continents; certainly he would not forget
the names of his companions, his friends, nor her Gracious Majesty,
nor the royal family; and he foresaw a certain "Cape Clawbonny" with
great satisfaction.

These thoughts kept him busy all day; that evening they encamped as
usual, and each one took his turn at watching near these unknown
lands. The next day, Sunday, after a heavy breakfast of bear's paws,
which were very good, the travellers pushed on to the north, inclining
a little to the west; the road grew difficult, but yet they advanced
rapidly. Altamont, from the top of the sledge, scanned the horizon
with feverish attention; his companions were the victims of
involuntary uneasiness. The last solar observations gave them latitude
83 degrees 35 minutes, and longitude 120 degrees 15 minutes; that was
the place where the American ship was said to be lying; the question
of life and death was to be solved that day. At last, at about half
past two in the afternoon, Altamont stood straight, stopped the little
band by a loud cry, and, pointing with his hand to a white mass, which
all the rest had taken for an iceberg, he cried with a loud voice,--

"The _Porpoise_!"

CHAPTER VI.
THE PORPOISE.

March 24th was Palm Sunday,--that day when the streets of the towns
and villages of Europe are filled with flowers and leaves; bells are
ringing, and the air is filled with rich perfumes. But here, in this
desolate country, what sadness and silence! The wind was keen and
bitter; not a leaf of foliage was to be seen! But still, this Sunday
was a day of rejoicing for our travellers, for at last they were about
to find supplies which would save them from certain death. They
hastened their steps; the dogs drew the sledge briskly, Duke barked
joyously, and they all soon reached the American ship. The _Porpoise_
was wholly buried beneath the snow; there was no sign of mast, yard,
or rigging; all had been lost at the time of the shipwreck; the ship
lay on a bed of rocks now completely hidden. The _Porpoise_ was
careened to one side by the violence of the shock, her bottom was torn
open, so that the ship seemed uninhabitable. This was soon seen by the
captain, the doctor, and Johnson, after they had entered the vessel;
they had to cut away fifteen feet of ice to get to the hatchway; but
to their great joy they saw that the animals, many traces of which
were to be seen, had spared the supplies.

"If we have here," said Johnson, "pl