on." And he pointed to the north.

"If that is the case you landed on the island fifty miles west of our
position, and it is a remarkable thing that we never ran across your
tracks," answered the Professor.

The wagon was driven forward slowly, because there was now no need for
haste. The part of the country through which they were passing was free
from savages, so there was no anxiety from that source, and the
Professor, as well as the boys, took delight in examining the country
through which they passed, and in trying to discover new vegetables and
fruit, as well as learning all about the mineral resources of the
different sections.

Before night they came to a small stream, which was an admirable camping
spot, and the yaks fairly reveled in the sweet, fresh water. There was
no hesitancy in building a fire for the evening meal, and the hunting
bags showed a good supply of game. That evening sitting under the great
southern dome, with its glittering stars, the Professor had a most
attentive audience when the various questions were brought up for
discussion.

To those who are fairly observant, the heavens in southern latitudes
cannot fail to attract attention because of the different arrangement of
the stars. People living in the northern hemisphere have never seen the
southern cross, nor the great fixed stars, Canopus or Achernar; and
those below the equator have never viewed the polar star, and do not
know the beauty of the brilliant star Vega.

The most intent listener, on all occasions of this kind, was George.
"Tell us, Professor, how the mariner knows the direction of the south
pole when there is no south polar star to show him?"

"Practically the same method is used as in the northern hemisphere. The
north polar star does not in itself indicate which is north, but it is
one of the points used in connection with another star which points out
the direction.

"In the northern hemisphere there is a star called Alpheratz and another
called Zaph, which are in direct line with the polar star. The two first
stars named are exactly on what is called the equinoctial line. But the
southern hemisphere of the heavens does not have a polar star to
indicate the south, so that if you will now look directly above us you
will notice two very bright stars. One of them is the fixed star Sirius,
the most brilliant in the heavens; the other is Canopus, and a line
along these two stars would go around the celestial sphere and p