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1 66 THE FUR COUNTRY, 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 instru- ment 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 1 END OF PABT L