Thomas Black remained motionless, stooping over his instrument. Half a minute passed, and then the astronomer [astonomer] drew himself up, with eyes distended and eager. Once more he bent over the telescope, and cried in a choked voice— “She is going! she is going! The moon, the moon is going! She is disappearing, running away !” True enough the disc of the moon was gliding away from that of the sun without having completely covered it ! The astronomer had fallen backwards, completely overcome. The four minutes were past. The luminous corona had not appeared ! “What is the matter?” inquired Hobson. “The matter is,” screamed the poor astronomer, “that the eclipse was not total-not total for this portion of the globe! Do you hear? It was not to-t-a-1! I say not to-t-a-l! !” “Then your almanacs are incorrect.” “Incorrect! Don’t tell that to me, if you please, Lieutenant Hobson !” “But what then?” said Hobson, suddenly changing countenance. “Why,” said Black, “we are not after all on the seventieth parallel !” “Only fancy !” cried Mrs Barnett. “We can soon prove it,” said the astronomer whose eyes flashed with rage and disappointment. “The sun will pass the meridian in a few minutes. . . . My sextant-quick . . . make haste !” One of the soldiers rushed to the house and fetched the instrument required. The astronomer pointed it upon the sun; he watched the orb of day pass the meridian, and rapidly noted down a few calculations. “What was the situation of Cape Bathurst a year ago when we took the latitude?” he inquired. “Seventy degrees, forty-four minutes, and thirty-seven seconds,” replied Hobson. “Well, sir, it is now seventy-three degrees, seven minutes, and twenty seconds! You see we are not under the seventieth parallel ! “Or rather we are no longer there !” muttered Hobson. A sudden light had broken in upon his mind, all the phenomena hitherto so inexplicable were now explained. Cape Bathurst had drifted three degrees farther north since the arrival of the Lieutenant and his companions ! End of Part I PART II CONTENTS. I. A Floating Fort II. Where Are We? III. A Tour Of The Island IV. A Night Encampment V. From July 25th To August 20th VI. Ten Days Of Tempest VII. A Fire And A Cry VIII. Mrs. Paulina Barnett’s Excursion IX. Kalumah’s Adventures X. The Kamtchatka Current XI. A Communication From Lieutenant Hobson XII. A Chance To Be Tried XIII. Across The Ice-Field XIV. The Winter Months XV. A Last Exploring Expedition XVI. The Break-Up Of The Ice XVII. The Avalanche XVIII. All At Work XIX. Behring Sea XX. In The Offing XXI. The Island Becomes An Isle XXII. The Four Following Days XXIII. On A Piece Of Ice XXIV. Conclusion