THE CRISIS AND RESCUE. 645 



part f made for Hacbut Island. There the expedition was 

 brought to a standstill. A tremendous gale of wind blew, 

 and snow fell continuously for two or three days. For- 

 tunately, however, immense flocks of auks were encoun- 

 tered, the men killing eight or ten at a shot. Such sup- 

 plies of fresh provisions were very tkankfully received. 



A few days later, they once more embarked in their 

 tiny craft, and sped southward with a will. At times 

 they were sorely beset with the ice, and apprehensions 

 were felt that they would come to grief. But, happily, 

 the greater part of the time, they had almost clear Avater. 

 And the men, realizing the necessity of energy and the 

 desirableness of cheerful good humor, worked away in 

 good spirits, making excellent progress ; throughout each 

 day and each night, when a floe or field was within reach, 

 they would pull the boats up upon it and take everything 

 out of them to avoid strain upon their frail sides and bot- 

 toms. Then a hot meal would be cooked and thankfully 

 partaken of. The apparatus for cooking were exceedingly 

 simple and limited. Each boat carried a lot of the rig- 

 ging of the Polaris and a can of oil, and with these a fire 

 would be made in the bottom of an old iron bucket. With 

 such appliances it was possible only to make tea, but this 

 was acceptable and refreshing. And then, after a night's 

 rest, early in the morning they would again launch and 

 load their little craft and push forward. 



Thus they proceeded onward at a good rate of speed 

 till they reached Cape Parry, and a few miles below, at 

 Fitz Clarence Rock, they encamped for a day and two 

 nights. 



Pushing onward from here, they reached Cape York on 

 the 21st of June, and, two days later, when they had gone 

 some twenty-five miles farther south, their intense joy may 

 be conceived, but cannot be depicted, on beholding a vessel 

 in the offing. This vessel proved to be the Scotch whaler, 

 Ravenscraig, of Dundee. 



