Symzonia: Voyage of Discovery

We arrived at Take-in harbour next day. Mr. Boneto's party had been actively employed, and had already secured seven thousand seal skins. I collected all my officers on board, and acquainted them with such of my plans as I thought it prudent to disclose. The first was to land thirty of the crew at a group of islands which formed a snug harbour near the mouth of Mammoth River; to erect on one of the islands sufficient buildings to protect them from the severity of the winter, in case it should become necessary to remain there until another season, and large enough to contain a fair share of all the stores on board, in proportion to their numbers, so that they might fare as well as those who remained in the ship. I told them that I should proceed to the S. E. along the coast, to ascertain where was the best sealing ground to remove to when these Islands should be cleared of seals, and to discover whether the land extended a sufficient distance on the other side of the pole to open a passage for us to sail over the pole, and thus proceed to Canton by steering due north, which would save a great deal of time. This was all according to their notions of things; but I was well aware that when they would suppose we were sailing northward on the other side of the globe, we should in fact be sailing directly into it through the opening. No objections were made to this plan, as it all seemed feasible enough. But I was at a loss as to the officers I should leave with this party. In exploring the internal regions, I should want all my best officers; and although Slim was an excellent sealer, it would not do to leave him with the command of the party, for I should be sure to find the men all ripe for mutiny on my return. I at last determined to give Mr. Boneto the charge of the establishment, with the boatswain to assist him; to keep Albicore, Slim, and Mackerel in the ship, and give Jack Whiffle the birth of acting boatswain.