to England at the
end of the same year. That is a complete account of all that has been
done in these regions during the last fifteen years; and since the
return of the _Fox_, no ship has ventured among these dangerous
waters!"

"Well, we shall try it!" said Hatteras.

CHAPTER XV.
THE FORWARD DRIVEN SOUTHWARD.

Towards evening the weather cleared up, and land was clearly to be
seen between Cape Sepping and Cape Clarence, which juts out to the
east, then to the south, and is connected to the mainland on the west
by a low tongue of land. There was no ice at the entrance of Regent's
Sound; but it was densely massed beyond Leopold Harbor, as if to form
an impassable barrier to the northward progress of the _Forward_.

Hatteras, who, although he carefully concealed his feelings, was
exceedingly annoyed, had to blow out a way with powder in order to
enter Leopold Harbor; he reached it at midday, on Sunday, May 27th;
the brig was securely anchored to the large icebergs, which were as
firm, solid, and hard as rock.

At once the captain, followed by the doctor, Johnson, and his dog
Duke, leaped out upon the ice and soon reached the land. Duke leaped
about with joy; besides, since the captain had made himself known, he
had become very sociable and very gentle, preserving his ill-temper
for some of the crew, whom his master disliked as much as he did.

The harbor was free from the ice which is generally forced there by
the east-wind; the sharp peaks, covered with snow, looked like a
number of white waves. The house and lantern, built by James Ross,
were still in a tolerable state of preservation; but the provisions
appeared to have been eaten by foxes, and even by bears, of which
fresh traces were to be seen; part of the devastation was probably due
to the hand of man, for some ruins of Esquimaux huts were to be seen
on the shores of the bay.

The six tombs, enclosing six sailors of the _Enterprise_ and the
_Investigator_, were recognizable by little mounds of earth; they had
been respected by all, by both men and beasts.

On first setting his foot on this northern earth, the doctor was
really agitated; it would not be easy to describe the emotions one
feels at the sight of these ruined houses, tents, huts, supplies,
which nature preserves so perfectly in cold countries.

[Illustration]

"There," said he to his companions,--"there is the spot which James
Ross himself named Camp Refuge! If Franklin's expeditio