448 RECEPTION IN HALIFAX. 



than three hours after the disaster, all alarm vanished 

 when it was known that a stream of pure water was 

 trickling from this novel contrivance in the officers' 

 cabin, at the rate of ten gallons a day. 



The damaged condition of the schooner compelled 

 us, when off Nova Scotia, to make a port as speedily 

 as possible, and accordingly we put into Halifax. Our 

 reception there was most gratifying, and among a 

 people famed for hospitality we had abundant reason 

 to rejoice over the ill winds which had blown us so 

 much good. The admiral of Her Britannic Majesty's 

 fleet, then in Halifax Harbor, generously tendered the 

 use of the Government conveniences for repairing my 

 crippled vessel ; and from the officers of Her Majes- 

 ty's civil service and of the squadron and garrison ; 

 from the Mayor and many other citizens of Halifax, — 

 most especially from the Medical Society, — the Expe- 

 dition received attentions which exhibited not less a 

 friendliness of disposition for ourselves than respect 

 for the flag under which our explorations had been 

 made. 



Up to the time of our arrival at Halifax we had, of 

 course, no further news than what reached us at Uper- 

 navik. We had scarcely dropped our anchor before a 

 a citizen of the town and a countryman of my own, 

 neither of whom was long a stranger to my friendship 

 or my gratitude, hurried off to give us greetings, and 

 to bring the news. They had picked up some files of 

 New York papers on the way, and we soon learned of 

 the terrible struggle that had been going on for many 

 months. Although not wholly unprepared for this by 

 the intelligence received at Upernavik, yet we had 

 confidently cherished the expectation that hostilities 

 had been averted by wise and prudent counsellors. 



