CHAPTER VII. 



HANS AND HIS FAMILY. — PETOWAK GLACIER. — A SNOW-STORM. — THE ICE- 

 PACK. — ENTERING SMITHS SOUND. — A SEVERE GALE. — COLLISION WITH 

 ICEBERGS. — ENCOUNTER WITH THE ICE-FIELDS. — RETREAT FROM THE 

 PACK. —AT ANCHOR IN HARTSTENE BAY. — ENTERING WINTER QUARTERS. 



It was five o'clock in the evening when I reached 

 the schooner. The wind had freshened during our 

 absence ; and, unwilling to lose so favorable an op- 

 portunity for pushing on, I had hastened on board. 

 Otherwise I should gladly have given some time to 

 an examination of the native village which lies a few 

 miles to the eastward of the cape, on the northern 

 side of a conspicuous bay, near a place called Kiker- 

 tait, — "The Place of Islands." 



In anticipation of a heavy blow and a dirty night, 

 McCormick had, during my absence, taken a reef in 

 the sails, and the little schooner, with her canvas shiv- 

 ering in the wind, seemed impatient as a hound in the 

 leash. When the helm went up, she wheeled round 

 to the north with a graceful toss of her head, and, 

 after steadying herself for an instant, as if for a good 

 start, she shot off before the wind at ten knots an 

 hour. Capes, bays, islands, glaciers, and icebergs sank 

 rapidly behind us ; and, rejoicing over their extraordi- 

 nary fortune, the ship's company were in the best of 

 spirits. As we dashed on through nest after nest of 

 icebergs, it was curious to observe the evidences of 

 reckless daring which inspired their thoughts. Dodge 



