reached a
thickness of twenty feet; he then had it cut around the hull, so
that it united under the ship, the form of which it assumed;
thus enclosed in a mould, the brig had no longer to fear the
pressure of the ice, which could make no movement.

The sailors then elevated along the wales, to the height of the
nettings, a snow wall five or six feet thick, which soon froze as
hard as a rock. This envelope did not allow the interior heat to
escape outside. A canvas tent, covered with skins and hermetically
closed, was stretched aver the whole length of the deck, and formed
a sort of walk for the sailors.

They also constructed on the ice a storehouse of snow, in which
articles which embarrassed the ship were stowed away. The
partitions of the cabins were taken down, so as to form a single
vast apartment forward, as well as aft. This single room,
besides, was more easy to warm, as the ice and damp found fewer
corners in which to take refuge. It was also less difficult to
ventilate it, by means of canvas funnels which opened without.

Each sailor exerted great energy in these preparations, and about
the 25th of September they were completed. Andre Vasling had not
shown himself the least active in this task. He devoted himself
with especial zeal to the young girl's comfort, and if she,
absorbed in thoughts of her poor Louis, did not perceive this,
Jean Cornbutte did not fail soon to remark it. He spoke of it to
Penellan; he recalled several incidents which completely
enlightened him regarding his mate's intentions; Andre Vasling
loved Marie, and reckoned on asking her uncle for her hand, as
soon as it was proved beyond doubt that the castaways were
irrevocably lost; they would return then to Dunkirk, and Andre
Vasling would be well satisfied to wed a rich and pretty girl,
who would then be the sole heiress of Jean Cornbutte.

But Andre, in his impatience, was often imprudent. He had several
times declared that the search for the castaways was useless,
when some new trace contradicted him, and enabled Penellan to
exult over him. The mate, therefore, cordially detested the
helmsman, who returned his dislike heartily. Penellan only feared
that Andre might sow seeds of dissension among the crew, and
persuaded Jean Cornbutte to answer him evasively on the first
occasion.

When the preparations for the winter were completed, the captain
took measures to preserve the health of the crew. Every morning
the men were order