s; he observed them with much attention, and cried
out in a loud voice,--

"Steer south-sou'-west!"

West gave orders to execute the manoeuvres. The sailors hesitated an
instant. Then, recalled to obedience, they began to brace the yards
and slack the sheets, and the schooner increased her speed.

When the operation was over, I went up to Hurliguerly, and drawing
him aside, I said,--

"Thank you, boatswain."

"Ah, Mr. Jeorling," he replied, shaking his head, "it is all
very fine for this time, but you must not do it again! Everyone
would turn against me, even Endicott, perhaps."

"I have urged nothing which is not at least probable," I
answered sharply.

"I don't deny that fact, Mr. Jeorling."

"Yes, Hurliguerly, yes--I believe what I have said, and I have no
doubt but that we shall really see the land beyond the icebergs."

"Just possible, Mr. Jeoding, quite possible. But it must appear
before two days, or, on the word of a boatswain, nothing can prevent
us from putting about!"

During the next twenty-four hours the _Halbrane_ took a
south-south-westerlycourse. Nevertheless, her direction must have
been frequently changed and her speed decreased in avoiding the ice.
The navigation became very difficult so soon as the schooner headed
towards the line of the bergs, which it had to cut obliquely.
However, there were none of the packs which blocked up all access to
the iceberg on the 67th parallel. The enormous heaps were melting
away with majestic slowness. The ice-blocks appeared "quite new"
(to employ a perfectly accurate expression), and perhaps they had
only been formed some days. However, with a height of one hundred
and fifty feet, their bulk must have been calculated by millions of
tons. West was watching closely in order to avoid collisions, and
did not leave the deck even for an instant.

Until now, Captain Len Guy had always been able to rely upon the
indications of the compass. The magnetic pole, still hundreds of
miles off, had no influence on the compass, its direction bcing
east. The needle remained steady, and might be trusted.

So, in spite of my conviction, founded, however, on very serious
arguments, there was no sign of land, and I was wondering whether it
would not be better to steer more to the west, at the risk of
removing the _Halbrane_ from that extreme point where the meridians of
the globe cross each other.

Thus, as the hours went by--and I was only allowed forty-eight--it
was