1853.] SUSPICIONS AWAKENED. 369 



cured for the night, I returned with Mr. Grove to ex- 

 amine afresh the spot where these things were found. 

 The boat had evidently at first occupied a place on the 

 floe, where the sun or the heat of the man's body had 

 impressed all its leading marks very perceptibly on the 

 ice. It was painted black, and therefore by the ordinary 

 laws of nature should have been more deeply imbedded, 

 as the lighter-coloured articles had sunk in deeply, and 

 become well frozen ; but the breeze had blown the boat 

 over the ledge, and it there hung, attached by its frozen 

 lines, as a signal of distress : Nature's own act ! No 

 further clue could be gained. The bay ice was form- 

 ing so rapidly that Mr. Cheyue's party were hauling the 

 gig over the ice ; but where we were, the boat easily cut 

 through by the velocity afforded by the oars. On Mr. 

 Cheyne's joining, by signal, he was instructed to search 

 the inner masses of ice, whilst I continued to follow up 

 the line of gale of the 18th of August, to which date I 

 immediately assigned this alarming catastrophe. It is 

 almost needless to add, that suspicion of misfortune to 

 Commander Pullen predominated, as I could not for a 

 moment imagine that he 'would trust any other person 

 with such documents : I also felt assured that it resulted 

 alter his return to his ship. No further traces were at 

 present discovered. 



Here was matter for most serious consideration, and 

 involved advance or delay ! But it was clear to my mind 

 that if any misfortune occurred to a party in this imme- 

 diate neighbourhood, that traces must be sought for on 

 their return to the ' North Star,' and that the nearest 

 land would soon furnish evidence of their resting-places. 



VOL. i. 2 B 



