The English at the North Pole

, and towards three o'clock crossed the mail steamer between Liverpool and the Isle of Ma

rds evening the brig doubled the Calf of Man at the southern extremity of the island. During the night the sea was very rough, but the Forward behaved well, left the point of Ayr to the nort

ght; he walked about vigorously in the squal

on deck after breakfast. "I have made its acquainta

a corner of the ocean. They pretend that sailors soon get tired of their profess

ip under one's feet, and if I'm not a bad

nd I acknowledge that a vessel destined for navigation amongst ice has never been better equipped

uickly, "a brig about the same tonna

u know ab

Victory's kept her back; the captain, James Ross, after having vainly repaired it bi

handon. "You know a

tock, and I remember something of what I've read. I can tell you, too, that this same McClintock, on board th

him at work. You may add that, like him, we shall find ourselves in Davis's Straits i

he Fox in 1857, to be caught the very first year by the ice in

"If a ship like the Forward can't take us where

ll know better than we do what must be done. We know nothing

ickly. "We can do without the captain and his instructions for a

e you that the captain would never appear, and that

ied Shandon in a

he second letter I have

, do

vice of the post must leave much to wish for. I believe that our gentleman is waiting for us in some Danish settlement-at Holsteinborg or Uppernawik; he has evidently gone there to complete his cargo of sealskins, buy his sledges and dog,

in the meantime the wind is getting up, and

or and gave the order

rt," said the docto

and it's a great pity, for yo

ued by the Northern Channel into the ocean. It was Sunday, the 8th of April, and the doctor read some chapters of the Bible to the assembled seamen. The wind then became a perfect hurricane, and tended to throw the brig on to the Irish coast; she pitched, and rolled, and tossed, and if the doctor was not seasick it was becaus

onnoisseurs had remarked, she was above all, a sailing vessel. During the following days the Forward gained the north-west with rapidity; the wind veered round south, and the sea had a tremendous swell on; the brig was then goi

at, Mr. Clawbo

lent meal, on the cont

say you are going

ld fellow," said t

but it's oily and rancid,

ay of cooking that game, and if you recognise it for a

ow how to

know how to do a li

boatswain; "the doctor's a clever man, and h

e skin, principally on the thighs, and with it disappeared the rancidity and taste of fish which is so disag

dge of the qualities of his crew; he had watched each man

her sailors Garry and Bolton seemed to be the best; Bolton was a gay and talkative fellow; Garry was thirty-five, with an energetic face, but rather pale and sad-looking. The three sailors, Clifton, Gripper, and Pen, seemed less ardent and resolute; they easily grumbled. Gripper wanted to break his engagement even before the departure of the Forward; a sort of shame kept him on board. If things went on all right, if there were not too many risks to run, no dangers to encounter, these three men mig

undland, inclines to the north-east along the coast of Norway. They were then in 57° 37' latitude by 22° 58' longitude, at two hundred miles

t; he was a queer sight with his top-boots, in which his legs disappeared, his vast oilcloth hat, his jacket and trousers of the s

ess of the Forward. From the 14th to the 16th of April the swell was great, but on the Monday there came su

which I have the honour to be an honorary member. You see that when it rains the waves are not very high, even under

is phenomenon

t is not accoun

ssbars of the topsails, signalled a floating mass on the s

here!" cried

the direction indicated, and co

rious!" sai

shed at last!" said t

n, of Poole, from Greenspond, was caught in 1813 in perfect ice-fields, in the forty-

h us something, eve

destly; "it is only that ice has bee

r, for when I was cabinboy

lmost in April, you passed between two large islands of

you astonish me

astonish me, as we are tw

ed the commander, "and all we ha

d now, Shandon, if we could get a nearer look at th

calling his boatswain. "It seems t

making very little way, and the currents o

n the 20th of April we must put the steam on, or we shall be thrown on th

he steam was up, the sails were furled, and the screw cutt