ften had much to do with European
ships, had finally learned the value of these objects; since the visit
of the _Fox_ they had come frequently to this great storehouse, and
had pillaged incessantly, with the intention of leaving no trace of
what had been there; and now a long drift of half-melted snow covered
the ground.

Hatteras was baffled. The doctor gazed and shook his head. Shandon
said nothing, but an attentive observer would have noticed a wicked
smile about his lips.

At this moment the men sent by Wall arrived. They took it all in at a
glance. Shandon went up to the captain and said,--

"Mr. Hatteras, we need not despair; fortunately we are near the
entrance to Barrow Strait, which will carry us back to Baffin's Bay."

"Mr. Shandon," answered Hatteras, "we are fortunately near the
entrance of Wellington Channel, and it will lead us to the north."

"And how shall we go, Captain?"

"Under sail, sir. We have two months' fuel left, and that is more than
we shall need for next winter."

"Permit me to say," began Shandon.

"I permit you to follow me to the ship, sir," was Hatteras's answer.

And turning his back on his first officer, he returned to the brig and
locked himself in his cabin.

For two days the wind was unfavorable; the captain did not come on
deck. The doctor profited by this forced delay to examine Beechey
Island; he collected a few plants which a comparatively high
temperature let grow here and there on some rocks which projected from
the snow, such as heather, a few lichens, a sort of yellow ranunculus,
a plant like sorrel with leaves a trifle larger, and some sturdy
saxifrages.

[Illustration]

The fauna of this country was much richer; the doctor saw large flocks
of geese and cranes flying northward; partridges, eider-ducks,
northern divers, numerous ptarmigans, which are delicious eating,
noisy flocks of kittiwakes, and great white-bellied loons represented
the winged tribe. The doctor was lucky enough to kill some gray hares,
which had not yet put on their white winter coat of fur, and a blue
fox, which Duke skilfully caught. A few bears, evidently accustomed to
fear men, could not be approached, and the seals were very timid,
probably for the same reason. The harbor was full of a very good
tasting shellfish. The genus _articulata_, order _diptera_, family
_culicides_, division _nemocera_, was represented by a simple
mosquito, a single one, which the doctor, though much bitten, h