may have been, she said not a word, but leant upon Madge, whose arm was round her mistress's waist The astronomer hurried to and fro, he could not keep still. Hi* hair was disordered ; he alternately wrung his hands and let them drop against his sides. Ejaculations of despair burst from his lips ; he shook his fist at the sun, and stared at it with distended eyes. Presently, however, he grew calmer ; he felt able to speak, and with crossed arms, flashing eyes, flushed face, and frowning brows, he strode up to the Lieutenant. " I have a score to settle with you ! " he cried. " Yes, with you, Lieutenant Hobson, agent of the Hudson's Bay Company 1 " The tone, the attitude, the words, were uncommonly like a challenge ; but Hobson felt so truly sorry for the poor man's dis- appointment that he could not take offence, and only looked at him quietly. "Mr Hobson," resumed Black with ill-concealed irritation, "will you be kind enough to inform me what all this means? Have you anything to do with this mystery ? If so, sir, you have struck at those higher than I, and you may come to repent it ! " " What do you mean, Mr Black ? " inquired Hobson calmly. "I mean, sir," resumed the astronomer, " that you were ordered to take your detachment to the seventieth parallel of lati- tude ! " " Or beyond it," said Hobson, " Beyond it, sir I " cried Black ; " what have I to do beyond it f To observe the total eclipse of the sun, I ought not to have crowed the limits included in the seventieth parallel ; I ought to have remained in that portion of English America, and here I am three degree! above it 1 '' " Well, Mr Black," replied Hobson, still quietly, " we were mis- taken, that is all 1 " " That is all 1 " screamed the astronomer, exasperated at the Lieu- tenant's calmness. . ' Let me remind you," resumed Hobson, " that if I was mistaken, you shared my error yes, you, Mr Black ; for on our arrival at A FLOATING FORT. Cape Bathuret we took the latitude of our position together, you with your instruments, I with mine. You cannot, then, make me responsible for a mistake you made yourself." At this reply the astronomer was taken aback, and in spite of his rage had not a word to say. What excuse was there for him I If any one was in fault, it was" he 1 And what would the scientific men of Europe think of him ? What would they say at the Green- wich Observatory of an astronomer so awkward as to make a mistake in taking latitude 1 Thomas Black make an error of two or three degrees in taking the altitude of the sun I and under what circum- stances ! When the result would be to make him lose the obser- vation of a total eclipse, under conditions which would not be reproduced for a very long time. Thomas Black was a dishonoured tavant I " But how ? " he exclaimed, again tearing his hair " how could I make such a mistake 1 Am I no longer fit to handle a sextant ? Can I not calculate an angle ? I am blind ! and if so, nothing remains for me to do, but to fling myself head foremost from this cape 1 " " Mr Black," said Hobson gravely, " do not reproach yourself you have made no mistake you have nothing to regret." "Then it 's only you!" " I am no more guilty than you are. Listen to me, I beg of you, and you too," he added, turning to Mrs Barnett, " and you, and you, Madge, and Sergeant Long, but keep what I tell you a profound secret. There is no need to frighten and dishearten our comrades." The four drew near to the Lieutenant without a word, but ther* was a tacit agreement to keep the secret about to be revealed to them. " My friends," said Hobson, " a year ago, on our arrival at Cape Bathurst, we took our bearings, and found that we were on the seventieth degree of latitude, and if we are now beyond that degree It is because Cape Bathurst has drifted 1 " " Drifted ! " cried Thomas Black. " TeU that to those who will believe it 1 When was a large cape known to drift before t " " It is true, though, Mr Black," replied Hobson gravely. " The whole of the peninsula of Victoria is nothing more than an island of ice. The earthquake separated it from the American continent, and now one of the great Arctic currents is bearing it along/ " Where t " asked Sergeant Long. ** Where it pleases Qod for it to go," replied the Lieutenant. THE FUR COUNTRY. For some time not another word was spoken. All involuntarily turned towards the south, where the broken isthmus was situated j but from their position they cooJd only see the sea horizon on the north. Had Cape Bathurst Iwjen situated a few hundred feet more above the level of the ocean, they would have been able at a glance to ascertain the limits of ibsiv island home. All were deeply EiO^ed at the sight of Fort Hope and all ita occupants borne away frcra all solid ground, and floating at the mercy of winds uod wates. " Then, Lieutenant," said Mrs Barnett at last, " all the strange phenomena you observed are now explained 1 " " Yes, madam," he replied, " everything is explained. The peninsula of Victoria, now an island, which we thought firm ground with an immovable foundation, is nothing more than a vast sheet of ice welded for centuries to the American continent. Gradually the wind has strewn it with earth and sand, and scattered over them the seeds from which have sprung the trees and mosses with which it is clothed. Rain-water filled the lagoon, and produced the little river ; vegetation transformed the appearance of the ground ; but beneath the lake, beneath the soil of earth and sand in a word, beneath our feet is a foundation of ice, which floats upon the water by reason of its being specifically lighter than it. Yes, it is a sheet of ice which bears us up, and is carrying us away ; and this is why we have not found a single flint or stone upon its surface ! This is why its shores are perpendicular, this is why we found ice ten feet below the surface when we dug the reindeer pit this, in short, is why the tide was not noticeable on the peninsula, which rose and sank with the ebb and flow of the waves I " " Everything is indeed explained," said Mrs Barnett, " and your presentiments did not deceive you ; but can you explain why the tides, which do not affect us at all now, were to a slight extent per* ceptible on our arrival ? " " Simply because, madam, on our arrival the peninsula was still connected by means of its flexible isthmus with the American continent. It offered a certain resistance to the current, and on its northern shores the tide rose two feet beyond low-water mark, instead of the twenty we reasonably expected. But from the moment when the earthquake broke the connecting link, from the moment when the peninsula became an island free from all control, it rose and sank with the ebb and flow of the tide; and, as we noticed together A BLOATING FORT. 17$ at fall moon a few days ago, no sensible difference was produced on our shores." In spite of his despair, Thomas Black listened attentively to Hob- sofi's explanations, and could not but see the reasonableness of his deductions ; but he was furious at such a rare, unexpected, and, as he aaid, "ridiculous" phenomenon occurring just so as to make him miss the eclipse, and he said not a word, but maintained a gloomy, ven haughty silence. " Poor Mr Black," said Mrs Barnett, " it must be owned that an astronomer was never more hardly used than you since the world began ! " " In any case, however," said Hobson, turning to her, " we have neither of us anything to reproach ourselves with. No one can find fault with us. Nature alone is to blame. The earthquake cut oS our communication with the mainland, and converted our peninsula into a floating island ; and this explains why the furred and other animals, imprisoned like ourselves, have become so numerous round the fort ! " " This, too, is why the rivals you so much dreaded have not visited us, Lieutenant ! " exclaimed Madge. " And this," added the Sergeant, " accounts for the non-arrival of the convoy sent to Cape Bathurst by Captain Craveuty ! " " And this is why," said Mrs Barnett, looking at the Lieutenant, "I must give up all hope of returning to Europe this year at least ! " The tone of voice in which the lady made this last remark showed that she resigned herself to her fate more readily than could have been expected. She seemed suddenly to have made up her mind to make the best of the situation, which would no doubt give her an opportunity of making a great many interesting observations. And after all, what good would grumbling have done 1 Recrimina- iions were worse than useless. They could not have altered their position, or have checked the course of the wandering island, and there was no means of reuniting it to a continent. No; God alone could decide the future of Fort Hope. They must bow to His will. CHAPTER IL WHERE ARE WE? T was necessary carefully to study the unexpected and novel *n\ situation in which the agents of the Company now found themselves, and Hobson did so with his chart before him. He could not ascertain the longitude of Victoria Island the ori- ginal name being retained until the next day, and the latitude had already been taken. For the longitude, the altitude of the sun must be ascertained before and after noon, and two hour anglea must be measured. At two o'clofik P.M. Hobson and Black took the height of the Bun above the horizon with the sextant, and they hoped to recom- mence the same operation the next morning towards ten o'clock A.M., BO as to be able to infer from the two altitudes obtained the exact point of the Arctic Ocean then occupied by their island. The party did notj however, at once return to the fort, but remained talking together for some little time on the promontory. Madge declared she was quite resigned, and evidently thought only of her mistress, at whom she could not look without emotion ; she could net bear to think of the sufferings and trials her " dear girl " might have to go through in the future. She was ready to lay down her life for " Paulina," but what good could that do now ? She knew, however, that Mrs Barnett was not a woman to sink under her misfortunes, and indeed at present there was really no need for any one to despair. There was no immediate danger to be dreaded, and a catastrophe might even yet be avoided. This Hobson carefully explained to his companions. Two dangers threatened the island floating along the coast of North America, only two. It would be drawn by the currents of the open sea to the high Polar latitudes, from which there is no return. WHERE ARE WE? 177 Or the current would take it to the south, perhaps through Behring Strait into the Pacific Ocean. In the former contingency, the colonists, shut in by ice and sur. rounded by impassable icebergs, would have no means of communi- cation with their fellow-creatures, and would die of cold and hunger in the solitudes of the north. In the latter contingency, Victoria Island, driven by the currents to the western waters of the Pacific, would gradually melt and go to pieces beneath the feet of its inhabitants. In either case death would await the Lieutenant and his com- panions, and the fort, erected at the cost of so much labour and suf- fering, would be destroyed. But it was scarcely probable that either of these events would happen. The season was already considerably advanced, and in less than three months the sea would again be rendered motionless by the icy hand of the Polar winter. The ocean would again be con- verted into an ice-field, and by means of sledges they might get to the nearest land the coast of Russian America if the island re- mained in the east, or the coast of Asia if it were driven to the west. " For," added Hobson, " we have absolutely no control over our floating island. Having no sail to hoist, as in a boat, we cannot guide it in the least. Where it takes us we must go." All that Hobson said was clear, concise, and to the point. There could be no doubt that the bitter cold of winter would solder Victoria Island to the vast ice-field, and it was highly probable that it would drift neither too far north nor too far south. To have to cross a few hundred miles of ice was no such terrible prospect for brave and resolute men accustomed to long excursions in the Arctic regions. It would be necessary, it was true, to abandon Fort Hope the object of so many hopes, and to lose the benefit of all their exertions, but what of that? The factory, built upon a shifting soil, could be of no further use to the Company. Sooner or later it would be swallowed up by the ocean, and what was the good of useless regrets ? It must, therefore, be deserted as soon as circumstances should permit. The only thing against the safety of the colonists was and the Lieutenant dwelt long on this point that during the eight or nine weeks which must elapse before the solidification of the Arctic Ocean, Victoria Island might be dragged too far north or south. 1/8 THE FUR COUNTRY. Arctic explorers had often told of pieces of ice being drifted aa immense distance without any possibility of stopping them. Everything then depended on the force and direction of the currents from the opening of Behring Strait ; and it would be necessary carefully to ascertain all that a chart of the Arctic Ocean could telL Hobson had such a chart, and invited all who were with him on the cape to come to his room and look at it ; but before going down to the fort he once more urged upon them the necessity of keeping their situation a secret. " It is not yet desperate," he said, " and it is therefore quita unnecessary to damp the spirits of our comrades, who will perhaps not be able to understand, as we do, all the chances in our favour." " Would it not be prudent to build a boat large enough to hold us all, and strong enough to carry us a few hundred miles over th* sea 1 " observed Mrs Barnett. " It would be prudent certainly," said Hobson, " and we will do it. I must think of some pretext for beginning the work at once, and give the necessary orders to the head carpenter. But taking to a boat can only be a forlorn hope when everything else has failed. We must try all we can to avoid being on the island when the ice breaks up, and we must make for the mainland as soon at* ever ih sea is frozen over." Hobson was right. It would take about three months to build a thirty or thirty-five ton vessel, and the sea would not be open when it was finished. It would be very dangerous to embark tho whole party when the ice was breaking up all round, z.nd he would be well out of his difficulties if he coald get across the ice to firm ground before the next thaw set in. This was why Uobson thought ft boat a forlorn hope, a desperate makeshift, and fcvary one agreed with him. Secrecy was once more promised, for it was felt that Hobson was the best judge of the matter, and a few minutes later the five conspirators were seated together in the large room of Fort Hope, which was then deserted, eagerly examining an excellent map of the oceanic and atmospheric currents of the Arctic Ocean, special atten- tion being naturally given to that part of the Polar Sea between Cape Bathurst and Behring Strait. Two principal currents divide the dangerous latitudes compre- hended between the Polar Circle and the imperfectly known zone, WHERE ARE WE f 179 called the North-West Passage since M'Clure's daring discovery at least only two have been hitherto noticed by marine surveyors. One is called the Kamtchatka Current. It takes its rise in the offing outside the peninsula of that name, follows the coast of Asia, and passes through Behring Strait, touching Cape East, a promon- tory of Siberia. After running due north for about six hundred miles from the strait, it turns suddenly to the east, pretty nearly following the same parallel as M'Clure's Passage, and probably doing much to keep that communication open for a few months in the warm season. The other current, called Behring Current, flows just the other way. After running from east to west at about a hundred miles at the most from the coast, it comes into collision, so to speak, with the Kajntchatka Current at the opening of the strait, and turning to the south approaches the shores of Russian America, crosses Behring Sea, and finally breaks on the kind of circular dam formed by the Aleutian Islands. Hobson's map gave a very exact aummary of tie most recent nautical observations, so that it could be relied on. The Lieutenant examined it carefully before speaking, and then pressing his hand to his head, as if oppressed by some sad presenti- ment, he observed "Let us hope that fate will not take us to remote northern latitudes. Our wandering island would run a risk of never return- ing." " Why, Lieutenant t " broke in Mrs Barnett. " Why, madam 1 " replied Hobson ; " look well at this part of the Arctic Ocean, and you will readily understand why. Two currents, both dangerous for us, run opposite ways. When they meet, the island must necessarily become stationary, and that at a great distance from any land. At that point it will have to remain for the winter, and when the next thaw sets in, it will either follow the Kamt- thatka Current tc the deserted regions of the north-west, or it will float down with the Behring Current to be swallowed up by the Pacific Ocean." " That will not happen, Lieutenant," said Madge in a tone of earnest conviction ; " God would never permit that." " I can't make out," said Mrs Barnett, " whereabouts in the Polar Sea we are at this moment \ for I see but one current from the offing of Cape Bathurst which bears directly to the north-wet. i8o THE FUR COUNTRY. and that is the dangerous Kamtchatka Current. Are you not afraid that it has us in its fatal embrace, and is carrying us with it to th shores of North Georgia 1 " 11 1 think not," replied Hobson, after a moment's reflection. 'Why not?" 1 Because it is a very rapid current, madam ; and if we had been following it for three months, we should have had some land in sight by this time, and there is none, absolutely none ! " " Where, then, do you suppose we are 1 " inquired Mrs Barnett. " Most likely between the Kamtchatka Current and the coast, perhaps in some vast eddy unmarked upon the map." " That cannot be, Lieutenant," replied Mrs Barnett, quickly. " Why not, madam, why not 1 " " Because if Victoria Island were in an eddy, it would have veered round to a certain extent, and pur position with regard to the cardinal points would have changed in the las. three months, which is certainly not the case." " You are right, madam, you are -quite right. The only explana- tion I can think of is, that there is some other current, not marked on our map. Oh, that to-morrow were here that I might find out our longitude ; really this uncertainty is terrible 1 " " To-morrow will come," observed Madge. There was nothing to do but to wait. The party therefore separated, all returning to their ordinary occupations. Sergeant Long informed his comrades that the departure for Fort Reliance, fixed for the next day, was put off. He gave as reasons that the season was too far advanced to get to the southern factory before the great cold set in, that the astronomer was anxious to complete hia meteorological observations, and would therefore submit to another winter in the north, that game was so plentiful provisions from Fort Reliance were not needed, (fee., &c. But about all these matters the brave fellows cared little. Lieutenant Hobson ordered his men to spare the furred animals in future, and only to kill edible game, so as to lay up fresh stores for the coming winter ; he also forbade them to go more than two miles from the fort, not wishing Marbre and Sabine to come suddenly upon a sea-horizon, where the isthmus connecting the peninsula of Victoria with the mainland was visible a few monthi before. The disappearance of the neck of laud would inevitably have betrayed Terytliing. WHERE ARE WB t l8l The day appeared endless to Lieutenant Hobson. Again and again he returned to Cape Bathurst either alone, or accompanied by Mrs Barnett. The latter, inured to danger, showed no fear ; she even joked the Lieutenant about his floating island being perhaps, after all, the proper conveyance for going to the North Pole. " With a favourable current might they not reach that hitherto inaccessible point of the globe ? " Lieutenant Ilobson shook his head as he listened to hia com- panion's fancy, and kept his eyes fixed upon the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of some land, no matter what, in the distance. But nc, sea and sky met in an absolutely unbroken circular line, confirm- ing Hobson's opinion that Victoria Island was drifting to the west rather than in any other direction. " Lieutenant," at last said Mrs Barnett, " don't you mean to make a tour of our island as soon as possible ? " " Yes, madam, of course ; as soon as I have taken our bearings, I mean to ascertain the form and extent of our dominions. It seems, Jiowever, that the fracture was made at the isthmus itself, so that the whole peninsula has become an island." "A strange destiny is ours, Lieutenant," said Mrs Barnett. " Others return from their travels to add new districts to geogra- phical maps, but we shall have to efface the supposed peninsula of Victoria I " The next day, July 18th, th ky was very clear, and at ten o'clock in the morning Hobson obtained a satisfactory altitude of the sun, and, comparing it with that of the observation of the day before, he ascertained exactly the longitude in which they were. The island was then in 157 37' longitude west from Greenwich. The latitude obtained the day before at noon almost immediately after the eclipse was, as we know, 73 7' 20" north. The spot was looked out on the map in the presence of Mrs Barnett and Sergeant Long. It was indeed a most anxious moment, and the following result was arrived at. The wandering island was moving in a westerly direction, bornt along by a current unmarked on the chart, and unknown to hydrographers, which was evidently carrying it towards Behring Strait. All the dangers foreseen by Hobson were then imminent, if Victoria Island did not again touch the mainland bfor th winter. 1 8l THE FUR CO UN TR Y. " But how far are we from the American continent 1 that b the Mtost important point just at present," said Mrs Barnett. Eobson took his compasses, and carefully measured the narrowest part of the sea between the coast and the seventieth parallel. " We are actually more than two hundred and fifty miles from Point Barrow, the northernmost extremity of Russian America," he replied. " We ought to know, then, how many miles the island has driftt'i since it left the mainland," said Sergeant Long. "Seven hundred miles at least," replied Hobson, after having again consulted the chart. " And at about what time do you suppose the drifting com- menced ? " " Most likely towards the end of April ; the ice-field broke up then, and the icebergs which escaped melting drew back to the north. We may, therefore, conclude that Victoria Island has* been moving along with the current parallel with the coast at an average rate of ten miles a day." " No very rapid pace after all ! " exclaimed Mrs Barnett. "Too fast, madam, when you think where we may be taken during the two months in which the sea will remain open in thia part of the Arctic Ocean." The three friends remained silent, and looked fixedly at the chart of the fearful Polar regions, towards which they were being irresistibly drawn, and which have hitherto successfully resisted all attempts to explore them. " There is, then, nothing to be done ? Nothing to try ? " said Mra Barnett after a pause. " Nothing, madam," replied Hobson ; " nothing whatever. We must wait ; we must all pray for the speedy arrival of the Arctic winter generally ao much dreaded by sailors, but which alone can* save us now. The winter will bring ice, our only anchor of salva- tion, the only power which can arrest the course of this wandering island." CHAPTER HI. A TOUR OF THE ISLAND, jjROM that day, July 18th, it was decided that the bear- ings should be taken as on board a vessel whenever the state of the atmosphere rendered the operation possible. "Was not the island, in fact, a disabled ship, tossed about without sails or helm. The next day after taking the bearings, Hobson announced that without change of latitude the island had advanced sev- eral miles farther west. Mac-Nab was ordered to commence the construction of a huge boat, Hobson telling him, in explana- tion, that he proposed making a reconnaissance of the coast as far as Russian America next summer. The carpenter asked no further questions, but proceeded to choose his wood, and fixed upon the beach at the foot of Cape Bathurst as his dockyard, so that he might easily be able to launch his vessel. Hobson intended to set out the same day on his excursion round the island in which he and his comrades were imprisoned. Many changes might take place in the configuration of this sheet of ice, subject as it was to the influence of the variable temperature of the waves, and it was important to determine its actual form at the present time, its area, and its thickness in different parts. The point of rupture, which was most likely at the isthmus itself, ought to be examined with special care ; the fracture being still fresh, it might be possible to ascertain the exact arrangement of the stratified layers of ice and earth of which the soil of the island was composed. But in the afternoon the sky clouded over suddenly, and a violent squall, accompanied with thick mists, swept down upon the fort. Presently torrents of rain fell, and large hailstones rattled on the roof, whilst a few distant claps of thunder were heard, a phenomenon of exceedingly rare occurrence in such elevated latitudes. 184 THE FUR COUNTRY. Hobson was obliged to put off his trip, and wait until the fury of the elements abated, but during the 20th, 21st, and 22d July, no change occurred. The storm raged, the floods of heaven were let loose, and the waves broke upon the beach with a deafening roar. Liquid avalanches were flung with such force upon Cape Bathurst, that there was reason to dread that it might give way ; its stability was, in fact, somewhat problematical, as it consisted merely of an aggregation of sand and earth, without any firm foundation. Vessels at sea might well be pitied in this fearful gale, but the floating island was of too vast a bulk to be affected by the agitation of the waves, and remained indifferent to their fury. During the night of the 22d July the tempest suddenly ceased. A strong breeze from the north-east dispelled the last mists upon the horizon. The barometer rose a few degrees, and the weather appeared likely to favour Hobson's expedition. He was to be accompanied by Mrs Barnett and Sergeant Long, and expected to be absent a day or two. The little party took some salt meat, biscuits, and a few flasks of rum with them, and there was nothing in their excursion to suprise the rest of the colonists. The days were just then very long, the sun only dis- appearing below the horizon for a few hours. There were no wild animals to be feared now. The bears seemed to have fled by instinct from the peninsula whilst it was still connected with the mainland, but to neglect no precaution each of the three explorers was provided with a gun. The Lieutenant and his subordinate also carried hatchets and ice-chisels, which a traveller in the Polar regions should never be without. During the absence of the Lieutenant and the Sergeant, th command of the fort fell to Corporal Joliffe, or rather to his little wife, and Hobsou knew that he could trust her. Thomas Black could not be depended on ; he would not even join the exploring party j he promised, however, to watch the northern latitudes very carefully, and to note any change which should take place in the sea or the position of the cape during the absence of the Lieutenant. Mrs Barnett had endeavoured to reason with the unfortunate astronomer, but he would listen to nothing. He felt that Nature had deceived him, and that he could never forgive her. After many a hearty farewell, the Lieutenant and his two com- panions left the fort by the postern gate, and, turning to the west, A TOUR OF THE ISLAND. 1 8$ followed the lengthened curve of the coast between Capes Bathurst and Esquimaux. It was eight o'clock in the morning ; the oblique rays of the sun struck upon the beach, and touched it with many a brilliant tint, the angry billows of the sea were sinking to rest, and the birds, ptarmigans, guillemots puffins, and petrels, driven awiy by the storm, were returning by thousands. Troops of ducks were hastening back to Lake Barnett, flying close, although they knew it not, to Mrs Joliffe's saucepan. Polar hares, martens, musk-rats, and ermines rose before the travellers and fled at their approach, but not with any great appearance of haste or terror. The animals evidently felt drawn towards their old enemies by a common danger. " They know well enough that they are hemmed in by the sea and cannot quit the island," observed Hobson. " They are all in the habit of seeking warmer climates in the south in the winter, are they not ? " inquired Mrs Barnett. " Yes, madam, but unless they are presently able to cross the ice- field, they will have to remain prisoners like ourselves, and I am afraid the greater number will die of cold or hunger. " I hope they will be good enough to supply us with food for a long time," observed the Sergeant, " and I think it is very fortunata that they had not the sense to run away before the rupture of the isthmus." " The birds will, however, leave na t " added Mrs Barnett " Oh yes, madam, everything with wings will go, they can traverse long distances without fatigue, and, more fortunate than ourselves, they will regain terra firma" " Could we not use them as messengers 1 " asked Mrs Sarnett. M A good idea, madam, a capital idea," said Hobson. " We might easily catch some hundreds of these birds, and tie a paper round their necks with our exact situation written upon it. John Ross in 1848 tried similar means to acquaint the survivors of the Franklin expedition with the presence of his ships, the Enterprise and the Investigator in the Polar seas. He caught some hundreds of white foxes in traps, rivetted a copper collar round the neck of each with all the necessary information engraved upon it, and then set them free in every direction." " Perhaps some of the messengers may have fallen into the hands of the shipwrecked wanderers." 1 8(5 THE FUR COUNTRY. " Perhaps . so," replied Hobson ; " I know that an old fox was taken by Captain Hatteras during his voyage of discovery, wearing a collar half worn away and hidden beneath hia thick white fur. What we cannot do with the quadrupeds, we will do with the birds." Chatting thus and laying plans for the future, the three explorers Continued to follow the coast. They noticed no change; the abrupt cliffs covered with earth and sand showed no signs of a recent altera- tion in the extent of the island. It was, however, to be feared that the vast sheet of ice would be worn away at the base by the action of the warm currents, and on this point Hobson was naturally anxious. By eleven o'clock in the morning the eight miles between Capea Bathurst and Esquimaux had been traversed. A few traces of the encampment of Kalumah's party still remained ; of course the snow huts had entirely disappeared, but some cinders and walrus bones marked the spot. The three explorers halted here for a short time, they intended to pass the few short hours of the night at Walruses' Bay, which they hoped to reach in a few hours. They breakfasted seated on a slightly rising ground covered with a scanty and stunted herbage. Before their eyes lay the ocean bounded by a clearly-defined sea-horizon, without a sail or an iceberg to break the monotony of the vast ex- panse of water. " Should you be very much surprised if some vessel came In sight now, Lieutenant!" inquired Mrs Barnett. " I should be very agreeably surprised, madam," replied Hobson. " It is not at all uncommon for whalers to come as far north as this, especially now that the Arctic Ocean is frequented by whales and olots, but you must remember that it is tlie 23rd July, and the summer is far advanced. The whole fleet of whaling vessels is probably now ia Gulf Kotzebue, at the entrance to tho strait. Whalers shun the sudden changes in the Arctic Ocean, and -\vith good reason. They dread being shut in the ice ; and the icebergs, avalanches, and icefields they avoid, are the very things for which we earnestly pray." "They will come, Lieutenant," said Long ; "have patience, in another two months the waves will no longer break upon the; si lores of Capo Esquimaux." "Can*' f Isnuimaux!" observed Mrs. Barnett with a smile. "That A TOUR OP THE ISLAND. 1 8? name, like those w gave to the other parts of the peninsula, may turn oat unfortunate too. We have lost Port Barnett and Paulina River; who can tell whether Cape Esquimaux and Walruses' Bay may not also disappear in time t " " They too will disappear, rnadam," replied Hobson, " and after them the whole of Victoria Island, for nothing now connects it with a continent, and it is doomed to destruction. This result is inevit- able, and our choice of geographical names will be thrown away ; but fortunately the Royal Society has not yet adopted them, and Sir Roderick Murchison will have nothing to efface on hia maps," " One name he will," exclaimed the Sergeant. " Which ? " inquired Hobson. " Cape Bathurst," replied Long. " Ah, yes, you are right. Cape Bathurst must now be removed from maps of the Polar regions." Two hours' rest were all the explorers cared for, and at one o'clock they prepared to resume their journey. Before starting Hobson once more looked round him from the summit of Cape Esquimaux ; but seeing nothing worthy of notice, he rejoined Mrs Burnett and Sergeant Long. " Madam," he said, addressing the lady, " you have not forgotten the family of natives we met here last winter 1" " Oh no, I have always held dear little Kalumah in friendly remembrance. She promised to come and see us again at Fort Hope, but she will not be able to do so. But why do you ask me about the natives now ? " " Because I remember something to which, much to my regrety I did not at the time attach sufficient importance." " What was that ? " " You remember the uneasy surprise the men manifested at find- ing a factory at the foot of Cape Bathurst." " Oh yes, perfectly." "You remember that I tried to make out what the natives meant, and that I could not do so 1 " " Yes, I remember." "Well," added Hobson, "I know now why they shook their heads. From tradition, experience, or something, the Esquimaux knew what the peninsula really was, they knew we had not built on firm ground. But as things had probably remained as they 1 88 THE FUR COUNTRY. were for centuries, they thought there was no immediate danger, and that it was not worth while to explain themselves." " Very likely you are right," replied Mrs Barnett ; " but I feel sure that Kalumah had no suspicion of her companion's fears, or she would have warned us." Hobson quite agreed with Mrs Barnett, and Sergeant Long observed " It really seems to have been by a kind of fatality that we settled ourselves upon this peninsula just before it was torn away from the mainland. I suppose, Lieutenant, that it had been con- nected for a very long time, perhaps for centuries." " You might say for thousands and thousands of years, Sergeant," replied Hobson. " Remember that the soil on which we are tread- ing has been brought here by the wind, little by little, that the sand has accumulated grain by grain ! Think of the time it must have taken for the seeds of firs, willows, and arbutus to become shrubs and trees 1 Perhaps the sheet of ice on which we float was welded to the continent before the creation of man ! " "Well," cried Long, "it really might have waited a few cen- turies longer before it drifted. How much anxiety and how many dangers we might then have been spared ! " Sergeant Long's most sensible remark closed the conversation, and the journey was resumed. From Cape Esquimaux to Walruses' Bay the coast ran almost due south, following the one hundred and twenty-seventh meridian. Looking behind them they could see one corner of th<5 lagoon, its waters sparkling in the sunbeams, and a little beyond the wooded heights in which it was framed. Large eagles soared above their heads, their cries and the loud flapping of their wings breaking the stillness, and furred animals of many kinds, martens, polecats, ermines, &c., crouching behind some rising ground, or hiding amongst the stunted bushes and willows, gazed inquir- ingly at the intruders. They seemed to understand that they had nothing to fear. Hobson caught a glimpse of a few beavers wandering about, evidently ill at ease, and puzzled at the disap- pearance of the little river. With no lodges to shelter them, and no stream by which to build a new home, they were doomed to die of cold when the severe frost set in. Sergeant Long also saw a troop of wolves crossing the plain. It ??M evident that specimens of the whole Arctic Fauna were A TOUR OF THE ISLAND. 189 imprisoned on the island, and there was every reason to fear that, when famished with hunger, all the carnivorous beasts would be formidable enemies to the occupants of Fort Hope. Fortunately, however, one race of animals appeared to be quite unrepresented. Not a single white bear was seen ! Once the Sergeant thought he saw an enormous white mass moving about on the other side of a clump of willows, but on close examination decided that he was mistaken. The coast near Walruses' Bay was, on the whole, only slightly elevated above the sea-level, and in the distance the waves broke into running foam as they do upon a sloping beach. It was to be feared that the soil had little stability, but there was no means of judging of the modifications which had taken place since their last visit, and Hobson much regretted that he had not made bench marks about Cape Bathurst before he left, that he might judge of the amount of sinking or depression which took place. He deter- mined, however, to take this precaution on his return. It will be understood that, under the circumstances, the party did not advance very rapidly. A pause was often made to examine the soil, or to see if there were any sign of an approaching fracture on the coast, and sometimes the explorers wandered inland for half a mile. Here and there the Sergeant planted branches of willow or birch to serve as landmarks for the future, especially wherever undermining Denied to be going on rapidly and the solidity of the ground was doubtful. By this means it would be easy to ascertain the changes which might take place. They did advance, however, and at three o'clock in the after- noon they were only three miles from Walruse^ Bay, and Hubson called Mrs Burnett's attention to the important changes which had been effected by the rupture of the isthmus. Formerly the south-western horizon was shut in by a long slightly curved coast-line, formed by the shores of Liverpool Bay. Now a sea-line bounded the view, the continent having disappeared. Victoria Island ended in an abrupt angle where it had broken off, and all felt sure that on turning round that angle the ocean would be spread out before them, and that its waves would bathe the whole of the southern side of the island, which was once the con- necting-link between Walruses' Bay and Washburn Bay. Mrs Burnett could not look at the changed aspect of the scene without emotion. She had expected it, and yet her heart beat 190 J> * 'JR COUNTRY. almost audibly. She gazcf. cross the sea for the missing continent, which was now left several hundred miles behind, and it rushed upon her mind with a fresh shock that she would never set foot on America again. Her agitation was indeed excusable, and it was shared by the Lieutenant and the Sergeant. All quickened their steps, eager to reach the abrupt angle in th south. The ground rose slightly as they advanced, and the layers of earth and sand became thicker ; this of course was explained by the former proximity of this part of the coast to the true continent. The thickness of the crust of ice and of the layer of earth at the point of junction increasing, as it probably did, every century, explained the long resistance of the isthmus, which nothing but some extra- ordinary convulsion could have overcome. Such a convulsion was the earthquake of the 8th January, which, although it had only affected the continent of North America, had sufficed to break the connecting-link, and to launch Victoria Island upon the wide ocean. At four o'clock P.M., the angle was reached. Walruses' Bay, formed by an indentation of the firm ground, had disappeared 1 It had remained behind with the continent. " By my faith, madam ! " exclaimed the Sergeant, " it's lucky fot you we didn't call it Paulina Barnett Bay ! "'" " Yes," replied the lady, " I begin to think i am an unlucky god* mother for newly-discovered places." CHAPTER 17. A NIGHT ENCAMPMENT. so Hobson had not been mistaken about the point of rupture. It was the isthmus which had yielded in the shock of the earthquake. Not a trace was to be seen of the American continent, not a single cliff, even the volcano on the west had disappeared. Nothing but the sea everywhere. The island on this side ended in a cape, coming to an almost sharp point, and it was evident that the substratum of ice, fretted by the warmer waters of the current and exposed to all the fury of the lements, must rapidly dissolve. The explorers resumed their march, following the course of the fracture, which ran from west to east in an almost straight line. Its edges were not jagged or broken, but clear cut, as if the division had been made with a sharp instrument, and here and there the conformation of the soil could be easily examined. The banks- half ice, half sand and earth rose some ten feet from the water. They were perfectly perpendicular, without the slightest slope, and in some places there were traces of recent landslips. Sergeant Long pointed to several small blocks of ice floating in the offing, and rapidly melting, which had evidently been broken off from their island. The action of the warm surf would, of course, soon eat away the new coast-line, which time had not yet clothed with a kind of cement of snow and sand, such as covered the rest of the beach, and 'altogether the state of things was very far from re- assuring. Before taking any rest, Mrs Barnett, Hobson, and Long, were anxious to finish their examination of the southern edge of the Island, There would be plenty of daylight, for the sun would not set u&til eleven o'clock P.M. The briliant orb of day was slowly advancing along the western horizon, and its oblique rays cast long shadows of themselves before the explorers, who conversed at 192 THE FUR COUNTRY. intervals after long silent pauses, during which they gazed at the sea and thought of the dark future before them. Hobson intended to encamp for the night *at Washbura Bay. When there eighteen miles would have been traversed, and, if he were not mistaken, half his circular journey would be accomplished. After a few hours' repose he meant to return to Fort Hope along the western coast. Ko fresh incident marked the exploration of the short distance between Walruses' Bay and Washburn Bay, and at seven o'clock in the evening the spot chosen for the encampment was reached. A similar change had taken place here. Of Washburn Bay. nothing remained but the curve formed by the coast-line of the island, and which was once its northern boundary. It stretched away without a break for seven miles to the cape they had named Cape Michael. This side of the island did not appear to have suffered at all in consequence of the rupture. The thickets of pine and birch, massed a little behind the cape, were in their fullest beauty at this time of year, and a good many furred animals were disporting themselTea on the plain. A halt was made at Washburn Bay, and the explorers were ablo to enjoy an extended view on the south, although they could not see any great distance on the north. The sun was so low an the horizon, that its rays were intercepted by the rising ground on the west, and did not reach the little bay. It was not, however, yet night, nor could it be called twilight, as the sun had not set. " Lieutenant," said Long, " if by some miracle a bell were now to ring, what do you suppose it would mean ? " " That it was supper-time," replied Hobson. " Don't you agree tith me, Mrs Barnett ? " " Indeed I do," replied the lady addressed, " and as our cloth it spread for us, let us sit down. This moss, although slightly worn, will suit us admirably, and was evidently intended for us by Providence." The bag of provisions was opened ; some salt meat, a hare pate from Mrs Joliffe's larder, with a few biscuits, formed their frugal upper. The meal was quickly over, and Hobson returned to the south- west angle of the island, whilst Mrs Barnett rested at the foot of a low fir tree, and Sergeant Long made ready the night quarters. The Lieutenant was anxious to examine the piece of ice which A NIGHT ENCAMPMENT. 193 formed the island, to ascertain, if possible, something of its structure. A little bank, produced by a landslip, enabled him to etep down to the level of the sea, and from there he was able to look closely at the steep wall which formed the coast. Where he stood the soil rose scarcely three feet above the water. The upper part consisted of a thin layer of earth and sand mixed with crushed shells; and the lower of hard, compact, and, if we may so express it, " metallic" ice, strong enough to support the upper soil of the island. This layer of ice was not more than one foot above the sea-level. In consequence of the recent fracture, it was easy to see the regular disposition of the sheets of ice piled up horizontally, and which had evidently been produced by successive frosts in comparatively quieter waters. We know that freezing commences on the surface of liquids, and as the cold increases, the thickness of the crust becomes greater, the solidification proceeding from the top downwards. That at least is the case in waters that are at rest ; it has, however, been observed that the very reverse is the case in running waters the ice forming at the bottom, and subsequently rising to the surface. It was evident, then, that the floe which formed the foundation of Victoria Island had been formed in calm waters on the shores of the North American continent. The freezing had evidently commenced on the surface, and the thaw would begin at the bottom, according to a well-known law; so that the ice-field would gradually decrease in weight as it became thawed by the warmer waters through which it was passing, and the general level of the island Would sink in proportion. This was the great danger. Aa we have just stated, Hobson noticed that the solid ice, the ice- te.ld properly so called, was only about one foot above the sea-level ! We know that four-fifths of a floating mass of ice are always sub- merged. For one foot of an iceberg or ice-field above the water, there are four below it. It must, however, be remarked that the density, or rather specific weight of floating ice, varies considerably according to its mode of formation or origin. The ice-masses which proceed from sea water, porous, opaque, and tinged with blue or green, according as they are struck by the rays of the sun, are lighter than ice formed from fresh water. All things considered, and making due allowance for the weight of the mineral and yegetable layer above the ice. Hobson concluded it to be about four ft THE PUR COUNTRY. or five feet thick below the sea-level. The different declivities of t\>e island, the little hills and rising ground, would of course only affect the upper soil, and it might reasonably be supposed that the wandering island was not immersed more than five feet. This made Hobson very anxious. Only five feet ! Setting aside the causes of dissolution to which the ice-field might be subjected, would not the slightest shock cause a rupture of the surface 1 Mis;ht tot a rough sea or a gale of wind cause a dislocation of the ice-field, which would lead to its breaking up into small portions, and to ita final decomposition ? Oh for the speedy arrival of the winter, with its bitter cold ! Would that the column of mercury were frozen in its cistern ! Nothing but the rigour of an Arctic winter could con- solidate and thicken the foundation of their island, and establish a means of communication between it and the continent. Hobson returned to the halting-place little cheered by his dis- coveries, and found Long busy making arrangements for the night ; for he had no idea of sleeping beneath the open sky, although Mri Barnett declared herself quite ready to do so. He told the Lieu- tenant that he intended to dig a hole in the ice big enough to hold three persons in fact to make a kind of snow-hut, in which they would be protected from the cold night air. " In the land of the Esquimaux," he skid, " nothing is wiser than to do as the Esquimaux do." Hobson approved, but advised the Sergeant not to dig too deeply, as the ice was not more than five feet thick. Long set to work. With the aid of his hatchet and ice-chisel hs had soon cleared away the earth, and hollowed out a kind of pas- sage sloping gently down to the crust of ice. He next attacked the brittle mass, which had been covered over with sand and earth for so many centuries. It would not take more than an hour to hollow out a subterranean retreat, or rather a burrow with walls of ice, which would keep in the heat, and there- fore serve well for a resting-place during the short night. Whilst Long was working away like a white ant, Hobson com- municated the result of his observations to Mrs Barnett. He did not disguise from her that the construction of Victoria Island ren- dered him very uneasy. He felt sure that the thinness of the ice would lead to the opening of ravines on the surface before long ; where, it would be impossible to foresee, and of course it would be equally impossible to prevent them. The wandering bland might A NIGHT ENCAMPMENT* 195 t any moment settle down in consequence of a change in its speci- fic gravity, or break up into more or less numerous islets, the duration of which must necessarily be ephemeral. He judged, therefore, that it would be best for the members of the colony to keep together aa much as possible, and not to leave the fort, that they might all Uare the same chances. Hobson was proceeding further to unfold his views when erica for help were heard. Mrs Barnett started to her feet, and both looked round in every direction, but nothing was to be seen. The cries were now redoubled, and Hobson exclaimed " The Sergeant ! the Sergeant ! " And followed by Mrs Barnett, he rushed towards the burrow, and he had scarcely reached the opening of the snow-house before he aw Sergeant Long clutching with both hands at his knife, which he had stuck in the wall of ice, and calling out loudly, although with the most perfect self-possession. His head and arms alone were visible. Whilst he was digging, the ice had given way suddenly beneath him, and he waa plunged into water up to his waist. Hobson merely said " Keep hold 1 " And creeping through the passage, he was soon at the edge of the hole. The poor Sergeant seized his hand, and he was soon rescued from his perilous position. "Good God! Sergeant 1" exclaimed Mrs Barnett; "what has happened ? " "Nothing," replied Long, shaking himself like a wet spaniel, ** except that the ice gave way under me, and I took a compulsory bath." " You forgot what I told you about not digging too deeply, then," eaid Hobson. " Beg pardon, sir ; I hadn't cut through fifteen inches of the ice ; nd I expect there was a kind of cavern where I was working tho ice did not touch the water. It was just like going through a ceiling. If I hadn't been able to hang on by my knife, I should have slipped under the island like a fool, and that would have been ft pity, wouldn't it, madam ? " "A very great pity, my brave fellow," said Mrs Barnett, pressing bis hand. 196 THE PUR COUNTRY. Long's explanation was correct ; for some reason or another most likely from an accumulation of air the ice had formed a kind of vault above the water, and of course it soon gave way under the Weight of the Sergeant and the blows of his chisel. The same thing might happen in other parts of the island, which was anything but reassuring. Where could they be certain of treading on firm ground ? Might not the earth give way beneath their feet at any minute 1 What heart, however brave, would not have sunk at the thought of the thin partition between them and the awful gulf of the ocean ? Sergeant Long, however, thought but little of his bath, and was ready to begin mining in some other place. This Mrs Barnett would not allow. A night in the open air would do her no harm ; the shelter of the coppice near would be protection enough for them all ; and Sergeant Long was obliged to submit. The camp was, therefore, moved back some thirty yards from the beach, to a rising ground on which grew a few clumps of pines and willows which could scarcely be called a wood. Towards ten o'clock the disc of the sun began to dip below the horizon, and before it disappeared for the few hours of the night a crackling fire of dead branches was blazing at the camp. Long had now a fine opportunity of drying his legs, of which he gladly availed himself. He and Hobson talked together earnestly until twilight set in, and Mrs Barnett occasionally joined in the conversation, doing the best she could to cheer the disheartened Lieutenant. The sky was bright with stars, and the holy influence of the night could not fail to calm his troubled spirit. The wind murmured softly amongst the pines ; even the sea appeared to be wrapt in slumber, its bosom slightly heaving with the swell, which died away upon the beach with a faint rippling sound. All creation was hushed, not even the wail of a sea-bird broke upon the ear ; the crisp crackling of the dead branches was exchanged for a steady flame, and nothing but the voices of th wanderers broke the sub- lime, the awful silence of the night. " Who would imagine," said Mrs Barnett, " that we were floating on the surface of the ocean ! It really requires an effort to realise it, for the sea which is carrying us along in its fatal grasp appears to be absolutely motionless ! " " Yes, madam," replied Hobson ; " and if the floor of our carriage were solid, if I did not know that sooner or later the keel of ou NIGHT ENCAMPMENT. boat will be mis* : tg, that some day its hull -will burst open, and finally, if I knew rtere we are going, I should rather enjoy floating on the ocean li' e tbis." " Well, Lie itenant," rejoined Mrs Barnett, " could there be a pleasanter nuxle of travelling than ours I We feel no motion. Our island hyn exactly the same speed as the current which is bear- ing it away is it not like a balloon voyage in the air? What ould be mor-; delightful than advancing with one's house, garden, park, &c. ? A wandering island, with a solid insubmersible founda- tion, would really be the most comfortable and wonderful conveyance that could possibly be imagined. I have heard of hanging gardens. Perhaps some day floating parks will be invented which will carry us all over the globe ! Their size will render them insensible to the action of the waves, they will have nothing to fear from storms, and perhaps with a favourable wind they might be guided by means of immense sails ! What marvels of vegetation would be spread before the eyes of the passengers when thof the waves was drowned in the shrill whistling of the wind, and the peculiar echo could no longer be made out. The anxiety of the two explorers will readily be imagined. They again crouched down in their hole, doubting whether it would not perhaps be prudent to leave even this shelter, for they felt the sand giving way beneath them, and the pines cracking at their very roots. They persevered, however, in gazing towards the south, every nerve strained to the utmost, in the effort to distinguish objects through the darkness. The first grey twilight of the dawn might soon be expected to appear, and a little before half-past two XM. Long suddenly ex- claimed : " I see it 1 What t " "Afire!" "A fire t w " Yes, there over there I* And he pointed to the south-west. Was he mistaken f No, fof fiobson also made out a faint glimmer in the direction indicated. " Yes ! " he cried, " yes, Sergeant, a fire; there is land there 1" " Unless it is a fire on board ship," replied Long. " A ship at sea in this weather ! " exclaimed Hobson, " impossible! No, no, there is land there, land I tell you, a few miles from us!" " Well, let us make a signal ! " " Yes, Sergeant, we will reply to the fire on the mainland by a fire on our island ! " Of course neither Hobson nor Long had a torch, but above their heads rose resinous pines distorted by the hurricane. " Your flint, Sergeant," said Hobson. Long at once struck his flint, lighted the touchwood, and creeping along the sand climbed to the foot of the thicket of firs, where lie was soon joined by the Lieutenant. There was plenty of deadwood about, and they piled it up at the stems of the trees, set fire to it, and soon, the wind helping them, they had the satisfaction of seeing the whole thicket in a blaze. " Ah 1 " said Hobson, " as we saw their fire, they will see ours I " The firs burnt with a lurid glare like a large torch. The dried resin in the old trunks aided the conflagration, and they wer 222 THE f W COUNTRY. rapidly consumed. At last the crackling ceased, the flames died away, and all was darkness. Hobson and Long looked in vaiu for an answering fire nothing was to be seen. For ten minutes they watched, hoping against hopti, and were just beginning to despair, when suddenly a cry was heard, a distinct cry for help. It was % human voice, and it came from the sea. Hobson and Long, wild with eager anvety, let themselves slide down to the shore. The cry was not, however, repeated. The daylight was now gradually beginning to appear, and the violence of the tempest seemed to be decreasing. Soon it was light enough for the horizon to be examined. But there was no land in sight, sea and sky were still blended ta ecu unbroken circle. CHAPTEB VUL t/xs PAULINA BARNBTT'S EXCURSION. >HE whole morning Hobson and Sergeant Long wandered about the coast. The weather was much improved, the rain had ceased, and the wind had veered round to the south-east with extraordinary suddenness, without unfortunately decreasing in violence, causing fresh anxiety to the Lieutenant, who could no longer hope to reach the mainland. The south-east wind would drive the wandering island farther from the continent, and fling it into the dangerous currents, which must drift it to the north of the Arctic Ocean. How could they even be sure that they had really approached thf coast during the awful night just over. Might it not have been merely a fancy of the Lieutenant's ? The air was now clear, and they could look round a radius of several miles ; yet there was nothing in the least resembling land within sight. Might they not adopt the Sergeant's suggestion, that a ship had passed the island during the night, that the fire and cry were alike signals of sailors in distress 1 And if it had been a vessel, must it not have foundered in such a storm f Whatever the explanation there was no sign of a wreck to be seen either in the offing or on the beach, and the waves, now driven along by the wind from th* land, were large enough to have over whelmed any vessel. " Well, Lieutenant," said Sergeant Long, "wbat is to be donet" " We must remain upon our island," replied the Lieutenant, pressing his hand to his brow ; " we must remain on our island and wait for winter ; it alone can save us." It was now mid-day, and Hobson, anxious to get back to Fort Hope before the evening, at once turned towards Cape Bathurst. The wind, being now on their backs, helped them along as it had done before. They could not help feeling very uneasy, as they were naturally afraid that the island might hare separated into two 224 THE PUR COUNTRY. parts in the storm. The gulf observed the night before might hays spread farther, and if so they would be cut off from their friends. They soon reached the wood they had crossed the night before. Numbers of trees were lying on the ground, some with broken Btems, others torn up by the roots from the soft soil, which had not afforded them sufficient support. The few which remained erect were stripped of their leaves, and their naked branches creaked and moaned as the south-east wind swept over them. Two miles beyond this desolated forest the wanderers arrived at the edge of the gulf they had seen the night before without being able to judge of its extent. They examined it carefully, and found that it was about fifty feet wide, cutting the coast line straight across near Cape Michael and what was formerly Fort Baruett, forming a kind of estuary running more than a mile and a half inland. If the sea should again become rough in a fresh storm, this gulf would widen more and more. Just as Hobson approached the beach, he saw a large piece of ice separate from the island and float away ! " Ah ! " murmured Long, " that is the danger ! " Both then turned hurriedly to the west, and walked as fast as they could round the huge gulf, making direct for Fort Hope. They noticed no other changes by the way, and towards four o'clock they crossed the court and found all their comrades at their usual occupations. H, bson told his men that he had wished once more before the winter to see if there were any signs of the approach of Captain Craventy's convoy, and that his expedition had been fruitless. " Then, sir," observed Marbre, " I suppose we must give up all idea of seeing our comrades from Fort Reliance for this year at least I " "I think you must," replied Hobaon simply, re-entering the public room. Mrs Barnett and Madge were told of the two chief events of the exploration : the fire and the cry. Hobson was quite sure that neither he nor the Sergeant were mistaken. The fire had really been seen, the cry had really been heard ; and after a long consul- tation every one came to the conclusion that a ship in distress had passed within sight during the right, and that the island had not Approached the American coast. The south-east wind quickly chased away the clouds and mist% iRS PAULINA BARN&TT's EXCURSION. 22$ BO that Hobson hoped to be able to take his bearings the next day. The night was colder and a fine enow fell, which quickly covered the ground. This first sign of winter was hailed with delight *by all who knew of the peril of their situation. On the 2nd September the sky gradually became free from vapours of all kinds, and the sun again appeared. Patiently the Lieutenant awaited its culmination ; at noon he took the latitude, and two hours later a calculation of hour-angles gave him the longitude. The following were the results obtained: Latitude, 70 57'j longitude, 170 30'. So that, in spite of the violence of the hurricane, the island had remained in much the same latitude, although it had been drifted somewhat farther west. They were now abreast of Behring Strait, but four hundred miles at least north of Capes East and Prince of Wales, which jut out ca either side at the narrowest part of the passage. The situation was, therefore, more dangerous than ever, as the island was daily getting nearer to the dangerous Kamtchatka Current, which, if it once seized it in its rapid waters, might carry it far away to the north. Its fate would now soon be decided. It would either stop where the two currents met, and there be shut in by the ice of the approaching winter, or it would be drifted away and lost in the solitudes of the remote hyperborean regions. Hobson was painfully moved on ascertaining the true state of things, and being anxious to conceal his emotion, he shut himself up in his own room and did not appear again that day. With hia chart before him, he racked his brains to find some way out of the difficulties with which be was beset. The temperature fell some degrees farther the same day, and the mists, which had collected above the south-eastern horizon the day before, resolved themselves into snow during the night, so that the next day the white carpet was two inches thick. Winter was seining at last. On September 3rd Mrs Barnett resolved to go a few miles along the coast towards Cape Esquimaux. She wished to see for herself the changes lately produced. If she had mentioned her project to the Lieutenant, he would certainly have offered to accompany her ; but ske did net wish to disturb him, and decided to go with 1 226 THE PUR COUNTRY. out him, taking Madge with her. There was really nothing to the only formidable animals, the bears, seemed to have quite de- serted the island after the earthquake ; and two women might, with- out danger, venture on a walk of a few hours without an escort. Madge agreed at once to Mrs Barnett'a proposal, and without a word to any one they set out at eight o'clock A.M., provided with an ice-chisel, a flask of spirits, and a wallet of provisions. After leaving Cape Bathurst they turned to the west. The sun was already dragging its slow course along the horizon, for at this time of year it would only be a few degrees above it at its culmina- tion. But its oblique rays were clear and powerful, and the snow was already melting here and there beneath their influence. The coast was alive with flocks of birds of many kinds ; ptarmigans, guillemots, puffins, wild geese, and ducks of every variety fluttered about, uttering their various cries, skimming the surface of the sea or of the lagoon, according as their tastes led them to prefer salt or fresh water. Mrs Barnett had now a capital opportunity of seeing how many furred animals haunted the neighbourhood of Fort Hope. Martens, ermines, musk-rats, and foxes were numerous, and the magazines of the factory might easily have been filled with their skins, but what good would that be now ? The inoffensive creatures, knowing that hunting was suspended, went and came fearlessly, venturing close up to the palisade, and becoming tamer every day. Their instinct doubtless told them that they and their old enemies were alike prisoners on the island, and a common danger bound them together. It struck Mrs Barnett as strange that the two enthusi- astic hunters Marbre and Sabine should obey the Lieutenant's orders to spare the furred animals without remonstrance or com- plaint, and appeared not even to wish to shoot the valuable game around them. It was true the foxes and others had not yet assumed their winter robes, but this was not enough to explain the strange indifference of the two hunters. Whilst walking at a good pace and talking over their strange situation, Mrs Barnett and Madge carefully noted the peculiarities of the saudy coast. The ravages recently made by the sea were distinctly -visible. Fresh Landslips enabled them to see new fractures in the ice distinctly. The strand, fretted away in many places, had Bunk to an tmormous extent, and the waves washed along a level beach where the perpendicular shores had once checked their ad- MRS PAULINA BAKNETT'S EXCURSION. 22? ranee. It was evident that parts of the island were now only on a level with the ocean. " O Madge ! " exclaimed Mrs Barnett, pointing to the long smooth tracts on which the curling waves broke in rapid succession, " our situation has indeed become aggravated by the awful storm ! It is evident that the level of the whole island is gradually besoming lower. It is now only a question of time. Will the winter come Been enough to save us ? Everything depends upon that." " The winter will come, my dear girl," replied Madge with her usual unshaken confidence. " We have already had two falls of enow. Ice is begininngto accumulate, and God will send it us in time, I feel sure." " You are right, Madge, we must have faith ! " said Mrs Barnett " We women who do not trouble ourselves about the scientific reasons for physical phenomena can hope, when men who are better informed, perhaps, despair. That is one of our blessings, which our Lieutenant unfortunately does not share. He sees the significance of facts, he reflects, he calculates, he reckons up the time still remain- ing to us, and I see that he is beginning to lose all hope." " He is a brave, energetic man, for all that," replied Madges. " Yes," added Mrs Barnett, " and if it be in the power of man to save us, ho will do it" By nine o'clock the two women had walked four miles. They were often obliged to go inland for some kittle, distance, to ovoid parts of the coast already invaded by the sea. Here and there the waves had encroached half -a-mile beyond the former high- water line, and the thickness of the ice-field had been considerably reduced. There was danger that it would soon yield in many places, ard that new bays would be formed all along tho coast. As they got farther from the fort Mrs Barnett noticed that the Jrambei of furred animals decreased considerably. The poor, crea- tures evidently felt more secure near a human habitation. The only formidable animals which had not been led by instinct to escape in time from the dangerous island were a few wolves, savage beasts which even a common danger did not conciliate. Mrs Barnett and Madge saw several wandering about on the plains, but they did not approach, and soon disappeared behind the hills on the south of the lagooo. " What will become of all these imprisoned animal*," id Madge, 228 THE FUR COUNTRY. " when all food fails them, and they are famished with hunger in the winter ? " " They will not be famished in a hurry, Madge," replied Mrs Barnett, " and we shall have nothing to fear from them ; all the martens, ermines, and Polar hares, which we spare will fall an easy prey to them. That is not our danger ; the brittle ground beneath our feet, which may at any moment give way, is our real peril. Only look how the sea is advancing here. It already covers half the plain, and the waves, still comparatively warm, are eating away our island above and below at the same time 1 If the cold does not stop it very soon, the sea will shortly join the lake, and we shall lose our lagoon as we lost our river and our port ! " " Well, if that should happen it will indeed be an irreparable misfortune ! " exclaimed Madge. " "Why ? " asked Mrs Barnett, looking inquiringly at her com- panion. " Because we shall have no more fresh water," replied Madge. " Oh, we shall not want for fresh water, Madge," said Mrs Barnett ; " the rain, the snow, the ice, the icebergs of the ocean, the very ice-field on which we float, will supply us with that ; no, no, that is not our danger." , About ten o'clock Mrs Barnett and Madge had leached the rising ground above Cape Esquimaux, but at least two miles inland, for they had found it impossible to follow the coast, worn a way as it was by the sea. Being rather tired with the many detours they had had to make, they decided to rest a few minutes before setting off on their return to Fort Hope. A little hill crowned by a clump of birch trees and a few shrubs afforded a pleasant shelter, and a bank covered with yellow moss, from which the snow had melted, served them as a seat. The little wallet was opened, and they shared theii simple repast like sisters. Half an hour later, Mrs Barnett proposed that they should climb long the promontory to the sea, and find out the exact state of Cape Esquimaux. She was anxious to know if the point of it had resisted the storm, and Madge declared herself ready to follo\v " her dear girl" wherever she went, but at the same time reminded her that they were eight or nine miles from Cape Bathurst already, and that they must not make Lieutenant Hobson uneasy by too long an absence. But some presentiment made Mn Baruett insist upon doing a* JfXS PAULINA BARNRTT>S EXCURSION, he proposed, and she was right, as the event proved It would only delay them half an hour after all. They had not gone a quarter of a mile before Mrs Barnett stopped suddenly, and pointed to some clear and regular impressions upon the snow. These marks must have been made within the last nine or ten hours, or the last fall of snow would have covered them over. " What animal has passed along here, I wonder?" said Madge. " It was not an animal," said Mrs Barnett, bending down U. examine the marks more closely, " not a quadruped certainly, for its four feet would have left impressions very different from these. Look, Madge, they are the footprints of a human person I " " But who could have been here ? " inquired Madge ; " none of the soldiers or women have left the fort, and we are on an island, remember. You must be mistaken, my dear ; but we will follow the marks, and see where they lead us." They did so, aud fifty paces farther on both again paused. " Look, Madge, look \ " cried Mrs Barnett, seizing her comp&nion'a arm, " aud then say if I am mistaken." Near the footprints there were marks of a heavy body having been dragged along the snow, and the impression of a hand. " It is the hand of a woman or a child I " cried Madge. " Yes \ " replied Mrs Barnett ; " a woman or a child has fallen here exhausted, and risen again to stumble farther on ; look, tut footprints again, and farther on more falls!" " Who, who could it have been ?" exclaimed Madge. " How can I tell ?" replied Mrs Barnett. "Some unfortunate creature imprisoned like ourselves for three or four months perhaps. Or some shipwrecked wretch flung upon the coast in the storm. You remember the fire and the cry of which Sergeant Long and Lieutenant Hobson spoke. Come, come, Madge, .there may b Borne one in danger for us to save ! And Mrs Barnett, dragging Madge with her, ran along follow- ing the traces, and further on found that they were stained with blood. The brave, tender-hearted woman, had spoken of saving some one in danger ; had she then forgotten that there was no safety for any upon the island, doomed sooner or later to be swallowed up by the ocean ] The impressions on the ground led towards Cape Esquimaux. And the two carefully traced them, but the footprints presently disappeared, whilst the blood-stains increased, making an irregular 23O THE FUR COUNTRY. pathway along the snow. It was evident the poor wretch had been unable to walk farther, and had crept along on hands and knees ; here and there fragments of torn clothes were scattered about, bits of sealskin and fur. " Come, come," cried Mrs Barnett, whose heart beat violently. Madge followed her, they were only a few yards from Cape Esquimaux, which now rose only a few feet upon the sea-level against the background of the sky, and was quite deserted. The impressions now led them to the right of the cape, and run ning along they soon climbed to the top, but there was still nothing, absolutely nothing, to be seen. At the foot of the cape, where the slight ascent began, the traces turned to the right, and led straight to the sea. Mrs Barnett was turning to the right also, but just as she was stepping on to the beach, Madge, who had been following her and looking about uneasily, caught hold of her hand, and exclaimed "Stop! stop!" " No, Madge, no ! " cried Mrs Barnett, who was drawn along by a kind of instinct in spite of herself. "Stop, stop, and look! " cried Madge, tightening her hold on her mistress's hand. On the beach, about fifty paces from Cape Esquimaux, a large white mass was moving about and growling angrily. It was an immense Polar bear, and the two women watched it with beating hearts. It was pacing round and round a bundle of fur on the ground, which it smelt at every now and then, lift- ing it up and letting it fall again. The bundle of fur looked like the dead body of a walrus. Mrs Barnett and Madge did not know what to think, whether to advance or to retreat, but presently as the body was mewed about a kind of hood fell back from the head, and some long locks of brown hair were thrown over the snow. " It is a woman ! a woman! " cried Mrs Barnett, eager to rush to her assistance and find out if she were dead or alive! " Stop ! " repeated Madge, holding her back ; " the bear won't harm her." And, indeed, the formidable creature merely turned the body over, and showed no inclination of tearing it with its dreadful claws. It went away and came back apparently uncertain what to do It had not yet perceived the two women who were so }' watching it. MRS PA ULINA BARNE TT S EXCURSION. 2 3 I Suddenly a loud crack was heard. The earth shook, and it seemed as if the whole of Cape Esquimaux were about to be plunged into the sea. A large piece of the island hid broken away, and a huge piece of ice, the centre of gravity of which had been displaced by the altera- tion in its specific weight, drifted away, carrying with it the bear and the body of the woman. Mrs Barnett screamed, and would have flung herself upon the broken ice before it lloated away, if Madge had not clutched her hand firmly, saying quietly "Stop! stop!" At the noise produced by the breaking off of the piece of ice, the bear started back with a fearful growl, and, leaving the body, rushed to the side where the fracture had taken place ; but he was already some forty feet from the coast, and in his terror he ran round and round the islet, tearing up the ground with his claws, and stamping the sand and snow about him. Presently he returned to the motionless body, and, to tho horror of the two women, seized it by the clothes with his teeth, and carrying it to the edge of the ice, plunged with it into the sea. Being a powerful swimmer, like the whole race of Arctic bears, he soon gained the shores of the island. With a great exertion of strength he managed to climb up the ice, and having reached the surface of the island he quietly laid down tho body he had brought with him. Mrs Barnett could no longer be held back, and, shaking off Madge's hold, she rushed to the beach, never thinking of the danger she ran in facing a formidable carnivorous creature. The bear, seeing her approach, reared upon his hind legs, and .cams towards her, but at about ten paces off he paused, shook his great head, and turning round with a low growl, quietly walked away towards tho centre of the island, without once look- ing behind him. He, too, was evidently affected by the mysterious fear which had tamed all the wild animals on the island. Mrs Barnett was soon bending over the body stretched about the snow. A cry of astonishment burst from her lips : ^ " Madge, Madge, come ! " she exclaimed. Madge approached and looked long and fixedly at the inanimate body. It was the young Esquimaux girl Kalumah I CHAPTER EC. X ALUM AH *S ADVEffTLKSS. ' ALTJMAH on the floating island, two hundred miles from the American coast. It was almost incredible ! The first thing to be ascertained was whether the poor creature still breathed. Was it possible to restore her to life 1 Mrs Barnett loosened her clothes, and found that her body was not yet quite cold. Her heart beat very feebly, but it did beat. The blood they had seen came from a slight wound in her hand ; Madge bound it up with her handkerchief, and the bleeding soon ceased. At the same time Mrs Barnett raised the poor girl's head, and managed to pour a few drops of rum between her parted lips. She then bathed her forehead and temples with cold water, and waited. A few minutes passed by, and neither of the watchers were able to utter a word, so anxious were they lest the faint spark of life remaining to the young Esquimaux should be quenched. But at last Kalumah's breast heaved with a faint sigh, her hands moved feebly, and presently she opened her eyes, and recognising her preserver she murmured " Mrs Barnett ! Mrs Barnett ! " The lady was not a little surprised at hearing her own name. Had Kalumah voluntarily sought the floating island, and did she expect to find her old European friends on it ? If so, how had she come to know it, and how had she managed to reach the island, two. hundred miles from the mainland ? How could she have guessed that the ice-field was bearing Mrs Barnett and all the occupants of Fort Hope away from the American coast ? Really it all seemed quite inexplicable. " She lives she will recover 1 " exclaimed Madge, who felt the vital heat and pulsation returning to the poor bruised body. " Poor child, poor child ! " said Mrs Barnett, much affected ; " fihe murmured my name when she was at the point of death." But now Kalumah again half opened her eyes, and looked about KALUMAHS ADVENTURES. 233 her with a dreamy unsatisfied expression, presently, however, seeing Mrs Bamett, her face brightened, the same name again burst from her lips, and painfully raising her hand she let it fall on that of her friend. The anxious care of the two women soon revived Kalumah, whose extreme exhaustion arose not only frcm fatigue but also from hunger. She had eaten nothing for forty-eight hours. Some/ pieces of cold venison and a little rum refreshed her, and she soon felt able to accompany her newly-found friends to the fort. Before starting, however, Kalumah, seated on the sand between Mrs Barnett and Madge, overwhelmed them with thanks and ex- pressions of attachment. Then she told her story : she had not forgotten the Europeans of Fort Hope, and the thought of Mrs Paulina Barnett had been ever present with her. It was not by chance, as we shall see, that she had come to Victoria Island. The following is a brief summary of what Kalumah related to Mrs Barnett : Our readers will remember the young Esquimaux's promise to come and see her friends at Fort Hope again in the fine season of the next year. The long Polar night being over, and the month of May having come round, Kalumah set out to fulfil her pledge. She left Russian America, where she had wintered, and accompanied by one of her brothers-in-law, started For the peninsula of Victoria. Six weeks later, towards the middle of June,. she got to that part of British America which is near Cape Bathurst. She at once recognised the volcanic mountains shutting in Liverpool Bay, and twenty miles farther east she came to Walruses' Bay, where her people had so often hunted morses and seals. But beyond the bay on the north, there was nothing to be seen. The coast suddenly sank fto the south-east in an almost straight line. Cape Esquimaux and Cape Bathurst had alike disappeared. Kalumah understood what had happened. Either the whole of tne peninsula had been swallowed up by the waves, or it was float- ing away as an island, no one knew whither ! Kalumah's tears flowed fast at the loss of those whom she had come so far to see. Her brother-in-law, however, had not appeared surprised at the catastrophe. A kind of legend or tradition had been handed down amongst the nomad tribes of North America, that Cape Bathurst did not form part of the mainland, bit had been joined on to it 234 THE FUR COUNTRY. thousands of years before, and would sooner or later be torn away in some convulsion of nature. Hence the surprise at finding the factory founded by Hobson at the foot of the cape. But with the unfortunate reserve characteristic of their race, and perhaps also under the influence of that enmity which all natives feel for those who settle in their country, they said nothing to the Lieutenant, whose fort was already finished. Kalumah knew nothing of this tradition, which after all rested on no trustworthy evidence, a-nd probably belonged to the many northern legends relating to the creation. This was how it was that the colonists of Fort Hope were not warned of the danger they ran in settling on such a spot. Had a word in season been spoken to Hobson he would certainly have gone farther in search of some firmer foundation for his fort than this soil, certain peculiarities of which lie had noticed at the first. When Kalumah had made quite sure that all trace of Cape ^athurst was gone, she explored the coast as far as the further side tf Washburn Bay, but without finding any sign of those she sought, fad. at last there was nothing left for her to do but to teturn to the fisheries of Russian America. She and her brother-in-law left Walruses' Bay at 'Jbo end of June, and following the coast got back to New Georgia towards the end of July, after an absolutely fruitless journey. Kalumah now gave up all hope of again seeing Mrs Barnett and the other colonists of Fort Hope. She concluded that they had all been swallowed up by the ocean long ago. At this part of her tale the young Esquimaux looked at Mrs Barnett with eyes full of tears, and pressed her hand affectionaly, and then she murmured her thanks to God for her own preservation through the means of her friend. Kalumah on her return home resumed her customary occupa- tions, and worked with the rest of her tribe at the fisheries near Icy Cape, a point a little above the seventieth parallel, and more than six hundred miles from Cape Bathurst. Nothing worthy of note happened during the first half of the month of April ; but towards the end the storm began which had caused Hobson so much uneasiness, and which had apparently extended its ravages over the whole of the Arctic Ocean and beyond Behring Strait It was equally violent at Icy Cape and on Victoria Island, and, as the Lieutenant ascertained in taking 1m KALUMAH'S ADVENTURES. 235 bearings, the latter was then not more than two hundred miles from the coast. As Mrs Barnett listened to Kalumah, her previous information enabled her rapidly to find the key to the strange events which had taken place, and to account for the arrival of the young native on the island. During the first days of the storm the Esquimaux of Icy Cape ''wefe confined to their huts. They could neither get out nor fish. But during the night of the 31st August a kind of presentiment led Kalumah to venture down to the beach, and, braving the wind and rain in all their fury, she peered anxiously through the darkness at the waves rising mountains high. Presently she thought she saw a huge mass driven along by the hurricane parallel with the coast. Gifted with extremely keen sight as are all these wandering tribes accustomed to the long dark Polar nights she felt sure that she* was not mistaken. Something of vast bulk was passing two miles from the coast, and that something could be neither a whale, a boat, nor, at thi? time of the year, even an iceberg. But Kalumah did not stop to reason. The truth flashed upop her like a revelation. Before her excited imagination rose the images of her friends. She saw them all once more, Mrs Barnett. Madge, Lieutenant Hobson, the baby she had covered with kisses at Fort Hope. Yes, they were passing, borne along in the storm on a floating ice-field ! Kaluraah did not doubt or hesitate a moment. She felt that sh must tell the poor shipwrecked people, which she was sure they were, of the close vicinity of the land. She ran to her hut, seized a torch of tow and resin, such as the Esquimaux use when fishing at night, lit it and waved it on the beach at the summit of Icy Cape. This was the fire which Hobson and Long had seen when crouch- ing on Cape Michael on the night of the 31st August. Imagine the delight and excitement of the y<">ung Esquimaux when a signal replied to hers, when she saw the huge fire lit by Lieutenant Hobson, the reflection of which reached the American coast, although he did not dream that he was so ne? r it. But it quickly went out, the lull in the storm only lasted a few minutes, and the fearful gale, veering round to the f S uth-ea8t, swept al-cnir with redoubled violence. 236 THE FUR COUNTRY. Kalumah feared that her " prey," so she called the floating ialand, was about to escape her, and that it would not be driven on to the shore. She saw it fading away, and knew that it would soon dis- appear in the darkness and be lost to her on the boundless ocean. It was indeed a terrible moment for the young native, and she determined at all hazards to let her friends know of their situation. There might yet be time for them to take some steps for their deliverance, although every hour took them farther from the con- tinent. She did not hesitate a moment, her kayak waa at hand, the frail bark in which she had more than once braved the storms of the Arctic Ocean, she pushed it down to the sea, hastily laced on the sealskin jacket fastened to the canoe, and, the long paddle in her hand, she plunged into the darkness. Mrs Barnett here pressed the brave child to her heart, and Madge shed tears of sympathy. When launched upon the roaring ocean, Kalumah found the change of wind in her favour. The waves dashed over her kayak, it is true, but they were powerless to harm the light boat, which floated on their crests like a straw. It was capsized several times, but a stroke of the paddle righted it at once. After about an hour's hard work, Kalumah could see the wander- ing island more distinctly, and had no longer any doubt of effecting her purpose, as she was but a quarter of a mile from the beach. It was then that she uttered the cry which Hobson and Long had heard. But, alas ! Kalumah now felt herself being carried away towards the west by a powerful current, which could take firmer hold of her kayak than of the floating island ! In vain she struggled to beat back with her paddle, the light boat shot along like an arrow. She uttered scream after scream, but she was unheard, for she was already far away, and when the day broke the coasts of Alaska and the island she had wished to reach, were but two distant masses on the horizon. Did she despair 1 Not yet. It was impossible to get back to the American continent in the teeth of the terrible wind which was driv- ing the island before it at a rapid pace, taking it out two hundred miles in thirty-six hours, and assisted by the current from the coast. There was but one thing left to do. To get to the island by keeping in the same current which was drifting it away. KALUMAlfs ADVENTURES* But, alas ! the poor girl's strength was not equal to her courage, she was faint from want of food, and, exhausted as she was, she could no longer wield her paddle. For some hours she struggled on, and seemed to be approach- ing the island, although those on it could not see her, as she was but a speck upon the ocean. She struggled on until her stiffened arms and bleeding hands fell powerless, and, losing consciousness,, she was floated along in her frail kayak at the mercy of winds and waves. She did not know how long this lasted, she remembered nothing more, until a sudden shock roused her, her kayak had struck Against something, it opened beneath her, and she was plunged jnto cold water, the freshness of which revived her. A few momenta later, she was flung upon the sand in a dying state by a large wave. This had taken place the night before, just before dawn that ia to say, about two or three o'clock in the morning. Kalumah had then been seventy hours at sea since she embarked ! The young native had no idea where she had been thrown, whether on the continent or on the floating island, which she had so bravely sought, but she hoped the latter. Yes, hoped that she had reached her friends, although she knew that the wind and current had driven them into the open sea, and not towards the coast ! The thought revived her, and, shattered as she was, she struggled to her. feet, and tried to follow the coast. She had, in fact, been providentially thrown on that portion of Victoria Island which was formerly the upper corner of Walruses' Bay. But, worn away as it was by the wav, she did not recognise the land with which she had once been familiar. She tottered on, stopped, and again struggled to advance; the beach Sefore her appeared endless, she had so often to go round where the ea had encroached upon the sand. And so dragging herself along, etumbling and scrambling up again, she at last approached the little wood where Mrs Barnett and Madge had halted that very morning. We know that the two women found the footprints left by Kalumah in the snow not far from this very spot, and it was at a short distance farther on that the poor girl fell for the last time. Exhausted by fatigue and hunger, she still managed to creep along on hands and knees for a few minutes longer. A great hope kept her from despair, for she had at last recognised 238 THE FUR COUNTRY. Cape Esquimaux, at the foot of which she and her people had en- camped the year before. She knew now that she was but eight miles from the factory, and that she had only to follow the path she had so often traversed when she went to visit her friends at Fort Hope. Yes, this hope sustained her, but she had scarcely reached the beach when her forces entirely failed her, and she again lost all consciousness. But for Mrs Barnett she would have died. " But, dear lady," she added, " I knew that you would come to my rescue, and that God would save me by your means." We know the rest. We know the providential instinct which led Mrs Barnett and Madge to explore this part of the coast on this very day, and the presentiment which made them visit Capa Esqui- maux after they had rested, and before returning to Fort Hope. We know too as Mrs Barnett related to Kalumah how the piece of ice had floated away, and how the bear had acted under the cir- cumstances. "And after all," added Mrs Barnett with a smile, "it was not I who eaved you, but the good creature without whose aid you would never have come back to us, and if ever we see him again we will treat him with the respect due to your preserver." During this long conversation Kalumah was rested and refreshed, and Mrs Barnett proposed that they should return to the fort at once, as she had already been too long away. The young girl immediately rose ready to start. Mrs Barnett was indeed most anxious to tell the Lieutenant of all that had happened during the night of the storm, when the wandering island had neared the American continent, but she urged Kalumah to keep her adventures secret, and to say nothing about the situation of the island. She would naturally be supposed to have come along the coast, in fulfilment of the promise she had made to visit her friends in the fine season. Her arrival would tend only to strengthen the belief of the colonists that no changes had taken place in the country around Cape Bathurst, and to set at rest the doubts any of them might have entertained. It was about three o'clock when Madge and Mrs Barnett, with Kalumah hanging on her arm, set out towards the east, ami before five o'clock in the afternoon they all arrived at the postern of the fort CHAPTER X. THE KAMTCHATKA CURRENT* can readily imagine the reception given to Kalumah by all Q lfv v C* a t the fort. It seemed to them that the communication with the outer world was reopened. Mrs Mac-Nab, M^ Rae ; and Mrs Joliffe overwhelmed her with caresses, but Kalumah* first thought was for the little child, she caught sight of him in. mediately, and running to him covered him with kisses. Tiie young native was charmed and touched with the hospitalit; of her European hosts. A positive fete was held in her honoui, and every one was delighted that she would have to remain at thi fort for the winter, the season being too far advanced for her to. gev back to the settlements of Russian America before the cold set in. But if all the settlers were agreeably surprised at the appearance of Kalumah, what must Lieutenant Hobson have thought when he saw her leaning on Mrs Barnett's arm. A sudden hope fhished across his mind like lightning, and as quickly died away : perhaps in spite of the evidence of his daily observations Victoria Island had run aground somewhere on the continent unnoticed by any of them. Mrs Barnett read the Lieutenant's thoughts in his face, and shook her head sadly. He saw that no change had taken place in their situation, and waited until Mrs Barnett was able to explain Kalumah's appear- ance. I A few minutes later he was walking along the beach with the lady, listening with great interest to her account of Kalumah's ad- ventures. So he had been right in all hia conjectures. The north-east burricane had driven the island out of the current. The ice-field had approached within a mile at least of the American continent. It had uot been a fire on board ship which they had seen, or the cry of a shipwrecked mariner which they had heard. The mainland 24O THE FUR COUNTRY. had been close at 'Band, and had the north-east wind blown hard for another hour Victoria Island would have struck againat the coast of Russian America, And then at this critical moment a fatal, a terrible wind had driven the island away from the mainland back to the open sea, and it was again in the grasp of the irresistible current, and was being carried along with a speed which nothing could check, the mighty south-east wind aiding its headlong course, to that terribly dangerous spot where it would be exposed to con- trary attractions, either of which might lead to its destruction and that of all the unfortunate people dragged along with it. For the hundredth, time the Lieutenant and Mrs Barnett dis- . cussed all the bearings of the case, and then Hobson inquired if any important changes had taken place in the appearance of the districts between Cape Bathurst and Walruses' Bay ? Mrs Barnett replied that in some places the level of the coast appeared to be lowered, and that the waves now covered tracts of Band which were formerly out of their reach. She related what had happened at Cape Esquimaux, and the important fracture which had .taken place at that part of the coast. Nothing could have been less satisfactory. It was evident that the ice-field forming the foundation of the island was breaking up. What had happened at Cape Esquimaux might at any moment be reproduced at Cape Bath'jrst. At any hour of the day or night the houses of the factory might be swallowed up by the deep, and the only thing which could save them was the winter, the bitter winter which was fortunately rapidly approaching. The next day, September 4th, when Hobson took his bearings, ha found that the position of Victoria Island had not sensibly changed since the day before. It had remained motionless between the two contrary currents, which was on the whole the very best thing that could have happened. " If only the cold would fix us where we are, if the ice-wall would shut us in, and the sea become petrified around us," exclaimed Hobson, " I should feel that our safety was assured. We are but two hundred miles from the coast at this moment, and by venturing across the frozen ice-fields we might perhaps reach eithei Russian America or Kamtchatka. Whiter, winter at any price, let the winter set in, no matter how rapidly." Meanwhile, according to the Lieutenant's orders, the preparation* for the winter were completed. Enough forage to last the dogs tJia THE KAMTCHATKA CURRENT. 241 whole of the Polar night was stored up. They were all in good health, but getting rather fat with having nothing to do. They could not be taken too much care of, as they would have to work terribly hard in the journey across the ice after the abandonment of Fort Hope. It was most important to keep up their strength, and they were fed on raw reindeer venison, plenty of which was saaily attainable. Tho tame reindeer also prospered, their stable was comfortable, and a good supply of moss was laid by for them in the magazines of the fort The females provided Mrs Joliffe with plenty of milk for her daily culinary needs. The Corporal and his little wife had also sown fresh seeds, encouraged by the success of the last in the warm season. The ground had been prepared beforehand for the planting of scurvy- grass and Labrador Tea. It was important that there should be no lack of these valuable anti-scorbutics. The sheds were filled with wood up to the very roof. Winter might come as soon as it liked now, and freeze the mercury in the cistern of the thermometer, there was no fear that they would again be reduced to burn their furniture as they had the year before. Mac-Nab and his men had become wise by experience, and the chips left from the boat-building added considerably to their stock of fuel. About this time a few animals were taken which had already assumed their winter ars, such as martens, polecats, blue fines, and ermines. Marbre and Sabine had obtained leave from the I/eu- tenant to set some traps outside the enceinte. He did not like to refuse them this permission, lest they should become discontented, as he had really no reason to assign for putting a stop to the collect- ing of furs, although he knew full well that the destruction of these harmless creatures could do nobody any good. Their flesh was, how- ever, useful for feeding the dogs, and enabled them to economise the reindeer venison. All was now prepared for the winter, and the soldiers worked with an energy which they would certainly not have shown if they had been told the secret of their situation. During the next few days the bearings were taken with the greatest care, but no change was noticeable in the situation of Victoria Island ; and Hobson, finding that it was motionless, began to hare fresh hope. Although there were as yet no symptoms of 243 THE FUR COUNTRY. winter in inorganic nature, the temperature maintaining a mean height of 49 Fahrenheit, some swans flying to the south in search of a warmer climate was a good omen. Other birds capable of a long-sustained flight over vast tracts of the ocean began to desert the island. They knew full well that the continent of Amorica and of Asia, with their less severe climates and their plentitul resources of every kind, were not far off, and that their wings were strong enough to carry them there. A good many of these birds were caught ; and by Mrs Barnett's advice the Lieutenant tied round their necks a stiff cloth ticket, on which was inscribed the position of the wandering island, and the names of its inhabi- tants. The birds were then set free, and their captors watched them wing their way to the south with envious eyes. Of course none were in the secret of the sending forth of these messengers, except Mrs Barnett, Madge, Kalumah, Hobson, and Long. The poor quadrupeds were unable to seek their usual winter *fuges in the south. Under ordinary circumstances the reindeer, Polar hares, and even the wolves would have left early in September for the shores of the Great Bear and Slave Lakes, a good many degrees farther south ; but now the sea was an insurmountable bar- rier, and they, too, would have to wait until the winter should render it passable. Le/1 by instinct they had doubtless tried to leave the island, but, turned back by the water, the instinct of self-preservation had brought them to the neighbourhood of Fort Hope, to be near the men who were once their hunters and most formidable enemies, but were no\v, like themselves, rendered compa- ratively inoffensive by their imprisonment. The observations of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8tb, and 9th September, revealed no alteration in the position of Victoria Island. The large eddy between the two currents kept it stationary. Another fifteen days, another three weeks of this state of things, and Hobson felt that they might be saved. But they were not yet cut of danger, and many terrible, almost supernatural, trials still awaited the inhabitants of Fort Hope. On the 10th of September observations showed a displacement of Victoria Island. Only a slight displacement, but in a northerly direction. Hobson was in dismay : the island was finally in the grasp of the Kamtcbatka Current, and was drifting towards the unknown latitudes THE KAMTCHATKA CURRENT. 243 where the large icebergs come into being ; it was on its way to the vast solitudes of the Arctic Ocean, interdicted to the human race, from which there is no return. Hobson did not hide this new danger from those who were in the secret of the situation. Mrs Barnett, Madge, Kalumah, and Ser- geant Long received this fresh blow with courage and resignation. " Perhaps," said Mrs Barnett, " the island may stop even yet Perhaps it will move slowly. Let us hope on .... and wait ! The winter is not far off, and we are going to meet it. In any case God's will be done ! " " My friends," said Hobson earnestly, " do yon not think I ought now to tell our comrades. You see in what a terrible position we we and all that may await us ! Is it not taking too great a respon- sibility to keep them in ignorance of the peril they are in ? " " I should wait a little longer," replied Mrs Barnett without hesitation ; " I *>x>uld not give them all over to despair until the last chance is gone." " That is my opinion also," said Long. Hobson had thought the same, and was glad to find that his companions agreed with him in the matter. On the llth and 12th September, the motion towards the north was more noticeable. Victoria Island was drifting at a rate of from twelve to thirteen miles a day, so that each day took them the Baine distance farther from the land and nearer to the north. They were, in short, following the decided course made by the Kamtchatka Current, and would quickly pass that seventieth degree which once cut across the extremity of Cape Bathurst, and beyond which no land of any kind was to be met with in this part of the Arctic Ocean. Every day Hobson looked out their position on the map, and saw only too clearly to what awful solitudes the wandering island waa drifting. The only hope left consisted, as Mrs Barnett had said, in the fact that they were going to meet the winter. In thus drifting towards the north they would soon encounter those ice-cold waters, which would consolidate and strengthen the foundations of the island. But if the danger of being swallowed up by the waves was decreased, would not the unfortunate colonists have an immense distance to traverse to get back from these remote northern regions ? Had the boat been finished, Lieutenant Hobson would not have 244 THE FJR COUNTRY. hesitated to embark the whole party in it, but in spite of the zealona efforts of the carpenter it was not nearly ready, and indeed it taxed Mac-Nab's powers to the uttermost to construct a vessel on which to trust the lives of twenty persons in such a dangerous sea. By the 16th September Victoria Island was between seventy- three and eighty miles north of the spot where its course had been arrested for a few days between the Behring and Kamtchatka Cur- rents. There were now, however, many signs of the approach of winter. Snow fell frequently and in large flakes. The column of mercury fell gradually. The mean temperature was still 44 Fahren- heit during the day, but at night it fell to 32. The sun described an extremely lengthened curve above the horizon, not rising more than a few degrees even at noon, and disappearing for eleven hours out of every twenty-four. At hist, on the night of the 16th September, the first signs of ice appeared upon the sea i$ the shape of small isolated crystals like snow, which stained the clear surface of the water. As was noticed by the famous explorer Scoresby, these crystals immedi- ately calmed the waves, like the oil which sailors pour upon the sea to produce a momentary cessation of its agitation. These crystals showed a tendency to weld themselves together, but they were broken and separated by the motion of the water as soon aa they had combined to any extent. Hobson watched the appearance of the " young ice " with extreme attention. He knew that twenty-four hours would suffice to make the ice-crust two or three inches thick, strong enough in fact to bear the weight of a man. He therefore expected that Victoria Island would shortly be arrested in its course to the north. But the day undid the work of the night, and if the speed of the island slackened during the darkness in consequence of the obstacles in its path, they were removed in the next twelve hours, and the island was carried rapidly along again by the powerful current. The distance from the northern regions became daily less, and nothing could^be done to lessen the evil. At the autumnal equinox on the 21st of September, the day and night were of equal length, and from that date the night gradually became longer and longer. The winter was coming at last, but it did not set in rapidly or with any rigour. Victoria Island was now nearly a degree farther north than the seventieth parallel ; and THE KAMTCHATRA CURRENT. on this 21st September, a rotating motion was for the first time noticed, a motion estimated by Hobsou at about a quarter of tha circumference. Imagine the anxiety of the unfortunate Lieutenant. The secret Le had BO long carefully kept was now about to be betrayed by nature to the least clear-sighted. Of course the rotation altered tha cardinal points of the island. Cape Bathurst no longer pointed to the north, but to the east. The sun, moon, and stars rose and set on a different horizon, and it was impossible that men like Mac- Nab, Rae, Marbre and others, accustomed to note the signs of the heavens, could fail to be struck by the change, and understand its meaning. To Hobson's great satisfaction, however, the brave soldiers appeared to notice nothing ; the displacement with regard to the cardinal points was not, it was true, very considerable, and it was often too foggy for the rising and setting of the heavenly bodie to be accurately observed. Unfortunately the rotation appeared to be accompanied by an increase of speed. From that date Victoria Island drifted at the rate of a mile an hour. It advanced farther and farther north, farther and farther away from all land. Hobson did i:nt even yet despair, for it was not in his nature to do so, but be felt confused and astray, and longed for the winter with all his heart. At last tha temperature began to fall still lower. Snow fell plenti- fully on the 23d and 24th September, and increased the thicknest of the coating of ice on tho sea. Gradually the vast ice-field was formed on every side, the island in its advance continually broke it up, but each day it became firmer and better able to resist. The eea succumbed to the petrifying hand of winter, and became frozen as far as the eye could reach, and on September 27th, when the bearings were taken, it was found that Victoria Island had not moved since the day before. It was imprisoned in a vast ice-field, it was motionless in longitude 177 22', and latitude 77* 67' acre than six hundred miles from any continent. CHAPTER XL A COMMUNICATION PROM LIEUTENANT HOBSON* UGH was the situation. To use Sergeant Long's expression, the island had " cast anchor," and was as stationary as when the isthmus connected it with the mainland. But eir hundred miles now separated it from inhabited countries, six hundred miles which would have to be traversed in sledges across the solidified surface of the sea, amongst the icebergs which the cold would build up, in the bitterest months of the Arctic winter. It would be a fearful undertaking, but hesitation was impossible. The winter, for which Lieutenant Hobson had so ardently longed, had come at last, and arrested the fatal march of the island to the north. It would throw a bridge six hundred miles long from their desolate home to the continents on the south, and the new chances of safety must not be neglected, every effort must be made to restore the colonists, so long lost in the hyperborean regions, to their friends. As Hobson explained to his companions, it would be madness to linger till the spring should again thaw the ice, which would be to abandon themselves once more to the capricious Bearing currents. They must wait until the sea was quite firmly frozen over, which at the most would be in another three or four weeks. Meanwhile the Lieutenant proposed making frequent excursions on the ice-field encircling the island, in order to ascertain its thickness, its suita- bility for the passage of sledges, and the best route to take across it so as to reach the shores of Asia or America. " Of course," observed Hobson to Mrs Barnett and Sergeant Long, " we would all rather make for Russian America than Asia, if a choice is open to us." " Kalumah will be very useful to us," said Mrs Barnett, " for aa ft native she will be thoroughly acquainted with the whole of Alaska." " Yes, indeed," replied Hobson, " her arrival was most fortunate A COMMUNICATION. 247 for us. Thanks to her, we shall be easily able to get to the settle- ment of Fort Michael on Norton Sound, perhaps even to New Arch- angel, a good deal farther south, where we can pass the rest of the winter." " Poor Fort Hope ! " exclaimed Mrs Barnett, " it goes to my heart to think of abandoning it on this island. It has been built at the cost of so much trouble and fatigue, everything about it has been so admirably arranged by you, Lieutenant 1 I feel as if my heart would break when we leave it finally." " You will not suffer more than I shall, madam," replied Hobson, " and perhaps not so much. It is the chief work of my life ; I Lava devoted all my powers to the foundation of Fort Hope, so unfortu- nately named, and I shall never cease to regret having to leave it. And what will the Company say which confided this task to me, for after all I am but its humble agent." " It will say," cried Mrs Barnett with enthusiasm, "it will say that you have done your duty, that you are not responsible for the caprices of nature, which is ever more powerful than man. It will understand that you could not foresee what has happened, for it was beyond the penetration of the most far-sighted man, and it will know that it owes the preservation of the whole party to your prudence and moral courage." "Thank you, madam," replied the Lieutenant, pressing Mrs Barnett's hand, " thank you for your warm-hearted words. But I have had some experience of men, and I know that success is always admired and failure condemned. But the will of Heaven be done ! " Sergeant Long, anxious to turn the Lieutenant from his melan- choly thoughts, now began to talk about the preparations for the approaching departure, and asked if it was not time to tell hia comrades the truth. " Let us wait a little longer," replied Hobson. " We have saved the poor fellows much anxiety and worry already, let us keep silent until the day ia fixed for the start, and then we will reveal the whole truth." This point being decided, the ordinary occupations of the factory went on for a few weeks longer. How different was the situation of the colonists a year ago, when they were all looking forward to the future in happy unconscious- ness I THE FUR COUNTRY. A year ago the first symptoms of the cold season were appearing, even as they were now. The " young ice " was gradually forming along the coast. The lagoon, its waters being quieter than those of the sea, was the first to freeze over. The temperature remained about one or two degrees above freezing point in the day, and fell to three or four degrees below in the night. Hobson again made his men assume their winter garments, the linen vests and furs before described. The condensers were again set up inside the house, the air vessel and air-pumps were cleaned, the traps were set round the palisades on different parts of Cape Bathurst, and Marbre and Subine got plenty of game, and finally the last touches were given to the inner rooms of the principal house. Although Fort Hope was now about two degrees farther north than at the same time the year before, there was no sensible difference in the state of the temperature. The fact is, the distance between the seventieth and seventy-second parallels is not great enough to affect the mean height of the thermometer ; on the con- trary, it really seemed to be less cold than at the beginning of the winter before. Perhaps, however, that was because the colonists were now, to a certain extent, acclimatised. Certainly the winter did not set in so abruptly as last time. The weather was very damp, and the atmosphere was always charged with vapour, which fell now as rain now as snow. In Lieutenant Hobson's opinion, at least, it was not nearly cold enough. The sea froze all round the island, it is true, but not in a regular or continuous sheet of ice. Large blackish patches here and there showed that the icicles were not thoroughly cemented together. Loud resonant noises were constantly heard, produced by the breaking of the ice-field when the rain melted the imperfectly welded edges of the blocks composing it. There was no rapid accumulation of lump upon lump such as is generally seen in intense cold. Icebergs and hummocks were few and scattered, and no ice-wall as yet shut in the horizon. " This season would have been just the thing for the explorers of the North- West Passage, or the seekers of the North Pole," repeated Sergeant Long again and again, " but it is most unfavourable for us, and very much against our ever getting back to our own land ! " This went on throughout October, and Hobson announced that the raeau temperature waa no lower than 32* Fahrenheiti and it is A COMMUNICATION. 249 well known that several days of cold, 7* or. 8* below zero, aro re- quired for the sea to freeze hard. Had proof been needed that the ice-field was impassable, a fact noticed by Mrs Barnett and Hobson would have sufficed. The animals imprisoned in the island, the furred animals, rein- deer, wolves, aftoa a most arduous journey. They had now nothing to depend on but the boat, and that they could not use until the sea was open, which would not be for six months. Preparations for another winter were therefore made. The ledges were unloaded, the provisions put back in the pantry, and the clothes, arms, furs, above the horizon, the nights were, however, still very long, and, as is often the case in February, the cold in- creased, the thermometer marking only 1 Fahrenh it, the lowest temperature experienced throughout this extraordinary winter. " When does the thaw commence in these northern seas 1 " inquired Mrs Barnett of the Lieutenant, " In ordinary seasons," replied Hobson, " the ice does not break up until early in May ; but the winter has been so mild that unless a very hard frost should now set in, the thaw may eminence at th beginning of April. At least that is m opinion." " We shall still have two months to > ait then 1 " " Yes, two months, for it would no be prudent to launch OIK boat too soon amongst the floating ice; and I think our best plan will be to wait until our island has reached the narrowest part o* Behring Strait, which is not more than two hundred miles wide." " What do you mean I " exclaimed Mrs Barnett, considerably surprised at the Lieutenant's reply. " Have you forgotten that it was the Kamtchatka Currest which brought us where we now are, and which may seize us again when the thaw sets in and carry us yet farther north ] " " I do not think it will, madam ; indeed I feel quite sure that that will not happen. The thaw always ta' es place from north to south, and although the Kamtchatka Current runs the other way, the ice always goes down the Behring Current. Other reasons there are for my opinion which I cannot now enumerate. But the icebergs invariably drift towards the Pacific, and are there melted by its warmer waters. Ask Kaluraah if I am not right. She knows these latitudes well, and will tell you that the thaw always proceeds from the north to the south." 2/4 THE FUR COUNTRY. Kalumah when questioned confirmed all that the Lieutenant had said, so that it appeared probable that the island would be drifted to the south like a huge ice-floe, that is to say, to the narrowest part of Behring Strait, which is much frequented in the summer by the fishermen of New Archangel, who are the most experienced mariners of those waters. Making allowance for all delays they might then hope to set foot on the continent before May, and although the cold had not been very intense there was every reason to believe that the ' foundations of Victoria Island had been thickened and strengthened by a fresh accumulation of ice at the base, and that it would hold together for several months to come. There was then nothing for the colonists to do but to wait patiently, still to wait ! The convalescence of little Michael continued to progress favour- ably. On the 20th of February he went out for the first time, forty days after he was taken ill. By this we mean that he went from his bedroom into the large room, where he was petted and made much of. His mother, acting by Madge's advice, put off weaning him for some little time, and he soon got back his strength. The soldiers had made many little toys for him during his illness, and he was now as happy as any child in the wide world. The last week of February was very wet, rain and snow falling alternately. A strong wind blew from the north-west, and the temperature was low enough for large quantities of snow to fall ; the gale, however, increased in violence, and on the side of Cape Bathurst and the cftain of icebergs the noise of the tempest was deafening. The huge ice-masses were flung against each other, and fell with a roar like that of thunder. The ice on the north was compressed and piled up on the shores of the island. There really seemed to be a danger that the cape itself which was but a kind of iceberg capped with earth and sand would be flung down. Some large pieces of ice, in spite of their weight, were driven to the very foot of the palisaded enceinte ; but fortunately for the factory the cape retained its position ; had it given way all the buildings must inevitably have been crushed beneath it. It will be easily understood that the position of Victoria Island, at the opening of a narrow strait about which the ice accumulated in large quantities, was extremely perilous , for it might at any time be th surface was rotten underneath, and she would scud across an icefield riddled with fissures without a moment's hesita- tion. From the 20tfc to the 30th March, the thaw made rapid progress. Rain fell abandsintly and accelerated the dissolution of the ice. It was to be hoped that the ice-field would soon open right across, and that in about fifteen days Hobson would be able to steer his boat into the open sea. He was determined to lose no time, as he did not know but that the Kamtchatka Current might sweep the island to the north before it could coine under the influence of the Behring Current. " But," Kalumah repeated again and again, " there is no fear of that, the breaking up of the ice does not proceed upwards but downwards. The danger is there!" she added, pointing to the south in the direction of the vast Pacific Ocean. The young girl's confidence on this point reassured Hobson, for he had no reason now to dread the falling to pieces of the island in the warm waters of the Pacific. Ho meant everybody to be on board the boat before that could happen, and they would not have far to go to get to one or the other continent, as the strait is in reality a kind of funnel through which the waters flow between Cape East on the Asiatic side and Cape Prince of Wales on the American. This will explain the eager attention with which the slightest change in the position of the island was noticed. The bearings were taken every day, and everything was prepared for an approach ing and perhaps sudden and hurried embarkation. Of course all the ordinary avocations of the factory were now discontinued. There was no hunting or setting of traps. The magazines were already piled up with furs, most of which would be lost. The hunters and trappers had literally nothing to do ; but Mac-Nab and his men, having finished their boat, employed their .leisure time in strengthening the principal house of the fort, which would probably be subjected to considerable pressure from the accumulation of ice on the coast during the further progress of the thaw, unless indeed Cape Bathurat should prove a sufficient protea THE BREAK-UP OF THE ICE. 285 tion. Strong struts were fixed against the outside walls, vertical props were placed inside the rooms to afford additional support to ^he beams of the ceiling, and the roof was strengthened so that it could bear a considerable weight. These various works were com- pleted early in April, and their utility, or rather their vital import- ance, was very soon manifested. Each day brought fresh symptoms of returning spring, which seemed likely to set in early after this strangely mild Polar winter. A few tender shoots appeared upon the trees, and the newly-thawed sap swelled the bark of beeches, willows, and arbutus. Tiny mosses tinged with pale green the slopes under the direct influence of the aunbeams ; but they were not likely to spread much, as the greedy rodents collected about the fort pounced upon and devoured them almost before they were above the ground. Great were the sufferings of Corporal Joliffe at this time. We know that he had undertaken to protect the plot of ground culti- vated by his wife. Under ordinary circumstances he would merely have had to drive away feathered pilferers, such as guillemots or puffins, from his sorrel and scurvy-grass. A scarecrow would have been enough to get rid of them, still more the Corporal in person. But now all the rodents and ruminants of the Arctic fauna con- bined to lay siege to his territory ; reindeer, Polar hares, musk-rats, shrews, martens, fec., braved all the threatening gestures of the Cor- poral, and the poor man was in despair, for whilst he was defending one end of his field the enemy was preying upon the other. It would certainly have been wiser to let the poor creatures enjoy unmolested the crops which could be of no use to the colonists, as the fort was to be so soon abandoned, and Mrs Barnett tried to per- suade the angry Corporal to do so, when he came to her twenty times a day with the same wearisome tale, but he would not listen to her : " To lose the fruit of all our trouble ! " he repeated; " to leave an establishment which was prospering so well ! To give up the plants Mrs Joliffe and I sowed so carefully ! . . . O madam, sometimes I feel disposed to let you all go, and stay here with my wife ! I am sure the Company would give up all chum on the island to us" Mrs Barnett could not help laughing at this absurd speech, and Bent the Corporal to his little wife, who had long ago resigned herself to the loss of her sorrel, scurvy-grass, and other medicinal herbs. THE FUR LOUNTRY. We must here remark, that the health of all the colonists remained good, they had at least escaped illness ; the baby, too, was now quite well again, and throve admirably in the mild weather of the early pring. The thaw continued to proceed rapidly from the 2nd to the 5th April. The weather was warm but cloudy, and rain fell frequently in large drops. The wind blew from the south-west, and was ladea with the heated dust of the continent. Unfortunately the sky was so hazy, that it was quite impossible to take observations, neither sun, moon, nor stars could be seen through the heavy mists, and this was the more provoking, as it was of the greatest importance to note the slightest movements of the island. It was on the night of the 7th April that the actual breaking up of the ice commenced. In the morning the Lieutenant, Mrs Bar- nett, Kalumah, and Sergeant Long, had climbed to the summit of Cape Bathurst, and saw that a great change had taken place in the chain of icebergs. The huge barrier had parted nearly in the middle, and now formed two separate masses, the larger of which seemed to be moving northwards. Was it the Kamtchatka Current which produced this motion 1 Would the floating island take the same direction ? The intense anxiety of the Lieutenant and his companions can easily be imagined. Their fate might now be decided in a few hours, and if they should be drifted some hundred miles to the north, it would be very difficult to reach the continent in a vessel so small as theirs. Unfortunately it was impossible to ascertain the nature or extent of the displacement which was going on. One thing was, however, evident, the island was not yet moving, at least not in the same direction as the ice-wall. It therefore seemed probable that whilst part of the ice-field was floating to the north, that portion immediately surrounding the island still remained stationary. This displacement of the icebergs did not in the least alter the opinion of the young Esquimaux. Kalumah still maintained that the thaw would proceed from north to south, and that the ice-wall would shortly feel the influence of the Behring Current. To make herself more easily understood, she traced the direction of the current on the sand with a little piece of wood, and made signs that in following it the island must approach the American con- tinent. No argument could shake her conviction on this point, and THE BREAK-UP OF THE ICE. 287 it was almost impossible not to feel reassured when listening to the confident expressions of the intelligent native girl. The events of the 8th, 9th, and 10th April, seemed, however, to prove Kalumah to be in the wrong. The northern portion of the chain of icebergs drifted farther and farther north. The breaking up of the ice proceeded rapidly and with a great noise, and the ice-field opened all round the island with a deafening crash. Out of doors it was impossible to hear one's self speak, a ceaseless roar like that of artillery drowned every other sound. About half a mile from the coast on that part of the island over- looked by Cape Bathurst, the blocks of ice were already beginning to crowd together, and to pile themselves upon each other. The ice-wall had broken up into numerous separate icebergs, which were drifting towards the north. At least it seemed as if they were mov- ing in that direction. Hobson became more and more uneasy, and nothing that Kalumah could say reassured him. He replied by counter-arguments, which could not shake her faith in her own belief. At last, on the morning of the llth April, fiobson showed Kalumah the last icebergs disappearing in the north, and again endeavoured to prove to her that facts were against her " No, no ! " replied Kalumah, with an air of greater conviction than ever, " no, the icebergs are not going to the north, but our island is going to the south ! " She might perhaps be right after all, and Hobson was much struck by this last reply. It was really possible that the motion of the icebergs towards the north was only apparent, and that Victoria Island, dragged along with the ice-field, was drifting towards the strait. But it was impossible to ascertain whether this were really the case, as neither the latitude nor longitude could be taken. The situation was aggravated by a phenomenon peculiar to the Polar regions, which rendered it still darker and more impossible to take observations of any kind. At the very time of the breaking up of the ice, the tempera- ture fell several degrees. A dense mist presently enveloped the Arctic latitudes, but not an ordinary mist. The soil was covered with a white crust, totally distinct from hoar-frostit was, in fact, a watery vapour which congeals on its precipitation. The minute particles of which this mist w*s composed formed a thick layer on trees, shrubs, the walls ci tfct> fort, and any projecting surfaces 288 THE FUR COUNTRY. which bristled with pyramidal or prismatic crystals, the apexes ol which pointed to the wind. Hobson at once understood the nature of this atmospheric phenomenon, which whalers and explorers have often noticed in the spring in the Polar regions. "It is not a mist or fog/' he said to his companions, "it is a 'frost- rime,' a 'dense vapour which remains in a state of complete con- gelation." But whether a fog or a frozen mist this phenomena was none the less to be regretted, for it rose a hundred feet at least above the level of the sea, and it was so opaque that the colonists could not see each other when only two or three paces apart. Every one's disappointment was very great. Nature really seemed determined to try them to the uttermost. When the break up of the ice had come at last, when the wandering island was to leave the spot in which it had so long been imprisoned, and its movements ought to be watched with the greatest care, this fog prevented all observations. This state of things continued for four days. The frost-rime did not disappear until the 15th April, but on the morning of that date a strong wind from the south rent it open and dispersed it. The sun shone brightly once more, and Hobson eagerly seized his instruments. He took the altitude, and found that the exact position of Victoria Island was then : Latitude, 69 67' ; longitude, 179 33'. Kalumah was right, Victoria Island, in the grasp of the Current, waa drifting towards the south. CHAPTER THB A VALANCHR. colonists were then at last approaching tie more frequented latitudes of Behring Sea. There was no longer any danger that they would be drifted to the north, and all they had to do was to watch the displacement of the island, and to estimate the speed of its motion, which would probably be very unequal, on account of the obstacles in its path. Hobson most carefully noted every incident, taking alternately solar and stellar altitudes, and the next day, April 16th, after ascertaining the bearings, he calculated that if its present speed were maintained, Victoria Island would reach the Arctic Circle, from which it was now separated at the most by four degrees of latitude, towards the beginning of May. It was probable that, when the island reached the narrowest portion of the strait, it would remain stationary until the thaw broke it up, the boat wouiti then be launched, and the colonists would set sail for the American continent. Everything was ready for an immediate embarkation, and the inhabitants of the island waited with greater patience and confidence than ever. They felt, poor things, that the end of their trials was surely near at last, and that nothing could prevent their landing on one side or the other of the strait in a few dayn. This prospect cheered them up wonderfully, and the gaiety natural to them all, which they had lost in the terrible anxiety they had so long endured, was restored. The common meals were quite festal, as there was no need for economising the stores under present circumstances. The influence of the spring became more and more sensibly felt, and every one enjoyed the balmy air, and breathed more freely than before. During the next few days, several excursions were made to the interior of the island and along the coast. Everywhere the furred animals, do but to prepare the food, which the men devoured iu their .--hort intervals of repose. The boring proceeded without liny very great difficulty, but the ice was so hard that the progress was but slow. At the end of the eecond day Mac-Nab had nearly reached the layer of earth and Band, and could not hope t<~ qet to the top of the house before the end of the next day. Night fell, but the work was continued by the light of torches. A " snow-house " was hastily dug out in one of the hummocks on the shore as a temporary shelter for the women and the little boy. The wind had veered to the south-west, and a cold rain began to fall, accompanied with occasional squalls ; but neither th* Lieutenant; not his men dreamt of leaving (>ff work. ALL AT WORK. 299 Now began the worst part of the task. It was really impossible to bore in the shifting masses of sand and earth, and it became necessary to prop up the sides of the shaft with wood, the loose earth being drawn to the surface in a bucket hung on a rope. Of course under the circumstances the work could not proceed rapidly, falls might occur at any moment, and the miners were in danger of being buried in their turn. Mac-Nab was generally the one to remain at the bottom of the narrow shaft, directing the excavation, and frequently sounding with a long pick, but as it met with no resistance, it waa evident that it did not reach the roof of the house. When the morning once more dawned, only ten feet had been excavated in the mass of earth and sand, so that twenty remained to be bored through before the roof of the house could be reached, that is to say, if it had not given way, and still occupied the position it did before the fall of the avalanche. It was now fifty-four hours since Mrs Barnett and her com- panions were buried ! Mac-Nab and the Lieutenant often wondered if they on their side had made any effort to open a communication with the outer air. They felt sure that with her usual courage, Mrs Barnett would have tried to find some way out if her movements were free. Some tools had been left in the house, and Kellet, one of the carpentar's men, remembered leaving his pickaxe in the kitchen. The prisoners might have broken open one of the doors and begun to pierce a gallery across the layer of earth. But such a gallery could only be driven in a horizontal direction, and would be a much longer business than the sinking of a shaft from above, for the masses flung down by the avalanche, although only sixty feet deep, covered a space mm-.- than five hundred feet in diameter. Of course the prisoners could not be aware of this fact, and if they should succeed in boring their horizontal gallery, it would be eight days at least before they could cut through the last layer of ice, and by that time they would be totally deprived of air, if not of food. Nevertheless the Lieutenant carefully went over every portion of the accumulation himself, and listened intently for any sounds of subterranean digging, but he heard nothing. On the return of day the men toiled with fresh energy, bucket after bucket was drawn to the surface of the shaft loaded with earth. The clumsy wooden props answered admirably in keeping \he e&rth 3 THE FUR COUNTRY. from filling in the pit, a few falls occurred, but they were rapidly checked, and no fresh misfortunes occurred throughout the day, except that the soldier Garry received a blow on the head from a falling block of ice. The wound was not however severe, and he would not leave his work. At four o'clock the shaft was fifty feet deep altogether, having been sunk through twenty feet of ice and thirty of sand and earth. It was at this depth that Mac-Nab had expected to reach the roof of the house, if it had resisted the pressure of the avalanche. He was then at the bottom of the shaft, and his disappointment and dismay can be imagined when, on driving his pickaxe into the ground as far as it would go, it met with no resistance whatever. Sabine was with him, and for a few moments he remained with his arms crossed, silently looking at his companion. " No roof then ? " inquired the hunter. " Nothing whatever," replied the carpenter, " but let us work on, the roof has bent of course, but the floor of the loft cannot have given way. Another ten feet and we shall come to that floor, or else" Mac-Nab did not finish his sentence, and the two resumed their work with the strength of despair. At six o'clock in the evening, another ten or twelve feet had been dug out. Mac-Nab sounded again, nothing yet, his pick still sunk in the shifting earth, and flinging it from him, he buried his face in hia hands and muttered " Poor things, poor things ! n He then climbed to the opening of the shaft by means of the wood- work. The Lieutenant and the Sergeant were together in greater anxiety tli an ever, and taking them aside, the carpenter told them of his dreadful disappointment. " Then," observed Hobson, " the house must have been crushed by the avalanche, and the poor people in it " " No ! " cried the' head-car neuter with earnest conviction, "no, it cannot have been crushed, it must have resisted, strengthened as it was. It cannot it cannot have been crushed ! " " Well, then, what has happened ? " said the Lieutenant in a broken voice, his eyes filling with tears. " Simply this," replied Mac- Nab, " the house itself has remained ALL AT WORK. 301 Intact, but the ground on which it was built must have sunk. Th house has gone through the crust of ice which forms the foundation of the island. It has not been crushed, but engulfed, and the poor creatures in it " " Are drowned ! " cried Long. " Yes, Sergeant, drowned without a moment's notice drowned like passengers on a foundered vessel ! " For some minutes the three men remained silent. Mac-Nab's idea was probably correct. Nothing was more likely than that the ice forming the foundation of the island had given way under such enormous pressure. The vertical props which supported the beams of the ceiling, and rested on those of the floor, had evidently aided the catastrophe by their weight, and the whole house had been engulfed. " Well, Mac-Nab," said Hobson at last, " if we cannot find them alive " " We must recover their bodies," added the head carpenter. " And with these words Mac-Nab, accompanied by the Lieutenant, went back to his work at the bottom of the shaft without a word to any of his comrades of the terrible form his anxiety had now assumed. The excavation continued throughout the night, the men reliev- ing each other every hour, and Hobson and Mac-Nab watched them at work without a moment's rest. At three o'clock in the morning Kellet's pickaxe struck against something hard, which gave out a ringing sound. The head carpenter felt it almost before he heard it. " We have reached them ! " cried the soldier, " they are saved." " Hold your tongue, and go on working,' 1 replied the Lieutenant in a choked voice. It was now seventy-six hours since the avalanche fell upon the house ! Kellet and his companion Pond resumed their work. The shaft must have nearly reached the level of the sea, and Mac-Nab there- fore felt that all hope was gone. In less than twenty minutes the hard body which Kellet had truck was uncovered, and proved to be one of the rafters of the roof. The carpenter flung himself to the bottom of the shaft, and seizing a pickaxe sent the laths of the roof flying on every side. In a few moments a large aperture was made, and a figure appeared at it which it was difficult to recognise in the darkcssa. 3O2 THE FUR COUNTRY. It was Kalumah I " Help ! help ! " she murmured feebly. Hobsou let himself down through the opening, and found himself up to the walt in ice-cold water. Strange to say, the roof had n^ given way, but as Mac-Nab had supposed, the house had sunk, and was full of water. The water did not, however, yet fill the loft, and was not more than a foot above the floor. There was still a faint hope! The Lieutenant, feeling his way in the darkness, came across a motionless body, and dragging it to the opening he consigned it to Pond and Kellet. It was Thomas Black. Madge, also senseless, was next found ; and she and the astro, nomer were drawn up to the surface of the ground with ropes, where the open air gradually restored them to consciousness. Mrs Barnett was still missing, but Kalumah led Hobson to the very end of the loft, and there he found the unhappy lady motionless and insensible, with her head scarcely out of the water. The Lieutenant lifted her in his arms and carried her to the opening, and a few moments later he had reached the outer air with his burden, followed by Mac-Nab with Kalumah. Every one gathered round Mrs Barnett in silent anxiety, and poor Kalumah, exhausted as she was, flung herself across her friend's body. Mrs Barnett still breathed, her heart still beat feebly, and revived by the pure fresh air she at last opened her eyes. A cry of joy burst from every lip, a cry of gratitude to Heaven for the great mercy vouchsafed, which was doubtless heard above. Day was now breaking in the east, the sun was rising above the horizon, lighting up the ocean with its brilliant beams, and Mra f Barnett painfully staggered to her feet. Looking round her from the summit of the new mountain formed by the avalanche, which overlooked the whole island, she murmured in a changed and hollow* voice "The sea! the sea!" Yes, the ocean now encircled the wandering island, the sea was open at last, and a true sea-horkou shut in the view from east to went CHAPTER XIX BEHRING SEA. \ HE island, driven by the ice-wall, had then drifted at a great speed into Behring Sea, after crossing the strait with- out running aground on its shores ! It was still hurrying on before the icy barrier, which was in the grasp of a powerful sub- marine current, hastening onwards on to its inevitable dissolution in the warmer waters of the Pacific, and the boat on which all had depended was useless ! As soon as Mrs Barnett had entirely recovered consciousness, she related in a few words the history of the seventy-four hours spent in the house now in the water. Thomas Black, Madge, and Kaluraah had been aroused by the crash of the avalanche, and had rushed to the doors or windows. There was no longer any possibility of getting out, the mass of earth and sand, which was but a moment before Cape Bathurst, completely covered the house, and almost immediately afterwards the prisoners heard the crash of the huge ice- masses which were flung upon the factory. In another quarter of an hour all felt that the house, whilst resisting the enormous pressure, was sinking through the soil of the island. They knew that the crust of the ice must have given way, and that the house would fill with water ! To seize a few provisions remaining in the pantry, and to take refuge in the loft, was the work of a moment. This the poor crea- tures did from a dim instinct of self-preservation, but what hope could they really have of being saved ! However, the loft seemed likely to resist, and two blocks of ice abutting from the roof saved it from being immediately crushed. Whilst thus imprisoned the poor creatures could hear the constant falls from the icebergs, whilst the sea was gradually rising through the lower rooms. They must either be crushed or drowned ! But by little short of a miracle, the roof of the house, with ita 3O4 THE FUR COUNTRY. strong framework, resisted the pressure, and after sinking a certain depth the house remained stationary, with the water rather above the floor of the loft. The prisoners were obliged to take refuga amongst the rafters of the roof, and there they remained for many hours. Kaluruah devoted herself to the service of the others, and carried food to them through the water. They could make no attempt to save themselves, succour could only come from without. It was a terrible situation, for breathing was difficult in the vitiated air deficient as it was in oxygen, and charged with a great excess of carbonic acid ... A few hours later Hobson would only have found the corpses of his friends ! The horror ot the position was increased by the gushing cf the water through the lower rooms, which convinced Mrs Barnett that the island was drifting to the south. She had, in fact, guessed the whole truth ; she knew that the ice-wall had heeled over and fallen upon the island, and concluded that the boat was destroyed. It was this last fact which gave such terrible significance to her first words when she looked around her after her swoon " The sea ! the sea ! " Those about her, however, could think of nothing yet but the fact, that they had saved her for whom they would have died, and with her Madge, Kalumah, and Thomas Black. Thus far not one of those who had joined the Lieutenant in his disastrous expedition had succumbed to any of the fearful dangers through which they had passed. But matters were not yet at their worst, and fresh troubles were soon to hasten the final catastrophe. Hobson's first care after Mrs Barnett's recovery was to take the bearings of the island. It was useless now to think of quitting it, as the sea was open and their boat destroyed. A few ruins alone remained of the mighty ice-wall, the upper portion of which had crushed Cape Bathurst whilst the submerged base was driving the island to the south. The instruments and maps belonging to the astronomer were found in the ruins of the house, and were fortunately uninjured. The weather was cloudy, but Hobson succeeded in taking the altitude of the sun with sufficienct accuracy for his purpose. We give the result obtained at noon on the 12th May. Victoria Island was then situated in longitude 168 12' west of Greenwich, and in latitude 63* 37' N. The exact spot was looked out on the chart, BEHRING SBA. 305 and proved to be in Norton Sound, between Cape Tchaplin on the siatic and Cape Stephens on the American coast, but a hundred miles from either. " We must give up all hope of making the land of the continent then ! " said Mrs Barnett. " Yes, madam," replied Hobson ; " all hope of that is at an end ; the current is carrying tis with great rapidity out into the offing, and our only chance is, that we may pass within sight of a whaler/ " Well, but," added Mrs Barnett, " if we cannot make the land of either continent, might not the current drive us on to one of the islands of Behring Sea ? " There was, in fact, a slight possibility that such a thing might happen, and all eagerly clutched at the hope, like a drowning man at a plank. There are plenty of islands in Behring Sea, St Lawrence, St Matthew, Nunivak, St Paul, George Island, to work with a hearty good- will, and in a few days a shelter was provided from the inclemencies of the fickle weather. Search was also made in the ruins of the large house, and a good many articles of more or less value were saved from the sub- merged rooms tools, arms, furniture, the air pumps, and the ai vessel, Un lagoon, which was not large enough to be lost upon it CHAPTER FOUR FOLLOWING DAYS. E night was calm, and in the morning the Lieutenant n> solved to order the embarkation of everything and every- body that very day. He, therefore, went down to the lake to look at the raft. The fog was still thick, but the sunbeams were beginning to struggle through it. The clouds had been swept away by the hurricane of the preceding day, and it seemed likely to be hot. When Hobson reached the banks of the lake, the fog was still too dense for him to make out anything on its surface, and he was waiting for it to clear away, when he was joined by Mrs Barnett, Madge, and several others. The fog gradually cleared on*, drawing back to the end of tha lake, but the raft was nowhere to be Been. Presently a gust of wind completely swept away the fog. The raft was gone ! There was no longer a lake ! Tho boundleai ocean stretched away before the astonished colonists ! Hobson could not check a cry of despair ; and when he and his companions turned round and saw the sea on every side, they realised with a shock of horror that their island was now nothing more than an islet I During the night six-sevenths of the district once belonging to Cape Bathurst had silently floated away, without producing a shock of any kind, so completely had the ice been worn away by the con- stant action of the waves, the raft had drifted out into the offing, and those whose last hope it had been could not see a sign of it on the desolate sea. The unfortunate colonists were now overwhelmed with despair ; their last hope gone, they were hanging above an awful abyss ready to swallow them up ; and some of the soldiers in a fit of madness were about to throw themselves into the sea, when Mrs Barnett THE FOUR FOLLOWING DAYS. 32 1 flung herself before them, entreating them to desist. They yielded, some of them weeping like children. The awful situation of the colonists was indeed manifest enough, and we may well pity the Lieutenant surrounded by the miserable despairing creatures. Twenty-one persons on an islet of ice which must quickly melt beneath their feet ! The wooded hills had disap- peared with the mass of the island now engulfed ; not a tree was left. There was no wood remaining but the planks of the rough lodging, which would not be nearly enough to build a raft to hold so many. A few days of life were all the colonists could now hope for; June had set in, the mean temperature exceeded 68 Fahrenheit, and the islet must rapidly melt. As a forlorn hope, Hobson thought he would make a reconais- sance of his limited domain, and see if any part of it was thicker than where they were all now encamped. In this excursion he was accompanied by Mrs Barnett and Madge. " Do you still hope ? " inquired the lady of her faithful com- panion. " I hope ever ! " replied Madge. Mrs Barnett did not answer, but walked rapidly along the coast at the Lieutenant's side. No alteration had taken place between Cape Bathurst and Cape Esquimaux, that is to say, for a distance of eight miles. It was at Cape Esquimaux that the fracture had taken place, and running inland, it followed a curved line as far as the beginning of the lagoon, from which point the shores of the lake, now bathed by the waves of the sea, formed the new coast-line. Towards the upper part of the lagoon there was another fracture, running as far as the coast, between Cape Bathurst and what was once Port Barnett, so that the islet was merely an oblong strip, not more than a mile wide anywhere. Of the hundred and forty square miles which once formed the total superficial area of the island, only twenty remained. Hobson most carefully examined the new conformation of the Islet, and found that its thickest part was still at the site of the former factory. He decided, therefore, to retain the encampment whero it was, and, strange to say, the instinct of the quadrupeds still led them to congregate about it. A great many of the animals had, however, disappeared with the the island, amongst them many of the dogs which had escaped former catastrophe. Most of the quadrupeds remaining wer 34 X 322 THE FUR COUNTRY. rodents ; and the bear, which seemed terribly puzzled, paced rtransl and round the islet like a caged animal. About five o'clock in the evening the three explorers returned to the camp. The men and women were gathered together in ginom'/ eilence in the rough shelter still remaining to them, and Mrs Joliflfe was preparing some food. Sabine, who w;is less overcome than his comrades, was wandering about in the hope of getting some fresh venison, and the astronomer was sitting apart from every one, gazing at the sea in an absent indifferent manner, as if nothing could ever rouse or astonish him again. The Lieutenant imparted the results of his excursion to the whole party. He told them that they were safer where they were than they would be on any other spot, and he urged them not to wander about, as there were signs of another approaching fracture half way between the camp and Cape Esquimaux. The superficial area of the islet would soon be yet further reduced, and they could do nothing, absolutely nothing. The day was really quite hot. The ice which had been " dis- interred " for drinkable water melted before it was brought near the fire. Thin pieces of the ice-crust of the bteep beach fell off into the sea, and it was evident that the general level of the islet was being lowered by the constant wearing away of its base in the tepid waters. No one slept the next night. Who could have closed his eyes with the knowledge that the abyss beneath might open at any moment ? who but the little unconscious child who still smiled ia his mother's arms, and was never for one instant out of them 1 The next morning, June 4th, the sun rose in a cloudless sky. No change had taken place in the conformation of the islet during the night. In the course of this day a terrified blue fox rushed into the shed, and could not be induced to leave it. The martens, ermines, polar hares, musk-rats, and beavers literally swarmed upon the site of the former factory. The \volves alone were unrepresented, and had probably all been swallowed up with the rest of the island. Tho bear no longer wandered from Cape Bathurst, and the furred ani- mals seemed quite unconscious of its presence; nor did the colonists notice it much, absorbed as they were in the contemplation of the approaching doom, which had broken down all the ordinary dis- tinctions of race FOUR FOLLOWING DAYS. 323 A little before noon a sudden hope too soon to end in dis- appointment revived the drooping spirits of the colonists. Sabine, v.'ho had been standing for some time on the highest part of the islet looking at the sea, suddenly cried " A boat ! a boat ! " It was as if an electric shock had suddenly ran through the group, for all started up and rushed towards the hunter. The Lieutenant looked at him inquiringly, and the man pointed to a white vapour on tli3 horizon. Not a word was spoken, but all watched in breathless silence as the form of a vessel gradually rose against the sky. It was indeed a ship, and most likely a whaler. There was no doubt about it, and at the end of an hour even the keel was visible. Unfortunately this vessel appeared on the east of the islet, that is to say, on the opposite side to that from which the raft had drifted, so that there could be no hope that it was coining to their rescue after meeting with the raft, which would have suggested the fact of fellow-creatures being in danger. The question now was, would those in this vessel perceive the islet ? Would they be able to make out signals on it ? Alas ! in broad daylight, with a bright sun shining, it was not likely they would. Had it been night, some of the planks of the remaining ghed might have made a fire large enough to be seen at a considerable distance, but the boat would probably have disappeared before the darkness set in ; and, although it seemed of little use, signals were made, and guns fired on the islet. The vessel was certainly approaching, and seemed to be a large three-master, evidently a whaler from New Archangel, which wai en its way to liehring Strait after having doubled the peninsula of Alaska. It was to the windward of the islet, and tacking to starboard with its lower sails, top sails, and top-gallant sails all set. It Avas steadily advancing to the north. A sailor would have seen at A glance that it was not bearing towards the islet, but it might even yet perceive it, and alter its course. " If it does see us," whispered Ilobson in Long's ear, " it is more likely to avoid us than to come nearer." The Lieutenant was right, for there is nothing vessels dread more In these latitudes than the approach of icebergs and ice-floes ; they look upon them as floating rocks, against which there is a danger THE FUR COUNTRY. of striking, especially in the night, and they therefore hasten to change their course when ice is sighted ; and this vessel would moat likely do the same, if it noticed the islet at all. The alternations of hope and despair through which the anTixw watchers passed may be imagined, but cannot be described. Until two o'clock in the afternoon they were able to believe that Heaven had at last taken pity on them that help was coming that their safety was assured. The vessel continued to approach in an oblique direction, and was presently not more than six miles from the islet. Signal after signal was tried, gun after gun fired, and some of the planks of the shed were burnt. All in vain either they were not seen, or the vessel was anxiout to avoid the islet. At half -past two it luffed slightly, and bore away to the north- east. In another hour a white vapour was all that was visible, and that soon disappeared. On this the soldier Kellet burst into a roar of hysterical laughter, and flinging himself on the ground, rolled over and over like a madman. Mrs Barnett turned and looked Madge full in the face, as if to ask her if she still hoped, and Madge turned away her head. On this Bame ill-fated day a crackling noise was heard, and the greater part of the islet broke off, and plunged into the sea. The cries of the drowning animals rent the air, and the islet was reduced to the narrow strip between the site of the engulfed house and Cap* Bathurst. It was now merely a piece of ice. CHAPTER Off A PIECE OF /CK. PIECE of ice, a jagged triangular strip of ice, measuring one hundred feet at its base, and scarcely five hundred in its greatest extent ; and on it twenty-one human beings, Borne hundred furred animals, a few dogs, and a large bear, which was at this moment crouching at the very edge 1 Yes ! all the luckless colonists were there. Not one had yet been swallowed up. The last rupture had occurred when they were all in the shed. Thus far fate had spared them, probably that they might all perish together. A silent sleepless night ensued. No one spoke or moved, for the slightest shake or blow might suffice to break the ice. No one would touch the salt-meat served round by Mrs Jolifle. What would be the good of eating ? Nearly every one remained in the open air, feeling that it would be better to be drowned in the open sea than in a narrow wooden shed. The next day, June 5th, the sun shone brightly down upon the heads of the doomed band of wanderers. All were still silent, and seemed anxious to avoid each other. Many gazed with troubled anxious eyes at the perfect circle of the horizon, of which the miserable little strip of ice formed the centre. But the sea was absolutely deserted not a sail, not an ice-floe, not an islet ! Their own piece of ice was probably the very last floating on the Behring Sea. The temperature continued to rise. The wird had gone down, and a terrible calm had set in, a gentle swell heaved the surface of the sea, and the morsel of earth and ice, which was all that was left of Victoria Island, rose and sank without change of position, like a wreck and what was it but a wreck ? But a wreck, a piece of woodwork, a broken mast, or a few planks, remain floating ; they offer some resistance to the waves, they 3 26 THE FUR CO UN TR Y. will not melt ; but this bit of ice, this solidified water, must dissolvt with the heat of the sun ! This piece of ice had formed the thickest part of the island, and this will explain its having lasted so long. A layer of earth and plenty of vegetation covered it, and the base of ice must have been of considerable thickness. The long bitter Polar winters must have ''fed it with fresh ice," in the countless centuries during which it was connected with the mainland. Even now its mean height was five or six feet above the sea level, and its base Avaa probably of about the same thickness. Although in these quiet waters it was not likely to be broken, it could not fail gradually to melt, and he rapid dissolution could actually be watched at the edges, for as the long waves licked the sides, piece after piece of ground with its verdant covering sank to rise no more. On this 5th June a fall of this nature occurred at about one o'clock P.M., on the site of the shed itself, which was very near the edge of the ice. There was fortunately no one in it at the time, and all that was saved was a few planks, and two or three of the timbers of the roofs. Most of the cooking utensils and ali the astronomical instruments were lost. The colonists were now obliged to take refuge on the highest part of the islet, where nothing protected them from the weather, but fortunately a few tools had been left there, with the air pumps and the air-vessel, which Hobson had employed for catching a little of the rain-water for drinking purposes, as he no longer dared to draw for a supply upon the ice, every atom of which was of value. At about four o'clock P.M., the soldier Kellet, the same who had already given signs of insanity, came to Mrs Barnett and said quietly " I am going to drown myself, ma'am." " What, Kellet 1 " exclaimed the lady. "I tell you I am going to drown myself," replied the eoldien " I have thought the matter well over : there is no escape for us, and I prefer dying at once to waiting to be killed." " Kellet ! " said Mrs Barnett, taking the man's hand and looking into his face, which was strangely composed, " you will not do that?" " Yes, I will, ma'am ; and as you have always been very good to us all, I wanted to wish you good-bye. Good-bye, ma'am ! " And Kellet turned towards the sea. Mrs Barnett, terrified at hla ON A PIECE OF ICE. 327 manner, threw herself upon him and held him back. Her criet brought Hobson and Long to her assistance, and they did all in their power to dissuade the unhappy man from carrying out his purpose, but he was not to be moved, and merely shook his head. Ilia mind was evidently disordered, and it was useless to reason with him. It was a terrible moment, as his example might lead some nf hia comrades to commit suicide also. At all hazards he must be prevented from doing as he threatened. " Kellet," said Mrs Barnett gently, with a half smile, " we have always been very good friends, have we not ? " " Yes, ma'am," replied Kellet calmly. " Well, Kellet, if you like we will die together, but not to-day." " What, ma'am 1 " a No, my brave fellow, I am not ready; but to-morrow, to-morrow if you like." The soldier looked more fixedly than ever at the courageous woman, and seemed to hesitate an instant ; then he cast a glance of fierce longing at the sea, and passing his hand over hia eyes, said " To-morrow ! " And without another word he quietly turned away and went back to his comrades. 11 Poor fellow ! " murmured Mrs Barnett ; " I have asked him to wait till to-morrow, and who can say whether we shall not all be drowned by that time ! " Throughout that night Hobson remained motionless upon the beach, pondering whether there might not yet be some means to check the dissolution of the islet if it might not yet oe possible to preserve it until they came in sight of land of some sort. Mrs Barnett and Madge did not leave each other f>r ia instant. Kalumah crouched like a dog at the feet of her mLt^^}, and triei to keep her warm. Mrs Mac-Nab, wrapped in a few furs, the remains of the rich stores of Fort Hope, had fallen iuto t kiud of torpor, with her baby clasped in her arms. The stars shone with extraordinary brilliancy, and no sounds broke the stillness of the night but the rippling of the waves and the splash of pieces of ice as they fell into the sea. The colonists, stretched upon the ground in scattered groups, were as motionless as corpses on an abandoned wreck. Sometimes Sergeant Long rose and peered into the night-miuta, bat seeing nothing, he resumed bis horizontal position. The bear, $28 THE FUR COUNTRY. looking like a great white snowball, cowered motionless at the very edge of the strip of ice. This night also passed away without any incident to modify the situation. The grey morning dawned in the east, and the sun rose and dispersed the shadows of the night. The Lieutenant's first care, as soon as it was light, was to examine the piece of ice. Its perimeter was still more reduced, and, alas ! its mean height above the sea level had sensibly diminished. The waves, quiet as they were, washed over the greater part of it; the summit of the little hill alone was still beyond their reach. Long, too, saw the changes which had taken place during the night, and felt that all hope was gone. Mrs Barnett joined Lieutenant Hobson, and said to him " It will be to-day then ? " " Yes, madam, and you will keep your promise to Kellet! " " Lieutenant Hobson," said the lady solemnly, " have we done 11 in our power ? * " We have, madam." " Then God's will be done I n One last attempt was, however, made during the day. A strong breeze set in from the offing, that is to say, a wind bearing to the south-east, the direction in which were situated the nearest of the Aleutian Islands. How far off no one could say, as without instruments the bearings of the island could not be taken. It was not likely to have drifted far, however, unless under the influence of the current, as it gave no hold to the wind. Still it was just possible that they might be nearer land than they thought. If only a current, the direction of which it was im- possible to ascertain, had taken them nearer to the much-longed- for Aleutian Islands, then, as the wind was bearing down upon those very islands, it might drive the strip of ice before it if a sail of some kind could be concocted. The ice had still several hours to float, and in several hours the land might come in sight, or, if not the land, some coasting or fishing vessel A forlorn hope truly, but it suggested an idea to the Lieutenant which he resolved to carry out. Could not a sail be contrived on the islet as on an ordinary raft ? There could be no difficulty in that ; and when Hobson suggested it to Mac-Nab, he exclaimed " Tou are quite right, sir ; " adding to his men, " bring oat all foe canvas there ia 1 " ON A PIECE OP /CE. 329 Every one was quite revived by thi* pko, slight u was tbo chanca it afforded, and all Iftnt a helping hand, even Kellet, who had not yet reminded Mrt Barnett of her promise. A beam, which had once formed part of the roof of the barracks, was sunk deep into the earth and san-i of which the little hill wai composed , and firmly fixed with ropes arranged like shrouds and a stay. A sail made of all the clothes and coverlets still remaining^ fastened on to a strong pole for a yard, was hoisted on the mast, This sail, or rather collection of sails, suitably set, swelled in the breeze, and by the wake it left, it was evident that the strip oi ice was rapidly moving towards the south-east It was a success, and every one was cbeered with newly-awakened hope. They were no longer stationary ; they were advancing slowly, it was true, but still they were advancing. The carpenter waa particularly elated ; all eagerly scanned the horizon, and had they Deen told that no land could be sighted, they would have refused to believe it. So it appeared, however ; for the strip of ice floated along on the *aves for three hours in the centre of an absolutely circular and unbroken horizon. The poor colonists still hoped on. Towards three o'clock, the Lieutenant took the Sergeant aside, and said to him " We are advancing at the cost of the solidity and duration ol our islet." " What do you mean, sir 1 " " I mean that the ice is being rapidly fretted away as it moves Jong. Its speed is hastening its dissolution, and since we set sail tt has diminished one-third." " Are you quite sure ? " " Absolutely certain. The ice is longer and flatter. Look, the sea It not more than ten feet from the hill ! " It was true, and the result was what might naturally have been expected from the motion of the ice. " Sergeant," resumed Hobson, " do you think we ought to take down our sail ? '' I think, replied Long, after a moment's reflection, " that we should consult our comrades. We ought all to share the respon- sibility of a decision now." The Lieutenant bent his head in assent, and the two returned their old position on the little bill 33<> THE FUR COUNTRY. Hobson put the case before the whole party. " The speed we have given to the ice," he said, " is causing it to wear away rapidly, and will perhaps hasten the inevitable catastrophe by a few hours. My friends, you must decide whether we shall etill go on." " Forwards ! " cried all with one voice. So it was decided, and, as it turned out, the decision was fraught with consequences of incalculable importance. At six o'clock P.M. Madge rose, and pointing to a point on the south-east, cried " Land ! " Every one started up as if struck by lightning. Land there was indeed, on the south-east, twelve miles from the island. " More sail ! more sail ! " shouted Ilobson. He was understood, and fresh materials were hastily brought. On the shrouds a sort of studding sail was rigged up of clothes, furs, everything, in short, that could give hold to the wind. The speed increased as the wind freshened, but the ice was melt- ing everywhere ; it trembled beneath the feet of the anxious watchers, and might open at any moment. But they would not think of that ; they were buoyed up with hope ; safety was at hand, on the land they were rapidly nearing. They shouted they made signals they were in a delirium of excitement. At half-past seven the ice was much nearer the land, but it waa visibly melting, and sinking rapidly ; water was gushing from it, and the waves were washing over it, sweeping off the terrified quad- rupeds before the eyes of the colonists. Every instant they expected the whole mass to be engulfed, and it was necessary to lighten it like a sinking vessel. Every means was tried to check the dissolu- tion ; the earth and sand were carefully spread about, especially at the edges of the ice, to piotect it from the direct influence of the sunbeams ; and furs were laid here and there, as being bad conductors of heat. But it was all of no avail ; the lower portion of the ice began to crack, and several fissures opened in the surface. It waa now but a question of moments 1 Night set in, and there was nothing left for the poor colonists to do to quicken the speed of the islet. Some of them tried to paddle about on planks. The coast was still four miles to windward. It was a dark gloomy night, without any moon, and llobsoi>, whose heroic courage did not even now fail him, shouted ON A PIECE OP ICE. 331 " A signal, my friends ! a signal ! '' A pile was made of all the remaining combustibles two or three planks and a beam. It was set fire to, and bright flames soon shot up , but the strip of ice continued to melt and sink. Presently the little hill alone remained above water, and on it the despairing wretches, with the few animals left alive, huddled together, the l_^r growling fiercely. The water was still rising, and there was no sign that any one on land had seen the signal. In less than a quarter of an hour they muat all be swallowed up. Could nothing be done to make the ice last longer? In three hours, three short hours, they might reach the land, which was now but three miles to windward. " Oh 1 " cried Hobaon, " if only I could stop the ice from melting 1 I would give my life to know how ! Yes, I would give my life 1 " " There is one way," suddenly replied a voice. It was Thomas Black who spoke, the astronomer, who had not opened his lips for so long, and who had long since appeared dead to all that was going on. " Yes," he continued, " there is one way of checking the dissolu- tion of the ice there is one way of saving us all" All gathered eagerly round the speaker, and looked at him inquir- ingly. They thou^iit they must have misheard what he said " Well ] " asked Hobson, " what way do you mean t " " To the pumps ! " replied Black simply. Was he mad ? Did he take the ice for a sinking vessel, with ten feet of water in the hold ? The air pumps were at hand, together with the air vessel, which Hobson had been using as a reservoir for drinking water, but of what use could they be t Could they harden the ice, which was tnelting all over ? " He is mad ! " exclaimed Long. " To the pumps ! " repeated the astronomer ; " fill tb reservoir with air ! " " Do as he tells you ! " cried Mrs Barnett. The pumps were attached to the reservoir, the cover of which was closed and bolted. The pumps were then at once set to work, and the air was condensed under the pressure of several atmos- pheres. Then Black, taking one of the leather pipes connected with 33 2 THE FUR COUNTRY. the reservoir, and opening the cock, let the condensed air escape, walking round the ice wherever it was melting. Every one was astonished at the effect produced. Wherever th air was projected by the astronomer, the fissures filled up, and the surface re-froze. " Hurrah ! hurrah ! " shouted all with one voice. It was tiring enough to work the pumps, but there were plenty of volunteers. The edges of the ice were again solidified, as if under the influence of intense cold. " You have saved us, Mr Black," said Lieutenant Hobson. " Nothing could be more natural," replied the astronomer quietly. Nothing, in fact, could have been more natural ; and the physical effect produced may be described as follows : There were two reasons for the relegation: First, under the pressure of the air, the water vaporised on the surface of the ice produced intense cold, and the compressed air in expanding abstracted the heat from the thawed surface, which immediately re-froze. Wherever the ice was opening the cold cemented the edges, so that it gradually regained its original solidity. This went on for several hours, and the colonists, buoyed up by hope, toiled on with unwearying zeal They were nearing the coast, and when they were about a quarter of a mile from it, the bear plunged into the sea, and swimming to the shore, soon disappeared. A few minutes afterwards the ice ran aground upon a beach, and the few animals still upon it hurried away in the darkness. Tho colonists " disembarked," and falling on their knees, returned thanks to God for their miraculous deliverance. AFTER XXIV. ^ONCLUSION. K-^- was on the Isiand of Blejinic, the last of the Aleutian 'Iff at the extreme south of Behring Sea, that all the colonists ol '^"S Fort Hope at last landed, after having traversed eighteen hundred miles since the breaking-up of the ice. They were hospit- ably received by some Aleutian fishermen who had hurried to their assistance, and were soon able to communicate with some English agents of the Hudson's Bay Company. After all the details we hcvve given, it is needles* to dwell on the courage and energy of the brave little band, which htd proved itself worthy of its noble leader. We know how all struggled with their misfortunes, and how patiently they had submitted to the will of God. We have seen Mrs Barnett cheering every one by her example and sympathy ; and we know that neither she nor those with her yielded to despair when the peninsula on which Fort Hope had been built was converted into a wandering island, when that island became an islet, and the islet a strip of ice, nor even when that strip of ice was melting beneath the combined influence of sun and waves. If the scheme of the Company was a failure, if the new fort had perished, no one could possibly blame Hobson or his com- panions, who had gone through such extraordinary and unexpected trials. Of the nineteen persons under the Lieutenant's chargr. one was missing, and he had even two new members in his liu\ colony, Kalumah and Mrs Barnett's godson, Michael Mac-Nab. Six days after their rescue the shipwrecked mariners arrived at New Archangel, the capital of Russian America, Here the friends, bound together by so many dangers shared, must part, probably for ever ! Hobson and his men were to return to Fort Reliance across English America, whilst M<-3 Barnett, accom- panied by Kalumah, who would not leave her, M<^lge, and Thomaa Black, intended to go back to Europe vid San Fi*uuaco wul the United States. 334 THE FUR COUNTRY. But whilst they were still altogether, the Lieutenant, addressing Mrs Barnett, said with considerable emotion " God bless you, madam, for all you have been to us. You have been our comforter, our consoler, the very soul of our little would j and I thank you in the name of all." Three cheers for Mrs Barnett greeted this speech, and each soldier begged to shake her by the hand, whilst th women embraced her affectionately. The Lieutenant himself had conceived so warm an affection for the lady who had so long been his friend and counsellor, that he could not bid her good-bye without great emotion. " Can it be that we shall never meet again 1 " he exclaimed. "No, Lieutenant," replied Mrs Barnett; "we must, we shall meet again. If you do not come and see me in Europe, I will come back to you at Fort Reliance, or to the new factory you will found some day yet." On hearing this, Thomas Black, who had regained the use of hlif tongue since he had landed on terra firma, came forward and said, with an air of the greatest conviction " Yes, we shall meet again in thirty-six years. My friends, I missed the eclipse of 18GO, but I will not miss that which will take place under exactly similar conditions in the same latitudes ii 1896. And therefore I appoint a meeting with you, Lieutenant, and with you, my dear madam, on the confines of the Arctic Oceaa thirty-six years hence," UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY, LOS ANGELES COLLEGE LIBRARY This book is due on the last date stamped below. college COtCTB, NOV24197J Book Slip-10m-5, '58 (372-784)4280 UCLA-Collg Library PQ 2469 P29E L 005 767 854 2. Library PQ 2469 P29E A 001 147268 5