Soto—Mutiny on a Slave Ship—The Commander left Ashore and the Mate Murdered—Encounters the _Morning Star_—A Ship without a Gun—Terror of the Passengers—Order to spare no Lives—A Terrified Steward—De Soto’s Commands only partially observed, and the Ship Saved—At Cadiz—Failure of the Pirate’s Plans—Captured, Tried, and Hanged at Gibraltar CHAPTER IX. OUR ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. Our Latest Arctic Expedition—Scene at Portsmouth—Departure of the 84 _Alert_ and _Discovery_—Few Expeditions really ever pointed to the Pole—What we know of the Regions—Admitted and Unadmitted Records—Dutch Yarns—A Claimant at the Pole—Life with the Esquimaux—A Solitary Journey—Northmen Colony—The Adventurer kindly treated—Their King—Sun-worshippers—Believers in an Arctic Hell—The Mastodon not Extinct—Domesticated Walruses—The whole story a nonsensical _Canard_ CHAPTER X. CRUISE OF THE _PANDORA_. The Arctic Expedition of 1875-6—Its Advocates—The _Alert_ and 91 _Discovery_—Cruise of the _Pandora_—Curious Icebergs—The First Bump with the Ice—Seal Meat as a Luxury—Ashore on a Floe—Coaling at Ivigtut—The Kryolite Trade—Beauty of the Greenland Coast in Summer—Festivities at Disco—The Belles of Greenland—A Novel Ball-room—The dreaded Melville Bay—Scene of Ruin at Northumberland House—Devastation of the Bears—An Arctic Graveyard—Beset by the Ice—An Interesting Discovery—Furthest Point Attained—Return Voyage—A Dreadful Night—The Phantom Cliff—Home again CHAPTER XI. THE _ALERT_ AND _DISCOVERY_. Nares’ Expedition—Wonderful Passage through Baffin’s Bay—Winter 99 Quarters of the _Discovery_—Capital Game-bag—Continued Voyage of the _Alert_—Highest Latitude ever attained by a Ship—“The Sea of Ancient Ice”—Winter Quarters, Employments, and Amusements—The Royal Arctic Theatre—Guy Fawkes’ Day on the Ice—Christmas Festivities—Unparalleled Cold—Spring Sledging—Attempt to Reach the _Discovery_—Illness and Death of Petersen—The Ravages of Scurvy—Tribute to Captain Hall’s Memory—Markham and Parr’s Northern Journey—Highest Latitude ever reached—Sufferings of the Men—Brave Deeds—The Voyage Home CHAPTER XII. THE FIRST ARCTIC VOYAGES. Early History of Arctic Discovery—The Hardy Norseman—Accidental 115 Discovery of Iceland—Colony Formed—A Fisherman Drifted to Greenland—Eric the Red Head—Rapid Colonisation—Early Intercourse with America—Voyages of the _Zeni_—Cabot’s Attempt at a North-West Passage—Maritime Enterprise of this Epoch—Voyage of the _Dominus Vobiscum_—Of the _Trinitie_ and _Minion_—Starvation and Cannibalism—A High-handed Proceeding—Company of the Merchant Adventurers—Attempts at the North-East—Fate of Willoughby—Chancelor, and our First Intercourse with Russia CHAPTER XIII. EARLY ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. Attempts at the North-West Passage—Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s 123 Advocacy—The One thing left undone—Frobisher’s Expeditions—Arctic “Diggins”—A Veritable Gold Excitement—Large Fleet Despatched—Disaster and Disappointment—Voyages of John