ng still warm and calm, Angut, Simek,
Okiok, and Rooney ascended, after their bear-breakfast, to the
break-neck height from which that breakfast had been precipitated, for
the purpose of taking a meteorological observation.

"It is quite plain to me," said Rooney--who, being in some sort at sea,
was, as it were, more at home than his companions--"it is quite plain to
me that we have got fairly into the great Polar current, and are
travelling in a sou'-sou'-west direction down Davis Straits."

No doubt Rooney gave "sou'-sou'-west" in some sort of Eskimo jargon with
which we are not acquainted. His lingual powers were indeed marvellous,
and when simple words failed him he took refuge in compound phraseology.

"But," asked Okiok, "how can you tell that we are going south? The mist
is thick; we cannot see land."

"Do you not see the small pieces of ice?" replied Rooney, pointing to
the sea.

"Yes," said the Eskimo; "they are going north faster than we are; that
is all."

"Why do they go north faster than we do?" asked Rooney.

"That I know not."

"I will tell you, Okiok. It is because there is a surface current here
flowing northward, and the small pieces of ice go with it because they
are not deep. But this berg is very deep. There is far more of it
below water than what we see above. Its bottom goes deep down into the
under-current which flows south, and so it is being carried south--not
north at all,--_against_ the variable surface-currents, and it would go
even against the wind if there was any. Do you understand?"

"Huk!" exclaimed the Eskimo, though he still looked perplexed.

"I have seen these bergs breaking from the great land-ice since I was a
little boy," said Angut, with earnest gravity, "and I have seen them
float away and away till they vanished in the far-off. Can Ridroonee
tell where they go to?"

"Truly I can. They are carried by currents out into the great sea--we
call it the Atlantic,--and there they melt and disappear."

"Then shall we disappear with this berg, if we don't escape from it?"
said Okiok, with a look so serious that it was almost humorous.

"That is the pleasant prospect in store for us, as you say," returned
Rooney; "but cheer up, lad. We intend to escape from it; so don't let
your heart sink, else your body won't be able to swim."

On the strength of this consolatory remark, the four men returned to the
cave to recruit their energies and hopes on a fresh supply of