IN THE NORTH WATER. 65 



horizon, and the bold, dark-sided cape itself was, after 

 a while, seen " advancing in the bosom of the sea." 



We did not meet any field-ice until near noon of 

 the 25th. I had been aloft in anxious watching dur- 

 ing almost all of the whole preceding day and night ; 

 but when I had made up my mind that we should 

 clear Melville Bay without a single brush with the 

 enemv, a line of whiteness revealed itself in the dis- 

 tance. We were not long in reaching it, and, select- 

 ing the most conspicuous opening, forced our way 

 through. It proved to be only a loose " pack " about 

 fifteen miles wide, and, under a full pressure of can- 

 vas, we experienced little difficulty in " boring " it. 



And now we were in the " North Water." We had 

 passed Melville Bay in fifty-five hours. 



Standing close in under Cape York, I kept a careful 

 lookout for natives. The readers of the narrative of 

 Dr. Kane may remember that that navigator took 

 with him from one of the southern settlements of 

 Greenland a native hunter, who, after adhering to the 

 fortunes of the expedition through nearly two years, 

 abandoned it, (as reported,) for a native bride, to live 

 with the wild Esquimaux who inhabit the shores of 

 the headwaters of Baffin Bay. This boy was named 

 Hans. Anticipating that, growing tired of his self- 

 imposed banishment, he would take up his residence 

 at Cape York, with the hope of being picked up by 

 some friendly ship, I ran in to seek him. Passing 

 along the coast at rifle-shot I soon discovered a group 

 of human beings making signs to attract attention. 

 Heavmg the vessel to, I went ashore in a boat, and 

 there, sure enough, was the object of my search. He 

 quickly recognized Sonntag and myself, and called us 

 by name. 



5 



