620 RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 



were seen, but they were an unwelcome sight, as Herron 

 tells us, "they frighten away the seals, which we are so 

 badly in want of." They had been expecting to see land 

 for days, but none was visible as yet, while the ice around 

 them was piled up " as high as the mast of a ship." No 

 wonder that even John Herron's heroic courage faltered ; 

 still his trust in God would not abate : " We want water to 

 escape, and, please God, we will have it when the time 

 comes." At last, on the 19th, the welcome shout "Land 

 ho!" filled their hearts with joy. It was thought to bo 

 Cape Walsingham. The next day it had again passed 

 from sight we let our friend John speak: 



"February 20. Calm and very thick. Water around ; 

 cannot see land. The seals are very scarce here. I hope 

 we will soon strike better ground. We must soon get a 

 good lead of water running in shore, and so escape, or kill 

 plenty of seals to live on, or else our time in this world 

 will be short. But God's will be done. Shot some small 

 birds yesterday and to-day, called dovekies. Temperature 

 11 to 4 below zero." 



For the next three days the land was not visible, but on 

 the 24th it was again seen. The sight was, however, tanta- 

 lizing. It appeared to be about twenty miles off, and a 

 large quantity of light snow that covered the ice made it 

 impossible to pull a boat any distance. Herron's diary 

 note of this date shows that, while he cheerfully acquiesced 

 in the decision of Captain Tyson and the majority of the 

 party, he thought (and the Esquimaux secretly agreed 

 with him) it the better plan to leave the boats behind, and, 

 making a light sleigh out of skins, endeavor to reach the 

 shore; it also shows his justly high estimate of the in- 

 valuable services rendered the party by J oe and Hannah : 



11 February 24. Very light wind ; thick ; below zero. Can 

 see the land, but cannot start. Such a quantity of light 

 snow has fallen, and you sink into it so, that it would be 

 impossible to- get the boat through it. Land is twenty 



