striking on these vast white plains, burnt the
eyesight, and gave the eyes insupportable pain.

There was thus produced a very singular effect of refraction. As
they walked, when they thought they were about to put foot on a
hillock, they stepped down lower, which often occasioned falls,
happily so little serious that Penellan made them occasions for
bantering. Still, he told them never to take a step without
sounding the ground with the ferruled staff with which each was
equipped.

About the 1st of November, ten days after they had set out, the
caravan had gone fifty leagues to the northward. Weariness
pressed heavily on all. Jean Cornbutte was painfully dazzled, and
his sight sensibly changed. Aupic and Misonne had to feel their
way: for their eyes, rimmed with red, seemed burnt by the white
reflection. Marie had been preserved from this misfortune by
remaining within her hut, to which she confined herself as much
as possible. Penellan, sustained by an indomitable courage,
resisted all fatigue. But it was Andre Vasling who bore himself
best, and upon whom the cold and dazzling seemed to produce no
effect. His iron frame was equal to every hardship; and he was
secretly pleased to see the most robust of his companions
becoming discouraged, and already foresaw the moment when they
would be forced to retreat to the ship again.

On the 1st of November it became absolutely necessary to halt for
a day or two. As soon as the place for the encampment had been
selected, they proceeded to arrange it. It was determined to
erect a house of snow, which should be supported against one of
the rocks of the promontory. Misonne at once marked out the
foundations, which measured fifteen feet long by five wide.
Penellan, Aupic, and Misonne, by aid of their knives, cut out
great blocks of ice, which they carried to the chosen spot and
set up, as masons would have built stone walls. The sides of the
foundation were soon raised to a height and thickness of about
five feet; for the materials were abundant, and the structure was
intended to be sufficiently solid to last several days. The four
walls were completed in eight hours; an opening had been left on
the southern side, and the canvas of the tent, placed on these
four walls, fell over the opening and sheltered it. It only
remained to cover the whole with large blocks, to form the roof
of this temporary structure.

After three more hours of hard work, the house was done; and they
a