ght line hard to follow.

Finally the little band halted at about eight o'clock in the evening,
after walking nearly fifteen miles; the weather was dry; the tent was
raised, the fire lighted, supper cooked, and all rested peacefully.

Hatteras and his companions were really favored by the weather. The
following days brought no new difficulties, although the cold became
extremely severe and the mercury remained frozen in the thermometer.
If the wind had risen, no one could have withstood the temperature.
The doctor was able to corroborate Parry's observations, which he made
during his journey to Melville Island; he said that a man comfortably
dressed could walk safely in the open air exposed to great cold, if
the air were only calm; but as soon as the slightest wind arose, a
sharp pain was felt in the face, and an extreme headache which is soon
followed by death. The doctor was very anxious, for a slight wind
would have frozen the marrow in their bones.

March 5th he observed a phenomenon peculiar to these latitudes: the
sky was clear and thick with stars, and thick snow began to fall
without any cloud being visible; the constellations shone through the
flakes which fell regularly on the ice-field. This went on for about
two hours, and stopped before the doctor had found a satisfactory
explanation of its fall.

The last quarter of the moon had then disappeared; total darkness
reigned for seventeen hours out of the twenty-four; the travellers had
to tie themselves together by a long cord, to avoid being separated;
it was almost impossible for them to go in a straight line.

Still, these bold men, although animated by an iron will, began to
grow weary; their halts were more frequent, and yet they ought not to
lose an hour, for their supplies were rapidly diminishing. Hatteras
would often ascertain their position by observation of the moon and
stars. As he saw the days pass by and the destination appear as remote
as before, he would ask himself sometimes if the _Porpoise_ really
existed, whether the American's brain might not have been deranged by
his sufferings, or whether, through hate of the English, and seeing
himself without resources, he did not wish to drag them with him to
certain death.

He expressed his fears to the doctor, who discouraged them greatly,
but he readily understood the lamentable rivalry which existed between
the American and English captains.

"They are two men whom it will be hard to make a