454 DEATH OF BELLOT. 



an ice-house with our knives for shelter. Mr. Bellot sat 

 for half an hour in conversation with us, talking on the 

 danger of our position. I told him I was not afraid, and 

 that the American expedition was driven up and down 

 this channel by the ice. He replied, ' I know they 

 were ; and when the Lord protects us, not a hair of our 

 heads shall be touched/ 



" I then asked Mr. Bellot what time it was. He said, 

 ' About quarter past eight A. M.' (Thursday, the 18th), 

 and then lashed up his books, and said he would go and 

 see how the ice was driving. He had only been gone 

 about four minutes, when I went round the same hum- 

 mock under which we were sheltered to look for him, 

 but could not see him ; and, on returning to our shelter, 

 saw his stick on the opposite side of a crack, about Sve 

 fathoms wide, and the ice all breaking up. I then 

 called out ' Mr. Bellot ! ' but no answer (at this time 

 blowing very heavy). After this, I again searched 

 round, but could see nothing of him. 



11 1 believe that when he got from the shelter the 

 wind blew him into the crack, and, his south-wester 

 being tied down, he could not rise. Finding there was 

 no hope of again seeing Lieut. Bellot, I said to Hook, 

 ' I 'm not afraid : I know the Lord will always sustain 

 us/ We commenced travelling, to try to get to Cape 

 De Haven, or Port Phillips ; and, when we got within 

 two miles of Cape De Havon, could not get on shore ; 

 and returned for this side, endeavoring to get to the 

 southward, as the ice was driving to the northward. 

 We were that night and the following day in coming 

 across, and came into the land on the eastern shore a 



/ 



long way to the northward of the place where we were 

 driven off. We got into the laud at what Lieut. Bellot 

 told us was Point Hogarth. 



" In drifting up the straits towards the Polar Sea, we 



