ke a professional man."

"It appears very probable," chimed in James Wall.

"All guess-work," answered Shandon obstinately.

"Well, Shandon," said Hatteras, "let us take into consideration
either case; either the sea is free from ice or it is not so, and
neither of these suppositions can hinder us from attaining the Pole.
If the sea is free the _Forward_ will take us there without trouble;
if it is frozen we will attempt the adventure upon our sledges. This,
you will allow, is not impracticable. When once our brig has attained
the eighty-third degree we shall only have six hundred miles to
traverse before reaching the Pole."

"And what are six hundred miles?" quickly answered the doctor, "when
it is known that a Cossack, Alexis Markoff, went over the ice sea
along the northern coast of the Russian Empire, in sledges drawn by
dogs, for the space of eight hundred miles in twenty-four days?"

"Do you hear that, Shandon?" said Hatteras; "can't Englishmen do as
much as a Cossack?"

"Of course they can," cried the impetuous doctor.

"Of course," added the boatswain.

"Well, Shandon?" said the captain.

"I can only repeat what I said before, captain," said Shandon--"I
will obey."

"Very good. And now," continued Hatteras, "let us consider our present
situation. We are caught by the ice, and it seems to me impossible,
for this year at least, to get into Smith's Strait. Well, here, then,
this is what I propose."

Hatteras laid open upon the table one of the excellent maps published
in 1859 by the order of the Admiralty.

"Be kind enough to follow me. If Smith's Strait is closed up from
us, Lancaster Strait, on the west coast of Baffin's Sea, is not. I
think we ought to ascend that strait as far as Barrow Strait, and
from there sail to Beechey Island; the same track has been gone over
a hundred times by sailing vessels; consequently with a screw we can
do it easily. Once at Beechey Island we will go north as far as possible,
by Wellington Channel, up to the outlet of the creek which joins
Wellington's and Queen's Channels, at the very point where the open
sea was perceived. It is now only the 20th of May; in a month, if
circumstances favour us, we shall have attained that point, and from
there we'll drive forward towards the Pole. What do you think about
it, gentlemen?"

"It is evidently the only track to follow," replied Johnson.

"Very well, we will take it from to-morrow. I shall let them rest
to-day as it i