538 RETURN OF THE RESOLUTE. 



were driven as far down as the Bermudas. The water 

 left in the ship's tanks was brackish, and it needed all 

 the seasoning which the ship's chocolate would give to 

 make it drinkable. "For sixty hours at a time," says 

 the captain, " I frequently had no sleep ; " but his per- 

 severance was crowned with success, at last, and, on 

 the night of the 23d of December, he made the light off 

 the harbor from which he sailed, and on Sunday morn- 

 ing, the 24th, dropped anchor in the Thames, opposite 

 New London, and ran up the British ensign on the shorn 

 masts of the Resolute. 



Her subsequent history is fresh in the minds of our 

 readers. The British government generously released 

 all their claim in favor of the salvors. Thereupon, Con- 

 gress resolved that the vessel should be purchased and 

 restored as a present to her majesty from the American 

 people. This design was fully carried out. The Reso- 

 lute was taken to the dry-dock in Brooklyn, and there 

 put in complete order. Everything on board even the 

 smallest article- -was replaced as nearly as possible in 

 its original position ; and, at length, having been manned 

 and officered from the United States navy, and placed 

 under the command of Captain Hartstein, the Resolute, 

 stanch and sound again, from stem to stern, " with 

 sails all set and streamers all afloat," once more shaped 

 her course for England, where she arrived in December, 

 1856, and was presented to Queen Victoria with appro- 

 priate ceremonies. 



