ink of resting; the snow-hut was
completed; the four travellers crawled in like moles, and soon were
all asleep.

The following days went on without any particular incident; at times
they went on slowly, at times quickly, with varying ease, according to
the changes in the weather; they wore moccasins or snow-shoes, as the
nature of the ice demanded.

In this way they went on till January 15th; the moon, now in its last
quarter, was hardly visible; the sun, although always beneath the
horizon, gave a sort of twilight for six hours every day, but not
enough to light up the route, which had to be directed by the compass.
Then Bell went on ahead; Hatteras followed next; Simpson and the
doctor sought also to keep in a straight line behind, with their eyes
on Hatteras alone; and yet, in spite of all their efforts, they often
got thirty or forty degrees from the right way, much to their
annoyance.

Sunday, January 15th, Hatteras judged that they had come about one
hundred miles to the south; this morning was set aside to mending
their clothes and materials; the reading of divine service was not
forgotten.

At noon they started again; the temperature was very low; the
thermometer marked only -22 degrees; the air was very clear.

Suddenly, without warning, a frozen vapor arose into the air from the
ice, to a height of about ninety feet, and hung motionless; no one
could see a foot before him; this vapor formed in long, sharp crystals
upon their clothing.

[Illustration]

The travellers, surprised by this phenomenon, which is called
frost-rime, only thought of getting together; so immediately various
shouts were heard:--

"O Simpson!"

"Bell, this way!"

"Dr. Clawbonny!"

"Doctor!"

"Captain, where are you?"

They began to look for one another with outstretched arms, wandering
through the fog which their eyes could not pierce. But to their
disappointment they could hear no answer; the vapor seemed incapable
of carrying sound.

Each one then thought of firing his gun as a signal to the others. But
if their voices were too feeble, the reports of the fire-arms were too
loud; for the echoes, repeated in every direction, made but a confused
roar, in which no particular direction could be perceived.

Then they began to act, each one as he thought best. Hatteras stood
still and folded his arms. Simpson contented himself with stopping the
sledge. Bell retraced his steps, feeling them with his hand. The
doctor, stu