erly made
to us, and beg you to relate the history of your last voyage to the
Frozen Ocean, which must certainly be as astonishing as instructive;
indeed, the reports which circulate among the neighbors concerning it,
are so incredible that we find it almost impossible to believe them,
without having them confirmed by yourself."

"Truly," replied Gerhard, "you could have chosen no more appropriate
time to remind me of my promise than this evening. The storm, which
now sweeps through the street, and drives the snow against the
windows, brings most vividly to my recollection the wretched hut in
which I and my unhappy companions, of whom few ever saw their homes
again, passed the most miserable portion of our lives, tormented by
hunger and sickness, and in continual dread of the fierce and ravenous
polar bears; shut up in that distant part of the world, where the
winter lasts for eight months, and there is unbroken night from the
beginning of November to the end of January; where the cold is so
intense that it is impossible, even when wrapped up in thick furs, to
remain in the open air for any length of time; where the breath is
changed to rime; where one's hands, nose, and ears, freeze if exposed
to the air for a moment; where brandy is quickly congealed, and
quicksilver becomes hard enough to be struck with a hammer."

"You have roused our curiosity so," remarked the young man, when
Gerhard, who had betrayed considerable warmth of manner, suddenly
ceased speaking, "that it will really be an act of kindness to satisfy
it; therefore, pray commence, at least this evening, a recital of your
adventures, but steer your course so as not to fatigue yourself too
much; sail along gently, for a day's journey, more or less you know,
is of little consequence. But heave the anchor, Father Gerhard, if it
please you."

"In God's name then," said Gerhard, and commenced as follows:

"You all know the difficulties and dangers of a voyage to the East
Indies, but you do not know what wealth may be gained by a commercial
intercourse with those distant regions, or that, as is very natural,
men for a long time have had their attention turned to the discovery
of a nearer route than any one at present known of. At first, repeated
attempts were made to find out a strait which, as many still believe,
divides the continent of America, but as the voyagers met with no
success whatever, their attention was drawn to the Arctic Ocean, which
washes t