4 STATEMENT or SURVIVORS. [September, 



Two men, William Johnson, Ab., and David Hook, were 

 tlien with Lieutenant Bellot on the detached piece of 

 ice. Johnson gives a most incoherent tale, loses sight 

 suddenly of Lieutenant Bellot, and supposes him to be 

 drowned between the opening of the floe, sees his 

 stick, and shouts out for him by name. He then states, 

 that he traversed spaces amounting to ninety miles (thirty 

 to Cape de Haven, thirty to Cape Hogarth, and thirty 

 back,) in no time, and yet, ly the watch of Monsieur Bel- 

 lot, at eight P.M. on the 18th they were adrift; at night, 

 on the l ( Jth, rejoin their companions, a march ahead! 

 On the other hand, the evidence of the boatswain's mate 

 differs widely : he was on shore, not included in the ca- 

 tastrophe, which might have affected the minds of the 

 two blown off; he was therefore in a better condition to 

 see, to judge, and to report truly, and dates and facts 

 confirm his evidence. By his account, he watched for 

 them six hours ; he then travels to Cape Bowclen, for 

 which I will allow six hours more, and then suddenly 

 finds them advancing on land and almost within hail ! ! 



Now, it must be remembered that the misfortune oc- 

 curred on the evening of the 18th of August, about eight 

 P.M. by Monsieur Bellot' s watch, and yet, on the night 

 of the 19th, the party had reassembled, after a pretty 

 fair land travel (irrespective of the absurd history of ice 

 work at Cape Bowden). But what appears still more 

 incomprehensible to my mind is, two of the most dis- 

 tressed of the party were left behind by their companions 

 to die, starve, or for what purpose is not indicated, and 

 these reach the 'North Star' on the 21st, where their 

 statement is taken. 



