278 A MISHAP. 



for which I had striven, without success, the previous 

 autumn. It was evident that every thing depended 

 upon being now able to make good what I had lost 

 by that failure, through a chain of circumstances 

 which I have no need to repeat, as the reader will 

 recall the struggle which resulted in the crippling of 

 my vessel, and which had nearly caused its total 

 wreck among the ice-fields in the mouth of the 

 Sound. If the state of the ice should prove favorable 

 to a speedy crossing of the Sound to Grinnell Land, 

 or even to securing, without much delay, a conven- 

 ient point of departure on the Greenland side beyond 

 Humboldt Glacier, I had little doubt as to the suc- 

 cessful termination of my summer labors. 



Upon reaching Sunrise Point we found the ice to 

 be very rough and insecure, and the tide of the previ- 

 ous night had opened a wide crack directly off the 

 point, which it was necessary for us to cross. This 

 crack had been closed over but a few hours, and the 

 dogs hesitated a moment at its margin ; but Jensen's 

 whip reassured them, and they plunged ahead. The 

 ice bent under their weight, and, as if by a mutual 

 understanding, the team scattered, but not in time to 

 save themselves, for down they all sank, higgledy-pig- 

 gledy, into the sea, dragging the sledge after them. 

 Being seated on the back part of it, I had time to roll 

 myself off, but Jensen was not so fortunate, and dogs, 

 sledge, driver and all were floundering together in a 

 confused tangle among the broken ice. Kalutunali, 

 who was a few paces in the rear, coming up, we extri- 

 cated them from their cold bath. Jensen was pretty 

 well soaked, and his boots were filled with water. 

 Being only five miles from the schooner, I thought it 

 safest to drive back as rapidly as possible rather than 



