attributed to the wandering
Esquimaux. The walls had foundations, the floors of the interior had
been covered with a thick layer of fine gravel, and were paved.
Reindeer, seal, and walrus bones were seen in great quantities. _We
found some coal._" At the last words the doctor was struck with an
idea; he carried the book to Hatteras and showed him the passage.

"They could not have found coal on this deserted coast," said
Hatteras; "it is not possible!"

"Why should we doubt what Belcher says? He would not have recorded
such a fact unless he had been certain and had seen it with his own
eyes."

"And what then, doctor?"

"We aren't a hundred miles from the coast where Belcher saw the coal,
and what is a hundred miles' excursion? Nothing. Longer ones than
that have often been made across the ice."

"We will go," said Hatteras.

Johnson was immediately told of their resolution, of which he strongly
approved; he told his companions about it: some were glad, others
indifferent.

"Coal on these coasts!" said Wall, stretched on his bed of pain.

"Let them go," answered Shandon mysteriously.

But before Hatteras began his preparations for the journey, he wished
to be exactly certain of the _Forward's_ position. He was obliged
to be mathematically accurate as to her whereabouts, because of
finding her again. His task was very difficult; he went upon deck
and took at different moments several lunar distances and the meridian
heights of the principal stars. These observations were hard to make,
for the glass and mirrors of the instrument were covered with ice
from Hatteras's breath; he burnt his eyelashes more than once by
touching the brass of the glasses. However, he obtained exact bases
for his calculations, and came down to make them in the room. When
his work was over, he raised his head in astonishment, took his map,
pricked it, and looked at the doctor.

"What is it?" asked the latter.

"In what latitude were we at the beginning of our wintering?"

"We were in latitude 78 degrees 15 minutes, by longitude 95 degrees
35 minutes; exactly at the Frozen Pole."

"Well," said Hatteras, in a low tone, "our ice-field has been
drifting! We are two degrees farther north and farther west, and three
hundred miles at least from your store of coal!"

"And those poor fellows don't know," said the doctor.

"Hush!" said Hatteras, putting his finger on his lips.

CHAPTER XXVIII

PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE

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