ERED WITH WHITE BEARS, CROWDED
TOGETHER" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

"HER SAIL FLEW AWAY LIKE A HUGE WHITE BIRD; A WHIRLPOOL, A NEW
MAELSTROM, FORMED AMONG THE WAVES" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

"THE MOUNTAIN WAS IN FULL ERUPTION" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409

"THEY NOTICED A LITTLE FIORD" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410

"ALTAMONT SOON FOUND A GROTTO IN THE ROCKS" . . . . . . . . . . . 412

"THEY WERE ALL READY TO LISTEN TO THE DOCTOR" . . . . . . . . . . 413

"THEY SAW THE CAPTAIN STANDING ON A ROCK" . . . . . . . . . . . . 421

"HATTERAS APPEARED TO WAKE FROM HIS REVERY" . . . . . . . . . . . 421

"THE DOCTOR PUT UP A CAIRN" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429

"DEAD--FROZEN" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435

"BUT HATTERAS DID NOT LOOK BACK. HE HAD MADE USE OF HIS STAFF AS
A POLE ON WHICH TO FASTEN THE ENGLISH FLAG" . . . . . . . . . 437

"TWO HOURS LATER, AFTER UNHEARD-OF EFFORTS, THE LAST MEN OF THE
FORWARD WERE TAKEN ABOARD THE DANISH WHALER HANS CHRISTIAN" . 438

"A STEAMBOAT CARRIED THEM TO KIEL" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

PART I.
THE ENGLISH AT THE NORTH POLE.

[Illustration: AVENTURES DU CAPITAINE HATTERAS]

CHAPTER I.
THE FORWARD.

"To-morrow, at the turn of the tide, the brig _Forward_, K. Z.,
captain, Richard Shandon, mate, will clear from New Prince's Docks;
destination unknown."

This announcement appeared in the _Liverpool Herald_ of April 5, 1860.

The sailing of a brig is not a matter of great importance for the
chief commercial city of England. Who would take notice of it in so
great a throng of ships of all sizes and of every country, that
dry-docks covering two leagues scarcely contain them?

Nevertheless, from early morning on the 6th of April, a large crowd
collected on the quays of the New Prince's Docks; all the sailors of
the place seemed to have assembled there. The workingmen of the
neighboring wharves had abandoned their tasks, tradesmen had left
their gloomy shops, and the merchants their empty warehouses. The
many-colored omnibuses which pass outside of the docks were
discharging, every minute, their load of sight-seers; the whole city
seemed to care for nothing except watching the departure of the
_Forward_.

The _Forward_ was a vessel of one hundred and seventy tons, rigged as
a brig, and carrying a screw and a steam-engine of one hundred and