368 ALARMING DISCOVERY. [September, 



seeing that at least she was moving. Our progress, being 

 free from obstruction, was more rapid, aided I imagine 

 by a current along the shore ; and by six P.M. we suc- 

 ceeded in warping alongside some stupendous masses of 

 ice or fragments of bergs, grounded in eleven fathoms, 

 and raised above water about forty feet. Whilst engaged 

 in warping along these, the look-out in the crow's-nest 

 reported " something like a coal-bag and a uniform cap, 

 lying on one of the detached in-shore floe-pieces." Our 

 glasses soon detected the black object to be one of Hal- 

 kett's India-rubber boats ! Mr. Grove, Mate, was imme- 

 diately despatched with the light boat, which the party 

 hauled over a low neck, and reached the objects. On his 

 return he brought the India-rubber boat (the bellows hav- 

 ing been mistaken for the cap), a tin case containing the 

 Admiralty Arctic Chart, the true-bearing book of 1853, 

 two tin pannikins, a hank of log-line, bits of lint, a pill- 

 box containing ointment, and a piece of adhesive plaster, 

 with other proofs of its having been the temporary 

 resting-place of man ! 



That all the articles in question belonged to our Ex- 

 pedition was clear by the date of the chart, as well as 

 the true-bearing book for this year, within which was 

 further found a printed prayer belonging to the ' North 

 Star,' as well as one in manuscript, evidently in the 

 handwriting of Commander Pullen : the chart was also 

 his, having on it his remarks on his late journeys hither- 

 ward. But the Halkett's boat created a doubt, as the 

 ' North Star' was not supplied with one, and yet it bore 

 the broad arrow ; it might therefore have come from the 

 ' Resolute' or ' Intrepid.' As soon as the ship was se- 



