It was then the midst of the semi-darkness of the austral night that the _Paracuta_ pursued her monotonous course.

True, the southern polar lights were frequently visible; but they were not the sun, that single orb of day which had illumined our horizons during the months of the Antarctic summer, and their capricious splendour could not replace his unchanging light.

That long darkness of the poles sheds a moral and physical influence on mortals which no one can elude, a gloomy and overwhelming impression almost impossible to resist.
Of all the _Paracuta's_ passengers, the boatswain and Endicott only preserved their habitual good-humour; those two were equally insensible to the weariness and the peril of our voyage.

I also except West, who was ever ready to face every eventuality, like a man who is always on the defensive.

As for the two brothers Guy, their happiness in being restored to each other made them frequently oblivious of the anxieties and risks of the future.
Of Hurliguerly I cannot speak too highly.