However, the fire soon made its reanimating influence felt, and steaming bowls of tea and coffee lent their aid in restoring the benumbed men to some degree of physical comfort, and even revived the dying hope in their hearts.
The 1st of January was marked by an unexpected discovery. The weather was mild, and the Doctor had resumed his usual studies. He was reading Sir Edward Belcher's "Narrative of his Polar Expedition," when he came across a passage he had never noticed before. He read it over and over again, to satisfy himself it was no mistake.
Sir Edward stated that after reaching the end of the Queen's Channel, he met with traces of human habitation on the shore.
"'We found the remains,' he said, 'of dwellings far superior to any of those which would be inhabited by the wandering tribes of Esquimaux. The walls had good foundations, and there was a paved space, covered with fine gravel. We saw a great quantity of bones of reindeer, and walrus, and seals. We found coal there.'"
As the Doctor read these concluding words, an idea crossed his mind, which he determined to communicate to Hatteras forthwith, so, book in hand, he went in search of him.
"Coal, did you say!" exclaimed the captain, when he told him of his discovery.
"Yes, Hatteras, coal! that's to say, our means of salvation."
"But coal on this barren coast," returned Hatteras. No, that's not possible!"
"Why doubt it, Hatteras? Belcher would never have stated the fact if he had not seen it with his own eyes!"
"Well, granting it to be true, what then, Doctor?"
"We are not more than a hundred miles from the place where Belcher saw this coal; and what's an excursion of a hundred miles? Nothing. Much longer journeys have often been made over the ice in quite as cold weather as this. Let us set off, captain."
"We will!" exclaimed Hatteras, clutching eagerly at the forlorn hope.
Johnson was speedily informed of the project, which met his hearty approval. He communicated the news to the rest.
"Let them go," whispered Shandon, mysteriously.
