ELISHA KENT KANE. 107 



members of the expedition. In crossing a tide-hole 

 one of the runners of the sledge of the "Hope" 

 broke through, and the boat would have gone under 

 and its contents lost had it not been for the prompt 

 exertions of Christian Ohlsen. By a sudden and 

 violent effort he passed a capstan-bar under the 

 sledge, and thus saved it until it was drawn upon 

 the firm ice. The sudden strain was too great for his 

 strength. He had injured himself internally, and three 

 days afterward he expired. He was buried by his 

 comrades, after being sewed up in his own blankets, 

 in a little gorge on the east face of Pekiutlik ; where 

 his remains now repose beneath a rude and simple 

 mound, around which the cold winds of that frozen 

 zone sigh and sing from year to year their mournful 

 requiem. 



On the 18th of July the expedition reached the 

 termination of the solid ice, and they prepared to 

 continue their route by navigation. It was at Cape 

 Alexander that this change in their mode of loco- 

 motion began, and perils of a different description, 

 but not less imminent, thenceforth awaited them, 

 Nevertheless the commander led off" in the Faith ; 

 and he was boldly followed by the other two boats, 

 the Eric and the Hope. 



Skirting along the abrupt and frozen shores of 

 Greenland, they occasionally halted and drew up 



