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 206 THE FUR COUNTRY. drifted slightly to the south, but without getting any nearer to the American coast, which curved considerably. The distance traversed by the island since the fracture of the isthmus, or rather since the last thaw, could not be less than eleven or twelve hundred miles to the west. But what was this distance compared to the vast extent of the ocean % Had not boats been known to be drifted several thousands of miles by currents ? Was not this the case with the English ship Resolute, the American brig Advance, and with the Fox, all of which were carried along upon ice-fields until the winter arrested their advance 1