Jules Verne

“ At nine of the morning all was finished, and it was time; the bears were tearing the snow away furiously. The doctor thought the proper time had come. Johnson was sent to the magazine and charged with pulling the cord fastened to the post. He took his place.
“Now,” said the doctor to his companions, “load your guns in case they should not be all killed at once, and take your place near Johnson; as soon as you hear the explosion, run out.”
“All right!” said the American.
“And now we have done all that men can do! We have helped ourselves; may God help us!” ”

“ The noise increased; the scratching of claws could be heard; the bears had attacked the wall at the angle where it joined the snow fastened to the rock.
“Evidently,” said Johnson, “the animal is within six feet of us.”
“You are right, Johnson,” answered the American, “but we have time to prepare ourselves to receive it!”
The American took the axe in one hand, his knife in the other; resting on his right foot, his body thrown back, he stood ready to attack. Hatteras and Bell did the same. Johnson prepared his gun in case fire-arms should be necessary. The noise grew louder and louder ”

“ Clawbonny; “facts never contradict a scientific statement; the captain will, I trust, excuse me.”
“Go on, Doctor!” said Hatteras.
“Well, listen to this, Shandon; it results very clearly from geographical facts, and from the study of isothermal lines, that the coldest spot on the globe is not on the Pole itself; like the magnetic pole, it lies a few degrees distant. So the calculations of Brewster, Berghaus, and other physicists prove that in our hemisphere there are two poles of extreme cold: one in Asia in latitude 79°30' N., and longitude 120° E. ”

“ And, gentlemen, what do you think?”
“As for me,” replied the doctor, “I consider your design practicable, Captain; and since there is no doubt but that at some time or other explorers will reach the Pole, I don't see why we should not do it.”
“There are very good reasons why we should,” answered Hatteras, “for we have taken measures to make it possible, and we shall profit by the experience of others. And, Shandon, you must accept my thanks for the care you have given to the equipment of the brig; there are some ill-disposed men in the crew, whom I shall soon bring to reason ”

“ He noticed that by the gradual pressure of the ice, this space threatened to grow smaller; hence it became necessary to make a breach somewhere, to save the ship from being crushed; by the means he employed, it was easy to see that John Hatteras was an energetic man. ”

“ If it is free, the Forward will take us there without difficulty; if it is frozen, we must try to reach it over the ice by our sledges. You will confess that it is not impracticable; having once come with our brig to latitude 83°, we shall have only about six hundred miles between us and the Pole. ”

“ Clawbonny, we need not despair; he always has some invention handy.”
“Not always handy; but after thinking for a while—”
“Doctor,” interrupted Altamont, “can't the bears get through the passage-way you cut?”
“No, I took the precaution of closing it behind me; and now we can go from here to the powder-magazine without their suspecting it.” ”

“ His companions remained stupefied; but joy succeeded their stupefaction; each one wished to embrace the worthy man; Hatteras, who was much moved, clasped him for a long time to his breast. The doctor answered by a warm clasp of the hand.
“What! you, Dr. Clawbonny!” said the boatswain.
“Why, Johnson, I was much more anxious about your fate than you about mine.”
“But how did you know that we were attacked by bears?” asked Altamont; “our greatest fear was to see you returning quietly to Fort Providence without thought of danger.”
“0, I saw everything!” answered the doctor; “your shots warned me ”

“ This has been done a hundred times by sailing-vessels; we shall have no difficulty, going under steam. Once at Beechey Island, we shall follow Wellington Sound as far northward as possible, to where it meets the channel, connecting it with Queen's Sound, at the place where the open sea was seen. ”