EVERYTHING BROKEN UP. 623 



thousand pieces. I feel very bad yet in my head and 

 stomach. The liver of bear and oogjook, they say, is very 

 dangerous to eat ; but what is a hungry man to do ? We 

 have eaten the seals, hair, skin and everything about 

 them, and been glad to get them." The night of the 10th 

 was a horrible one. We let John Herron tell the story 

 of the 10th, llth and 12th: 



"March 11. Blowing a strong gale yet. All hands 

 were up last night and dressed, ready for a jump, for the 

 ice was splitting, crashing and making a fearful noise all 

 night. To-day has been a fearful day cannot see, for 

 snow-drift. We know the floe is broken into small pieces. 

 We are afloat, jumping and kicking about. This is not 

 very pleasant. My hope is in God. Thermometer 6 de- 

 grees above zero. 



"March 12. Last night was a fearful night of suspense 

 ice creaking and breaking, the gale roaring and the 

 water swashing, but where? We know it is around us, 

 but we cannot see anything. Since one o'clock this morn- 

 ing the wind has been going down, thank God ! and now 

 I can see around. A nice picture ! Everything broken 

 up into small pieces. The best piece we are on. The 

 huts are nearly covered. Afternoon. It has calmed down 

 to a fine day, with a light breeze. Joe caught two seals, 

 and Hans caught one. Captain Tyson also caught one. 

 Joe caught three dovekies and the cook two, showing how 

 good God is to us. From 6 to 10 degrees below zero." 



We cannot but recognize the hand of God in the escape 

 of the entire party in such imminent perils not one lost, 

 though there were two w T omen and five helpless children 

 in the party. Thus, all safe, on the largest piece of their 

 floe which had so long borne them, the following ten 

 days passed without incident, until, on the 22d, we find 

 the following in John's diary : 



"March 22. Splendid day; very light wind, west- 

 aoi thwest. The first day of spring ; thank God we have 



