e would be boarded and
rummaged by the customs people, who of course would light upon the
treasure. What then? I knew nothing of the law; but I reckoned, since I
should have to tell the truth, that the money, ore, and jewellery would
be claimed as stolen property, and I dismissed with a small reward for
bringing it home. There was folly in such contemplation at such a time,
when perhaps at this hour to-morrow the chests might be at the bottom of
the sea, and myself a drowned sailor floating three hundred fathoms
deep. But man is a froward child, who builds mansions out of dreams,
and, jockeyed by hope, sets out at a gallop along the visionary road to
his desires; and my mind was so much taken up with considering how I
should manage when I brought the treasure home, that I spent a couple of
hours in a conflict of schemes, during which time it never once
occurred to me to reflect that I was a good way from home still, and
that much must happen before I need give myself the least concern as to
the securing of the treasure.

Nothing worth recording happened that day. The wind slackened, and the
ice travelled so slow that at sundown I could not discover that we had
made more than a quarter of a mile of progress to the north since noon,
though we had settled by half as much again that distance westwards.
Whilst I was below I could hear the ice crackling pretty briskly round
about the ship, which gave me some comfort; but I could never see any
change of consequence when I looked over the side or bows, only that at
about four o'clock, whilst I was taking a view from the forecastle, a
large block broke away from beyond the starboard bow with the report of
a swivel gun.

I had not closed my eyes on the previous night, and was tired out when
the evening arrived, and, as no good could come of my keeping a watch,
for the simple reason that it was not in my power to avert anything that
might happen, I tumbled some further covering over the Frenchman, who
had lain on the deck all the afternoon, sometimes dozing, sometimes
waking and talking to himself, and appearing on the whole very easy and
comfortable, and went to my cabin.

I slept sound the whole night through, and on waking went on deck before
going to the cook-house and lighting the furnace (as was my custom), so
impatient was I to observe our state and to hear such news as the ocean
had for me. It was a very curious day, somewhat darksome, and a dead
calm, with a large long