hat it does not preserve the traces of an encampment, if
your brother, captain--his companions--"

Captain Len Guy shook his head. How could the castaways have
supported life in this desolate region for several months?

Besides, the British flag was hoisted on the summit of the iceberg,
and William Guy would have recognized it and come down to the shore
had he been living.

No one. No one.

At this moment, West, who had been observing certain points of
approach, said,--

"Let us wait a little before we come to a decision. In less than
an hour we shall be able to decide. Our speed is slackening, it
seems to me, and it is possible that an eddy may bring us back
obliquely to the coast."

"That is my opinion too," said the boatswain, "and if our
floating machine is not stationary, it is nearly so. It seems to be
turning round."

West and Hurliguerly were not mistaken. For some reason or other the
iceberg was getting out of the course which it had followed
continuously. A giratory movement had succeeded to that of drifting,
owing to the action of an eddy which set towards the coast.

Besides, several ice-mountains, in front of us, had just run aground
on the edge of the shore. It was, then, useless to discuss whether
we should take to the boat or not. According as we approached, the
desolation of the land became more and more apparent, and the
prospect of enduring six months' wintering there would have
appalled the stoutest hearts.

At five in the afternoon, the iceberg plunged into a deep rift in
the coast ending in a long point on the right, and there stuck fast.

"On shore! On shore!" burst from every man, like a single
exclamation, and the men were already hurrying down the slope of the
iceberg, when West commanded:

"Wait for orders!"

Some hesitation was shown--especially on the part of Hearne and
several of his comrades. Then the instinct of discipline prevailed,
and finally the whole crew ranged themselves around Captain Len Guy.
It was not necessary to lower the boat, the iceberg being in contact
with the point.

The captain, the boatswain, and myself, preceding the others, were
the first to quit the camp; ours were the first human feet to tread
this virgin and volcanic soil.

We walked for twenty minutes on rough land, strewn with rocks of
igneous origin, solidified lava, dusty slag, and grey ashes, but
without enough clay to grow even the hardiest plants.

With some risk and difficulty, Capta