"I quite think we ought to make our survey of the confines of this new basin as complete as possible before we withdraw." Servadac, although he acknowledged the justness of these observations, could not help pleading that the explorations might be deferred until after a visit had been paid to Gourbi Island.
"Depend upon it, captain, you are mistaken," replied the lieutenant; "the right thing to do is to use the _Dobryna_ while she is available." "Available! What do you mean ?" asked the count, somewhat taken by surprise.
"I mean," said Procope, "that the farther this Gallia of ours recedes from the sun, the lower the temperature will fall.

It is likely enough, I think, that before long the sea will be frozen over, and navigation will be impossible.

Already you have learned something of the difficulties of traversing a field of ice, and I am sure, therefore, you will acquiesce in my wish to continue our explorations while the water is still open." "No doubt you are right, lieutenant," said the count.

"We will continue our search while we can for some remaining fragment of Europe.

Who shall tell whether we may not meet with some more survivors from the catastrophe, to whom it might be in our power to afford assistance, before we go into our winter quarters ?" Generous and altogether unselfish as this sentiment really was, it was obviously to the general interest that they should become acquainted, and if possible establish friendly relations, with any human inhabitant who might be sharing their own strange destiny in being rolled away upon a new planet into the infinitude of space.