al of this occupied over half an hour. Whilst he was thus
engaged the rest of the party at his suggestion returned to the _Flying
Fish_ for the small electric lamps used in their diving operations; and
when they returned he was just about ready to force open the door of the
after cabin. This was accomplished without much difficulty, and a faint
sickly odour at once became apparent, issuing from the interior of the
cabin.

Consumed by curiosity, the party pressed eagerly forward through the
doorway, and a most extraordinary sight at once revealed itself. The
cabin was a tolerably roomy apartment for the size of the vessel, having
for furniture a solid handsomely carved oaken table in the centre,
shaped to suit the narrowing dimensions of the vessel abaft, and side
benches or lockers all round the sides. The walls or inner planking of
the ship were thickly covered with seal, walrus, and white bear skins,
evidently hung there to prevent, as far as possible, the penetration of
the extreme cold through the ship's sides; and upon large nails, driven
through these and into the planks, were hung various trophies of
weapons, such as long two-handed swords, small shields or targets, maces
with heavy iron-spiked heads, short-handled battle-axes, spears,
unstrung bows, and quivers of arrows. But it was not these objects,
interesting as they were, which first riveted the attention of the
intruders; it was upon _the occupants of the cabin_ that their startled
glances fixed themselves. Yes, strange as it may seem, the four
nineteenth-century travellers found themselves face to face with some at
least of the hardy crew who had stood on the deck waving their last
good-bye to wives, children, or sweethearts--who shall say how many
years ago?--when that stout galley swept out of harbour with pennons
flying, oars flashing, and arms glancing, maybe, in the brilliant
sunshine, as she started on the enterprise of wild adventure from which
she was never to return. The inmates were four in number. Three of
them were reclining on the lockers, their heads pillowed upon, and their
bodies thickly covered with skins, whilst the fourth, doubtless the
master spirit of the expedition, sat as in life at the narrow or after
end of the table, his body supported in a massive quaintly carved oaken
chair.

The bodies, the floor, the table, and every article in the cabin were
thickly coated with frost-rime, which glittered with a diamond-like
lustre