100 THE WORLD OF ICE.

the scientific bodies when we get home again. They
might elect you a member, Fred.”

“Well, perhaps I shall,” replied Fred oravely ;
“but I say, to be serious, I’m really goimg to screw
up my energies as much as possible, and make col-
oured dvawings of all the birds I can get hold of in
the Arctic Regions. At least, I would like to try.”

Fred finished his remark with a sigh, for just then
the object for which he had gone out to those regions
occurred to him; and although the natural buoyancy
and hopefulness of his feelings enabled him generally
to throw off anxiety in regard to his father’s fate, and
join in the laugh, and jest, and game as heartily as
any one on board, there were times when his heart
failed him, and he almost despaired of ever seeing his
father again, and these feelings of despondency had
been more frequent since the day on which he wit-
nessed the sudden and utter destruction of the strange
brig.

“Don’t leb your spirits down, Fred,” said Tom,
whose hopeful and earnest disposition often reani-
mated his friend’s drooping spirits; “it will only
unfit you for doing any good service. Besides, I think
we have no cause yet to despair. We know that
your father came up this inlet, or strait, or what-
ever it is, and he had a good stock of provisions
with him, according to the account we got at Uper-
nayik, and it is not more than a year since he was
there. Many and many a whaler and discovery ship
has wintered more than a year in these regions. And