ble."

Mr. Hersebom opened two casks to take out what they required for their
breakfast, and as soon as his arrangements were completed they did ample
justice to the provisions.

"Was the raft of the crew of the 'Hansa' as large as ours?" asked the
old fisherman, after ten minutes conscientiously devoted to repairing
his strength.

"I think not--ours is considerably larger. The 'Hansa's' became
gradually much smaller, so that the unfortunate shipwrecked men were at
last compelled to abandon it, for the waves began to dash over them.
Fortunately they had a large boat which enabled them, when their island
was no longer habitable, to reach another. They did this several times
before they at last reached the main-land."

"Ah, I see!" said Mr. Hersebom, "they had a boat--but we have not.
Unless we embark in an empty hogshead I do not see how we can ever leave
this island of ice."

"We shall see about it when the time comes!" answered Erik. "At the
present moment I think the best thing that we can do is to make a
thorough exploration of our domain."

He arose, as did Mr. Hersebom, and they commenced climbing a hill of ice
and snow--a hummock is the technical name--in order to obtain a general
idea of their island.

They found it from one end to the other lying and floating insensibly
upon the polar ocean. But it was very difficult to form a correct
estimate either of its size or shape; for a great number of hummocks
intercepted their view on all sides. They resolved, however, to walk to
the extremity of it. As far as they could judge from the position of the
sun, that end of the island which extended toward the west had been
detached from the mass of which it had formerly been a part, and was now
turning to the north. They therefore supposed that their ice raft was
being carried toward the south by the influence of the tide and breeze,
and the fact that they no longer saw any trace of the long barriers of
ice, which are very extensive in the 78, fully corroborated this
hypothesis.

Their island was entirely covered with snow, and upon this snow they saw
distinctly here and there at a distance some black spots, which Mr.
Hersebom immediately recognized as "ongionks," that is to say, a species
of walrus of great size. These walruses doubtless inhabited the caverns
and crevasses in the ice, and believing themselves perfectly secure from
any attack, were basking in the sunshine.

It took Erik and Mr. Hersebom more tha