-cut tables,
whilst others were shaped like pyramids, and had other strange forms.

The weather grew milder during that day, but was not so clear; land
was lost to sight, and the thermometer went up to thirty-two degrees;
seafowl fluttered about, the flocks of wild ducks were seen flying
north; the crew could divest themselves of some of their garments,
and the influence of the Arctic summer began to be felt. Towards
evening the _Forward_ doubled Cape Garry at a quarter of a mile from
the shore, where the soundings gave from ten to twelve fathoms; from
thence she kept near the coast as far as Brentford Bay. It was under
this latitude that Bellot Strait was to be met with; a strait the
existence of which Sir John Ross did not even guess at during his
expedition in 1828; his maps indicated an uninterrupted coast-line,
whose irregularities he noted with the utmost care; the entrance to
the strait must therefore have been blocked up by ice at the time.
It was really discovered by Kennedy in April, 1852, and he gave it
the name of his lieutenant, Bellot, as "a just tribute," he said,
"to the important services rendered to our expedition by the French
officer."

CHAPTER XVI

THE MAGNETIC POLE

Hatteras felt his anxiety increase as he neared the strait; the fate
of his voyage depended upon it; up till now he had done more than
his predecessors, the most fortunate of whom, McClintock, had taken
fifteen months to reach this part of the Polar Seas; but it was little
or nothing if he did not succeed in clearing Bellot Strait; he could
not retrace his steps, and would be blocked up till the following
year.

He trusted the care of examining the coast to no one but himself;
he mounted the crow's nest and passed several hours there during the
morning of Saturday. The crew perfectly understood the ship's
position; profound silence reigned on board; the engine slackened
steam, and the _Forward_ kept as near land as possible; the coast
bristled with icebergs, which the warmest summers do not melt; an
experienced eye alone could distinguish an opening between them.
Hatteras compared his maps with the land. As the sun showed himself
for an instant towards noon, he caused Shandon and Wall to take a
pretty exact observation, which was shouted to him. All the crew
suffered the tortures of anxiety for half the day, but towards two
o'clock these words were shouted from the top of the mizenmast:

"Veer to the west, all steam on.