ed Shandon.

"But the iceberg doesn't astonish me, as we are two degrees further
north."

"You are a well, doctor," answered the commander, "and all we have
to do is to be water-buckets."

"You will draw me dry sooner than you think for; and now, Shandon,
if we could get a nearer look at this phenomenon, I should be the
happiest of doctors."

"Just so, Johnson," said Shandon, calling his boatswain. "It seems
to me that the breeze is getting up."

"Yes, commander," answered Johnson; "we are making very little way,
and the currents of Davis's Straits will soon be against us."

"You are right, Johnson, and if we wish to be in sight of Cape Farewell
on the 20th of April we must put the steam on, or we shall be thrown
on the coasts of Labrador. Mr. Wall, will you give orders to light
the fires?"

The commander's orders were executed, an hour afterwards the steam
was up, the sails were furled, and the screw cutting the waves sent
the _Forward_ against the north-west wind.

CHAPTER VI

THE GREAT POLAR CURRENT

A short time after the flights of birds became more and more numerous.
Petrels, puffins, and mates, inhabitants of those desolate quarters,
signalled the approach of Greenland. The _Forward_ was rapidly
nearing the north, leaving to her leeward a long line of black smoke.

On Tuesday the 17th of April, about eleven o'clock in the morning,
the ice-master signalled the first sight of the ice-blink; it was
about twenty miles to the N.N.W. This glaring white strip was
brilliantly lighted up, in spite of the presence of thick clouds in
the neighbouring parts of the sky. Experienced people on board could
make no mistake about this phenomenon, and declared, from its
whiteness, that the blink was owing to a large ice-field, situated
at about thirty miles out of sight, and that it proceeded from the
reflection of luminous rays. Towards evening the wind turned round
to the south, and became favourable; Shandon put on all sail, and
for economy's sake caused the fires to be put out. The _Forward_,
under her topsails and foresails, glided on towards Cape Farewell.

At three o'clock on the 18th they came across the ice-stream, and
a white thick line of a glaring colour cut brilliantly the lines of
the sea and sky. It was evidently drifting from the eastern coast
of Greenland more than from Davis's Straits, for ice generally keeps
to the west coast of Baffin's Sea. An hour afterwards the _Forward_
passed in the