Nevertheless, the experience of a winter passed at such a place as Orange Harbour, must count for a great deal.  Cape Horn is in nearly 56 deg., and Sealer’s Land—­we may as well admit this much—­is, by no means, 10 deg. to the southward of that.  There must be a certain general resemblance in the climates of the two places; and he who had gone through a winter at one of them, must have had a very tolerable foretaste of what was to be suffered at the other.  This particular experience, therefore, added to his general knowledge, as well as to his character, contributed largely to Stephen’s influence in the consultations that took place between the two masters, at which he was usually present.

“It’s useless to be playing off, in an affair like this, Captain Gar’ner,” said Stephen, on one occasion.  “Away from this spot all the navies of the ’arth could not now carry us, until God’s sun comes back in his course, to drive the winter away afore it.  I have my misgivin’s, gentlemen, touching this great floe that has got jammed in among these islands, whether it will ever move ag’in; for I don’t think its coming in here is a common matter.”

“In which case, what would become of us, Stephen?”

“Why, sir, we should be at God’s marcy, then, jist as we be now; or would be, was we on the east eend itself.  I won’t say that two resolute and strong arms might not cut a way through for one little craft like ourn, if they had summer fully afore ’em, and know’d they was a-workin’ towards a fri’nd instead of towards an inimy.  There’s a great deal in the last; every man is encouraged when he thinks he’s nearer to the eend of his journey a’ter a hard day’s work, than he was when he set out in the mornin’.  But to undertake sich an expedition at this season, would be sartain destruction.  No, sir; all we can do, now, is to lay up for the winter, and that with great care and prudence.  We must turn ourselves into so many ants, and show their forethought and care.”

“What would you recommend as our first step, Stimson?” asked Daggett, who had been an attentive listener.

“I would advise, sir, to begin hardening the men as soon as I could.  We have too much fire in the stove, both for our stock of wood and for the good of the people.  Make the men sleep under fewer clothes, and don’t let any on ’ern hang about the galley fire, as some on ’em love to do, even now, most desperately.  Them ‘ere men will be good for nothin’ ten weeks hence, unless they’re taken off the fires, as a body would take off a pot or a kettle, and are set out to harden.”

“This is a process that may be easier advised than performed, perhaps,” Roswell quietly observed.