FAST TO AN ICEBERG. 621 



miles off, I should say, and we appear to be leaving it. 

 My advice is to start for it making a sleigh out of some 

 spare skins, loading it with provisions and clothing, and 

 the rake to ferry us across the cracks ; also ammunition for 

 hunting purposes when we get on shore. By that means 

 we could leave the boat and travel light, for it is my opin- 

 ion that we will never get the boat over the ice any dis- 

 tance. We seem to have left the sealing ground. We 

 cannot catch anything to speak of, and we have only three 

 weeks' provisions left. Captain Tyson and some of the men 

 are afraid to venture in shore and unwilling to leave the 

 boat ; so we have made up our minds to stay, come down 

 in our provisions and trust in God, hoping we may drift 

 on a better sealing ground, and thus live through it. I 

 asked the Esquimaux' opinion about it what they would 

 do if they had not us to influence them. They told me 

 they would start for land directly they saw it. They do 

 not like to speak their minds openly for fear something 

 might happen, meaning they would be blamed for it; so 

 they are silent, following only the advice and opinions of 

 others. Joe is very much to be praised; also his wife 

 Hannah. We may thank them and God for our lives and 

 the good health we are in. We could never have gotten 

 through this far without them. If we ever get out of this 

 difficulty they can never be paid too much. Joe caught a 

 very small seal, which makes the eighth this month. 

 Northern lights very brilliant to-night. All well." 



They found it necessary to split up one of their boats 

 for fuel. As we have before intimated, seal-oil was their 

 chief fuel it gave them light and the means to cook such 

 food as they had, and to melt ice for water; hence the 

 scarcity of seals caused them no little distress, independent 

 of their value as food. 



On the 28th, Hans discovered the track of a large bear, 

 and a party started in pursuit. He broke through the 

 thin ice at a cra>ck and swam away a sad disappointment 



