144 ELISHA KENT KANE. 



years, and before the horrors of their second winter 

 began to close around them, some of the crew be- 

 came terrified at the idea of remaining in their icy 

 home ; they thought that it would be impossible to 

 survive the rigors which they would be compelled to 

 undergo ; and believed that they might yet safely 

 make their escape to the nearest Esquimaux settle- 

 ments. To these opinions and to this purpose Dr. 

 Kane was resolutely opposed. He called a meeting 

 of the officers and crew; stated to them his views; 

 and gave the dissatisfied men permission to carry 

 out their intention, if they chose so to do. Eight 

 persons out of seventeen determined to remain: the 

 rest preferred to attempt an escape before the ap- 

 proaching rigors of winter should render it impos- 

 sible. Among this number was William Godfrey. 



During the progress of several succeeding months, 

 all those who had undertaken to escape returned 

 to the brig, after having endured the utmost hard- 

 ships of exposure, hunger, and sickness. They 

 gladly embraced the shelter and support which 

 the vessel afforded, in preference to perishing upon 

 the frozen and uninhabited wastes over which 

 their proposed journey lay. By returning to the 

 brig, it must be manifest to every rational observer 

 that they voluntarily resumed the relations which 

 had previously existed between the commander and 



