long for their wearied bodies, and now, within four hundred miles from
their snow-house, there was a ship which offered them bounteous
supplies, and perhaps the means of continuing their bold course to the
Pole. Hatteras, the doctor, Johnson, and Bell, all began to take heart
after having been so near despair; they were nearly wild with joy.

But Altamont's account was still incomplete, and, after a few moments'
repose, the doctor resumed his talk with him; he framed his questions
in such a way that a simple sign of the head or a motion of the eyes
would suffice for an answer.

Soon he made out that the _Porpoise_ was an American bark from New
York, that it had been caught in the ice with a large supply of food
and fuel; and, although she lay on her beam-ends, she must have
withstood the ice, and it would be possible to save her cargo.

Two months before, Altamont and the crew had abandoned her, carrying
the launch upon a sledge; they wanted to get to Smith's Sound, find a
whaling-vessel, and be carried in her to America; but gradually
fatigue and disease had fallen upon them, and they fell aside on the
way. At last only the captain and two sailors were left of a crew of
thirty men, and Altamont's life was the result of what was really a
miracle.

Hatteras wanted to find out from the American what he was doing in
these high latitudes.

Altamont managed to make him understand that he had been caught in the
ice and carried by it without possibility of resisting it.

Hatteras asked him anxiously for what purpose he was sailing.

Altamont gave them to understand that he had been trying the Northwest
Passage.

Hatteras did not persist, and asked no other question of the sort.

The doctor then began to speak.

"Now," he said, "all our efforts should be directed to finding the
_Porpoise_; instead of struggling to Baffin's Bay, we may, by means of
a journey only two thirds as long, reach a ship which will offer us
all the resources necessary for wintering."

"There's nothing more to be done," said Bell.

"I should add," said the boatswain, "that we should not lose a moment;
we should calculate the length of our journey by the amount of our
supplies, instead of the other and usual way, and be off as soon as
possible."

"You are right, Johnson," said the doctor; "if we leave to-morrow,
Tuesday, February 26th, we ought to reach the _Porpoise_ March 15th,
at the risk of starving to death. What do you think of that