The banks were covered with trees and vegetation.
I cannot express my feeling of exultation at this discovery.

My father stood motionless, with his hand on the tiller, looking straight ahead, pouring out his heart in thankful prayer and thanksgiving to the gods Odin and Thor.
In the meantime, a net which we found in the stowage had been cast, and we caught a few fish that materially added to our dwindling stock of provisions.
The compass, which we had fastened back in its place, in fear of another storm, was still pointing due north, and moving on its pivot, just as it had at Stockholm.

The dipping of the needle had ceased.

What could this mean?
Then, too, our many days of sailing had certainly carried us far past the North Pole.

And yet the needle continued to point north.