On the eleventh day, it is true they had a tempestuous snow storm followed by dense fogs which sensibly retarded the progress of the “Alaska.”  But on the 29th of July the sun appeared in all its brilliancy, and on the morning of the 2d of August they came in sight of the Island of Ljakow.

Erik gave orders immediately to sail around it in order to see if the “Albatross” was not hidden in some of its creeks.  Having done this they cast anchor in a sandy bottom about three miles from the southern shore.  Then he embarked in his boat accompanied by his three friends and six of his sailors.  Half an hour later they had reached the island.

Erik had not chosen the southern coast of the island to anchor his vessel without a reason.  He had said to himself that Patrick O’Donoghan might have told the truth when he had stated that his object was to collect ivory; but if it was his intention to leave the island at the first opportunity which afforded, he would be sure to establish himself upon a spot where he would have a good view of the sea.  He would undoubtedly choose some elevated place, and one as near as possible to the Siberian coast.  Besides the necessity of sheltering himself against the polar winds would lead him to establish himself upon the southern coast of the island.

Erik did not pretend that his conclusions were necessarily incontrovertible, but he thought that, in any case, they would suffer no inconvenience from adopting them as the basis of a systematic exploration of the place.  The results fully justified his expectations.  The travelers had not walked along the shore for an hour, when they perceived on a height, perfectly sheltered by a chain of hills, facing the south, an object which could only be a human habitation.  To their extreme surprise this little cottage, which was of a cubical form, was perfectly white, as if it had been covered with plaster.  It only lacked green shutters to perfectly resemble a country home near Marseilles, or an American cottage.

After they had climbed the height and approached near to it, they discovered a solution of the mystery.  The cottage was not plastered, it was simply built of enormous bones skillfully arranged, which gave it its white color.  Strange as the materials were, they were forced to admit that the idea of utilizing them was a natural one; besides there was nothing else available on the island where vegetation was most meagre; but the whole place, even the neighboring hills were covered with bones, which Dr. Schwaryencrona recognized as the remains of wild beasts.

CHAPTER XVII.

AT LAST.

The door of the cottage was open.  The visitors entered, and saw at a glance that the single room of which it consisted was empty, although it had been recently occupied.  Upon the hearth, which was built of three large stones, lay some extinguished embers upon which the light ashes still lingered, although the lightest breeze would have been sufficient to carry them away.  The bed, consisting of a wooden frame, from which was suspended a sailor’s hammock, still bore the impress of a human figure.