18 SPITSBERGEN 



them in Spitsbergen under promise of a free pardon, 

 a handsome reward, and full provisions and suitable 

 clothes if they would remain there for a continuous 

 twelve months. But, as the ship that brought them 

 was preparing to return to London, "they conceived 

 such a horror and inward fear in their hearts" that 

 they besought the captain to take them back that they 

 might be hanged rather than perish amid such desola- 

 tion ; and the captain " being a pitiful and a merciful 

 gentleman, would not by force constrain them to stay," 

 and brought them home again, when the company- 

 who could do no less procured them a pardon. One 

 captain of a different disposition had left nine men 

 behind him, all of whom perished miserably ; and 

 another, in 1C30, left eight others, apparently through 

 causes beyond his control, whose adventure was to 

 form one of the most interesting episodes in Arctic 

 story. 



It was on the 15th of August in that year that the 

 Salutation sent Edward Pellham and his seven com- 

 panions ashore to kill reindeer for the ship's provisions 

 on her voyage home. Taking with them two dogs, a 

 snap-hance, two lances, and a tinder-box, they landed 

 near Black Point, between Green Harbour and Bell 

 Sound, and, "laying fourteen tall and nimble deer 

 along," camped for the night. During the night 

 the weather changed and brought in the ice between 

 the shore and the ship, and in the morning the ship 

 had gone. The boat's crew made for Green Harbour, 

 thinking she would put in there to pick them up, but 

 she failed to appear, being due to leave the country in 

 three days, and after a fruitless attempt to catch her at 



