MEETING WITH M'CLURK 447 



tions resembling those used by Esquimaux, besides shout- 

 ing at the top of his voice words which, from the wind 

 and intense excitement of the moment, sounded like a 

 will screech : and this brought us both fairly to a stand- 

 still. The stranger came quietly on, and we saw that 

 his face was as black* as ebony ; and really, at the mo- 

 ment, we might be pardoned for wondering whether he 

 was a denizen of this or the other world ; as it was, 

 we gallantly stood our ground, and, had the skies fallen 

 upon us, we could hardly have been more astonished 

 than when the dark-faced stranger called out, ' I 'm Lieu- 

 tenant Pirn, late of the Herald, and now in the Reso- 

 lute. Captain Kellett is in her, at Dealy Island.' 



" To rush at and seize him by the hand was the first 

 impulse, for the heart was too full for the tongue to 

 speak. The announcement of relief being close at 

 hand, when none was supposed to be even within the 

 Arctic Circle, was too sudden, unexpected, and joyous, 

 for our minds to comprehend it at once. The news 

 flew with lightning rapidity ; the ship was all in com- 

 motion ; the sick, forgetful of their maladies, leaped 

 from their hammocks ; the artificers dropped their tools, 

 and the lower deck was cleared of men ; for they all 

 rushed for the hatchway, to be assured that a stranger 

 was actually among them, and that his tale was true 

 Despondency fled the ship, and Lieut. Pirn received a 

 welcome pure, hearty, and grateful that he will 

 surely remember and cherish to the end of his days." 



On the 8th of April, Pirn and his men, accompanied 

 by M'Clure with a sledge-party, set out on their return. 

 Dr. Domville, who had improved his time by mending 

 the broken sledge and killing five musk-oxen, joined 

 them on the way ; and on the 19th they all arrived at 

 the quarters of the Resolute and Intrepid. Capt. Kellett 



* Rendered black by the lamp-smoke in his tent. 



