ELISHA KENT KANE. 119 



prove, the demoralizing effects of continued debility and 

 seemingly hopeless privation were unfavorably apparent 

 among some of the party. I pass from this topic with the 

 single remark that our ultimate escape would have been 

 hazarded, but for the often painfully-enforced routine which 

 the more experienced among us felt the necessity of adhering 

 to rigorously under all circumstances. 



" In the latter part of March the walrus again made their 

 appearance among the broken ice to the south, and we shared 

 with the Esquimaux the proceeds of the hunt. The hemor- 

 rhages which had much depressed our party subsided, and we 

 began slowly to recover our strength. The sun came back to 

 us on the 21st of February; and by the 18th of April the 

 carpenter and several others were able to resume their duties. 

 In view of the contingencies which I had long apprehended, 

 I found it necessary to abandon the brig. We had already 

 consumed for firewood her upper spars, bulwarks, deck- 

 sheathing, stanchions, bulkheads, hatches, extra strengthen- 

 ing-timbers in fact, every thing that could be taken without 

 destroying her sea-worthiness. The papers which I append 

 show the results of the several surveys made at this time by 

 my orders. It will be seen from them that we had but a few 

 weeks' supply left of food or fuel ; that the path of our 

 intended retreat was a solid plain of ice, and that to delay a 

 third winter, while it could in no wise promote the search 

 after Sir John Franklin, would prove fatal to many of our 

 party. Our organization for the escape was matured with the 

 greatest care. Three boats two of them whaleboats twenty- 

 four feet in length, and the third a light cedar dingy of thir- 

 teen feet were mounted upon runners cut from the cross- 

 beams of the vessel and bolted, to prevent the disaster of 

 breakage. These runners were eighteen feet in length, and 

 shod with hoop-iron. No nails were used in their construe- 



