"But what about the huts and the stores?" asked the captain.
"Oh, you cannot see those till you get on shore. They are behind those hillocks you see there."
"'And you say you landed considerable stores there?"
"Ay! that we did, captain. It was here that the Admiralty sent me in 1853, under the command of Inglefield, with the Phoenix steamer and a transport loaded with provisions. We carried enough with us to revictual an entire expedition."
"But the commander of the Fox drew on them largely in 1855, did he not?" said Hatteras.
"Rest easy, captain, you'll see there is enough and to spare yet, and the cold has such a wonderful power of preserving food, that we shall find everything as good as the first day it was packed."
"I don't care about the provisions. I have plenty for several years. It is the fuel I am anxious about."
"Well, captain, we left more than one thousand tons of coals there, so you need not fear about that."
"We might land now, I think," said Hatteras, who had been closely watching the shore, glass in hand.
"You see yon point, sir," said Johnson. "When we have doubled that we are quite near our anchorage. Yes! it was from that very point we started on our way back to England with Lieutenant Cresswell and the twelve sick sailors belonging to the Investigator. Ah! well, we had back Lieutenant McClure safe. Poor young Bellot never saw his native land again. His is a sad story; but, captain, I think we may cast anchor now."
"Very well," said Hatteras, giving the order immediately.
The brig had just reached a little bay, sheltered by nature from the north, south, and east winds, and within a cable's length of the shore.
"Mr. Wall," said Hatteras, "get the boat ready, and six men to go with her to carry coals on board."
"Yes, sir," said Wall.
"I am going ashore in the pirogue with the Doctor and boatswain. Mr. Shandon, you will please to accompany us."
"At your service," replied Shandon.
