n the sledges were able to travel rapidly
and pleasantly. The scenery was rather monotonous, with its everlasting
stretches of ice and snow, but in the far distance the mountains loomed
up in the beautiful colors given them by an arctic atmosphere, and
the rays of the sun still brightened the landscape at all hours.
Occasionally animals, supposed to be arctic foxes, were seen at a great
distance, and there were those in the company who declared that they had
caught sight of a bear. But hunting was not encouraged. The party had no
need of fresh meat, and there was important work to be done which should
not be interfered with by sporting expeditions.

There were days of slow progress, but of varied and often exciting
experiences, for sometimes the line of Mr. Marcy's canal lay through
high masses of ice, and here the necessary blasting was often of a
very startling character. They expected to cease their overland journey
before they reached the mountains, which on the south and west were
piled up much nearer to them than those in other quarters, but they were
surprised to find their way stopped much sooner than they had expected
it would be by masses of icebergs, which stood up in front of them out
of the snowy plain.

When they were within a few miles of these glittering eminences they
ceased further operations and held a council. It was perfectly possible
to blow a great hole in the ice and descend into the sea at this point,
but they would have preferred going farther south before beginning their
submarine voyage. To the eastward of the icebergs they could see with
their glasses great patches of open water, and this would have prevented
the making of a canal around the icebergs, for it would have been
impossible to survey the route on sledges or to lay the line of bombs.

A good deal of discussion followed, during which Captain Hubbell
strongly urged the plan of breaking a path to the open water, and
finding out what could be done in the way of sailing south in regular
nautical fashion. If the Dipsey could continue her voyage above water he
was in favor of her doing it, but even Captain Jim Hubbell could give no
good reason for believing that if the vessel got into the open water
the party would not be obliged to go into winter-quarters in these icy
regions; for in a very few weeks the arctic winter would be upon them.
Once under the water, they would not care whether it was light or dark,
but in the upper air it wou