_ and the _Halbrane_, remained upon any coast of the Antarctic
region.

On the 21st of February, at six o'clock in the morning, the boat,
with us all (we numbered thirteen) in it, left the little creek and
doubled the point of Halbrane Land. On the previous day we had fully
and finally debated the question of our departure, with the
understanding that if it were settled in the affirmative, we should
start without delay.

The captain of the fane was for an immediate departure, and Captain
Len Guy was not opposed to it. I willingly sided with them, and West
was of a similar opinion. The boatswain was inclined to oppose us.
He considered it imprudent to give up a certainty for the uncertain,
and he was backed by Endicott, who would in any case say "ditto"
to his "Mr. Burke." However, when the time came, Hurliguerly
Conformed to the view of the majority with a good grace, and
declared himself quite ready to set out, since we were all of that
way of thinking.

Our boat was one of those in use in the Tsalal Archipelago for
plying between the islands. We knew, from the narrative of Arthur
Pym, that these boats are of two kinds, one resembling rafts or flat
boats, the other strongly-built pirogues. Our boat was of the former
kind, forty feet long, six feet in width, and worked by several
paddles.

We called our little craft the _Paracura_, after a fish which abounds
in these waters. A rough image of that denizen of the southern deep
was cut upon the gunwale.

Needless to say that the greater part of the cargo of the _Halbrane_
was left in our cavern, fully protected from the weather, at the
disposal of any shipwrecked people who might chance to be thrown on
the coast of Halbrane Land. The boatswain had planted a spar on the
top of this slope to attract attention. But, our two schooners
notwithstanding, what vessel would ever venture into such latitudes?

_Nota Bene_.--We were just thirteen--the fatal number. Perfectly
good relations subsisted among us. We had no longer to dread the
rebellion of a Hearne. (How often we speculated upon the fate of
those whom he had beguiled!)

At seven o'clock, the extreme point of Halbrahe Land lay five
miles behind us, and in the evening we gradually lost sight of the
heights that variated that part of the coast.

I desire to lay special stress on the fact that not a single scrap
of iron entered into the construction of this boat, not so much as a
nail or a bolt, for that metal was