GREELY'S ARCTIC WINTER OF STARVATION 367 



ceeded in killing a small seal ; but in a chase after another his kayak 

 was injured in the ice and he was drowned. 



After his death only misfortune attended the hunting, and, 

 failing to replenish their stock of game, they were reduced to such 

 ajterrible plight that they had only the thick skin of the seal on 

 which to subsist. Even this fare was carefully divided and meas- 

 ured, so that life might be maintained as long as possible in case a 

 relief vessel came. One day it was found that somebody was steal- 

 ing. All the party was assembled, but no one would admit the 

 theft. It was decided that the thief should be shot, if discovered. 

 One man, being suspected, was watched. He was caught and 

 executed. 



A fortnight later, the last few square inches, of the seal's skin 

 was gone, and the men, now little more than living skeletons, lay 

 in their sleeping-bags looking at one another with hollow eyes, 

 wondering, perhaps, who would be the last to go, when a steamer's 

 whistle sounded over the straits. 



It was the "Bear," of the expedition commanded by Winneld 

 S. Schley, with whom came George W. Melville, late of the "Jean- 

 nette," for engineer. They had left St. John's on May I2th, and 

 pushed north through the ice of Baffin's Bay and Smith Sound, 

 sending a party ashore on June 22d to search for signs of the 

 missing explorers. On Brevoort Island a letter written by Lieu- 

 tenant Lockwood was found, giving their location and stating that 

 their food supply was nearly gone. As this was dated eight months 

 before, the dismayed officers lost hope of finding any of them alive. 

 Before sunset of the next day Greely's camp was discovered. Greely 

 Was seen on his knees, muttering the prayer for the dying over one 

 of his comrades. He looked up, dazed, bewildered, unable to read 

 the meaning of what met his eyes. 



"Greely, is this you?'" asked Colwell, one of the party of 

 rescue, as he took the emaciated hand. 



"Yes," "answered Greely, in a scarcely audible voice. "Yes 



