The dissatisfied condition of Mrs. Block had a cheering influence
upon Captain Hubbell when he heard of it.

"By George!" said he, "this seems like good old times. When I
was young and there was women on board, they all got a little
sea-sick; but nowadays, with these ball-and-socket ships, you
never hear of that sort of thing. A sea-sick woman is the most
natural thing I have struck yet on this cruise."

Mrs. Block's uneasiness, however, did not last very long. A few
electric capsules of half an alterative volt each soon relieved
her; but her mind was still out of order; she was not satisfied.
She had accustomed herself to submerged conditions, and ordinary
voyaging was very different.

"It wouldn't surprise me," she said, "if we should find that
there wasn't any pole; that's about the way these things
generally turn out."

In a few hours the Dipsey had rounded the cape, keeping well off
shore. In front was a clear sweep of unobstructed water. With
their telescopes they could see nothing on the horizon which
indicated the presence of land. If the sea should stretch out
before them, as they hoped and expected, a sail of about seventy
miles ought to bring them to the pole. The Dipsey did not go at
full speed; there was no hurry, and as he was in absolutely
unknown waters, Captain Hubbell wished to take no risks of sunken
reefs or barely submerged islands. Soundings were frequent, and
they found that the polar sea--at least that part over which they
were sailingwas a comparatively shallow body of water.