1853.] 



UPSETTING OF THE SLEDGE. 



231 



We left with a gentle breeze, under all sail, going at 

 a very pleasant trot beside the sledge, until we came 

 upon this rough sea. The velocity of the sledge, caused 

 by the sudden increase of wind under Cape Sicie, trip- 

 ped all hands up and dragged them astern, face down- 

 wards. I was on the sledge, and dropped myself in time 

 to avoid the conseqiieuces of the capsize which one of 

 these waves caused. We escaped with one damaged 

 spar ; replaced it, and moved forward more cautiously. 

 This time our engine ran away ; again all hands let go. 

 I was perched, for ballast, on the weather-quarter, across 

 which a long gun-case, three feet six inches, was lashed ; 

 but, as if my neck was destined to be continually in 

 jeopardy, I experienced a gentle summerset, driven at a 

 radius of four feet, with sufficient impetus to derange it ; 



however, I escaped with slight damage, and the sledge 

 upsetting on a lee shore, enabled our crew to regain it. 

 We now reduced our sail to a latteen until we cleared 

 this frozen ocean, and eventually pitched our tent for 

 the night on a fine gravel beach. This I well know, by 

 experience, to be bad ; but as the majority seemed to 

 think they had bettered themselves, I was determined to 

 let them learn, and not have to thank me for my inter- 



