uch as drift-wood, of
which Davis's Straits are full, larch, aspen, and other tropical trees.
Now we know that the Gulf Stream hinders those woods from entering
the Straits. If, then, they come out of it they can only get in from
Behring's Straits."

"I am convinced, doctor, and I avow that it would be difficult to
remain incredulous with you."

"Upon my honour," said Johnson, "there's something that comes just
in time to help our discussion. I perceive in the distance a lump
of wood of certain dimensions; if the commander permits it we'll haul
it in, and ask it the name of its country."

"That's it," said the doctor, "the example after the rule."

Shandon gave the necessary orders; the brig was directed towards the
piece of wood signalled, and soon afterwards, not without trouble,
the crew hoisted it on deck. It was the trunk of a mahogany tree,
gnawed right into the centre by worms, but for which circumstance
it would not have floated.

"This is glorious," said the doctor enthusiastically, "for as the
currents of the Atlantic could not carry it to Davis's Straits, and
as it has not been driven into the Polar basin by the streams of
septentrional America, seeing that this tree grew under the Equator,
it is evident that it comes in a straight line from Behring; and look
here, you see those sea-worms which have eaten it, they belong to
a hot-country species."

"It is evident," replied Wall, "that the people who do not believe
in the famous passage are wrong."

"Why, this circumstance alone ought to convince them," said the
doctor; "I will just trace you out the itinerary of that mahogany;
it has been floated towards the Pacific by some river of the Isthmus
of Panama or Guatemala, from thence the current has dragged it along
the American coast as far as Behring's Straits, and in spite of
everything it was obliged to enter the Polar Seas. It is neither so
old nor so soaked that we need fear to assign a recent date to its
setting out; it has had the good luck to get clear of the obstacles
in that long suite of straits which lead out of Baffin's Bay, and
quickly seized by the boreal current came by Davis's Straits to be
made prisoner by the _Forward_ to the great joy of Dr. Clawbonny,
who asks the commander's permission to keep a sample of it."

"Do so," said Shandon, "but allow me to tell you that you will not
be the only proprietor of such a wreck. The Danish governor of the
Isle of Disko----"

"On the coast o