Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 2.djvu/357

 fancy to pay us a visit. We'll make a famous job of it, and so you'll say when our work is finished."

"There will be two flights of steps outside the ship—one fore and one aft. As soon as the steps are cut, we shall pour water over them, and this will make them as hard as a rock, and we shall have stairs fit for a king."

Before long the whole vessel had disappeared beneath a thick coating of ice. A roof made of tarred canvas was spread over the deck the entire length of the ship and hanging down the sides. This was covered with snow, to prevent any external cold from penetrating. The deck was thus converted into a promenade, also covered with snow two and a half feet thick, well beaten and trodden down to make it as hard as possible. Over this a layer of sand was sprinkled, which became speedily incrusted, and gave the deck the appearance of a macadamized road.

"I shall soon fancy myself in Hyde Park," said the Doctor; "or in the hanging-gardens of Babylon."

At a convenient distance from the ship a fire-hole was made; that is to say, a well was dug in the ice, to provide a constant supply of water, a very necessary measure both for the frequent baths ordered the crew and in case of fire breaking out on board. This well was dug as deep as possible, as the water is not so cold as near the surface.

The interior of the vessel was arranged with a view to ward off the double danger of the Arctic regions—cold and damp. The first brings the second—a foe still more to be dreaded.

The Forward being constructed especially for the expedition, was admirably adapted for the purpose. The forecastle was wisely planned, and war had been successfully waged in the corners where damp first crept in. It would have been better if the men's room had been circular, but still with a good fire in the stove, it was very comfortable. The walls were hung with deers' skins, instead of anything woollen, as wool catches every vapor, and by their condensation, impregnates the atmosphere with humidity.

The partitions were taken down in the poop, and the officers had one common room larger and more airy than the forecastle, and also heated by a stove. Both it and the men's room had a sort of ante-chamber, which cut off all direct communication with the exterior. This prevented