"Who knows," said I, "whether we shall not soon be forced to embark?" "In that case," replied the captain, "as all cannot fit into it, it will be necessary to make a selection. Lots shall determine which of us are to go, and I shall not ask to be treated differently from the others." "We have not come to that, luckily," replied the boatswain. "The iceberg is solid, and there is no fear of its melting before winter." "No," assented West, "that is not to be feared. What it behoves us to do is, while watching the boat, to keep an eye on the provisions." "We are lucky," added Hurliguerly, "to have put our cargo in safety. Poor, dear _Halbrane_. She will remain in these seas, like the _Jane_, her elder sister!" Yes, without doubt, and I thought so for many reasons, the one destroyed by the savages of Tsalal, the other by one of these catastrophes that no human power can prevent. "You are right," replied the captain, "and we must prevent our men from plundering. We are sure of enough provisions for one year, without counting what we may get by fishing." "And it is so much the more necessary, captain, to keep a close watch, because I have seen some hovering about the spirit casks." "I will see to that," replied West. "But," I then asked, "had we not better prepare ourselves for the fact that we may be compelled to winter on this iceberg." "May Heaven avert such a terrible probability," replied the captain. "After all, if it were necessary, we could get through it, Mr. Jeorling," said the boatswain. "We could hollow out sheltering-places in the ice, so as to be able to bear the extreme cold of the pole, and so long as we had sufficient to appease our hunger--" At this moment the horrid recollection of the _Grampus_ came to my mind--the scenes in which Dirk Peters killed Ned Holt, the brother of our sailing-master. Should we ever be in such extremity? Would it not, before we proceed to set up winter quarters for seven or eight months, be better to leave the iceberg altogether, if such a thing were possible? I called the attention of Captain Len Guy and West to this point. This was a difficult question to answer, and a long silence preceded the reply. At last the captain said,-- "Yes, that would be the best resolution to come to; and if our boat could hold us all, with the provisions necessary for a voyage that might last three or four weeks, I would not hesitate to put to sea now and return towards the north." But I made them observe that we should be obliged to direct our course contrary to wind and current; our schooner herself could hardly have succeeded in doing this. Whilst to continue towards the south-- "Towards the south?" repeated the captain, who looked at me as though he sought to read my thoughts. "Why not?" I answered. "If the iceberg had not been stopped in its passage, perhaps it would have drifted to some land in that direction, and might not our boat accomplish what it would have done?"