As had been the experience of all other navigators in high northern latitudes, the dipping of the needle rendered the compass useless, and we had to depend on the sun, moon and stars for our guidance. But the skies were clear and the sea open, so that we apprehended no further trouble, notwithstanding this was the beginning of winter. Accounts of the expedition were sealed in bottles and sent up in balloons, as was our custom, and as there was no ice in sight, we determined to sail due north from the tower.
After holding our course for a few days, we found that the needle had again assumed the horizontal position and that we were sailing due south. We knew we had started north and had not consciously changed our course. Here was a mystery we could not fathom. But this was not all. The horizon seemed to be rising up and obscuring stars that ought to have been in full view.
The pole star, which had been near the zenith was sinking toward the horizon behind us. The whole face of the celestial vault was changing. As the northern lights, which were dropping to the rear grew less brilliant, the southern horizon beamed with a halo of light, which continued to grow brighter. Without having changed our course we were now sailing away from the constellations by which we had so long been guided in our progress toward the pole. What could it mean?
These strange phenomena upset all of our calculations. Everything seemed weird and unnatural. The engines were stopped and we lay to, in order to make observations and study the situation. Accounts of these strange phenomena were securely sealed in bottles and committed to the care of the winds.
Captains Ganoe and Battell held a council in the library and made a careful study of the best authorities, but could find no solution to the problem, as to why we should be going south. It was determined to change our course to the northeast. Continuing in this direction, we found the cold increasing, while the northern lights grew brighter, and stars that had been obscured, again made their appearance above the horizon.
At the end of this run, the ice-pack, now frozen solid, made its appearance. We changed our course toward the east, keeping the ice on our starboard quarter until we were again at the great tower from which we had started. We had discovered no opening in the ice-barriers and no solution to the problem we had started out to investigate.
We found ourselves in an open sea, but encompassed by an impassable barrier of ice. We again determined to sail directly north, and, if possible, cross this wide expanse of ocean around which we had been sailing.
In a few days we again found ourselves running south and leaving the pole star behind us. Star after star began to disappear behind the horizon. Again the light in the south appeared and began to grow brighter.
Again, Captains Ganoe and Battell held a conference. After carefully comparing notes and going over all the facts revealed by our observations, Captain Ganoe asked me to hand him a magazine which he selected from the catalogue. I complied, and he looked through it for a minute and handed it to me saying:
"There is the solution of the problem."