We dropped bottles into the sea containing dispatches, stating our condition, and describing our location as nearly as possible. But the chances were that these would never reach a people who would understand their purport, and be able and willing to offer us any assistance. All these considerations, added to the sickness of our most sturdy seamen, had a most depressing effect, and every hour the outlook became more hopeless. With these gloomy forebodings, I had become discouraged indeed. I am naturally hopeful, but now all hope seemed to be gone. As I look back to this period I regard it as certainly the darkest of my life. Early one morning I had gone upon the upper deck, hoping that the fresh air might brace me up and revive my drooping energies. In my mind, with my note book before me, I mentally reviewed the leading incidents of our voyage on this unknown ocean. According to my reckoning we had escaped from the ice on the 23d of September, sketched the island and tower on the 24th, and on the 25th set sail as we supposed for the north pole. Without having consciously changed our course, five days later we found ourselves sailing south. We then under a full head of steam changed our course to the northeast, and circumnavigated a large expanse of sea surrounding the pole. When we again attempted to cross this open sea we again found ourselves sailing south. We landed on a barren island on the first of November. In a few days we were becalmed, but in the grasp of a powerful current which carried us steadily southward, and now on the 25th of December, when Christmas festivities were the order of the day throughout the Christian world, here we were on a broad ocean, drifting we knew not whither. I never felt so utterly devoid of hope, but I was determined to keep up courage. We were in a most agreeable climate. The air was sweet and refreshing and I thought if we could only find land, what a glorious discovery we had made, and if we could convey the news to our own country, how it would stimulate the latent energies of the whole people to find some ready means of access to this inner world, and thus our perils and privations might ultimately prove a blessing to mankind. But why speculate? We were lost on an unknown ocean which seemed to be boundless, and utterly unable to direct our movements. The thought struck me with a chill. Suddenly in the midst of my cogitations I was startled by a loud, "Halloo!" It was certainly near at hand. I sprang to my feet and looked around over the placid surface of the ocean. I could see for leagues away in every direction, yet could not discover any living thing. I then started to go below, thinking that perhaps Captain Ganoe had called me. As I disappeared, the "Halloo!" was repeated in a somewhat louder tone. I met the Captain coming in search of me, and I told him what I had heard. With an incredulous look on his face, he placed his hand on my head and said: