io8 A MAN CHASED BY BEARS. Chap. VIII. 



i^th. — We have only advanced a few miles to the north- 

 ward. The steamer 'Innuit' has joined our small steam 

 squadron. Captain Sutter left Scotland only a month ago : 

 he has very kindly and promptly sent us a present of news- 

 papers and potatoes. Captain Deuchars has also been good 

 enough to supply us with some potatoes and porter, perhaps 

 the most serviceable present he could have made us after 

 our long subsistence upon salted and preserved meats. 



19///. — Once more alone in Melville Bay. The 'Innuit' 

 and ' Chase ' steamed much too fast for us, and the last of 

 the four vessels, the ' Tay,' parted from us in a thick fog 

 yesterday. We have come close along the edge of the fixed 

 ice, passing about 6 miles outside of the Sabine Islands, and 

 are advancing as opportunities offer. This morning the 

 man who was stationed to watch a nip about a quarter of a 

 mile ahead of the ship, came running back, pursued by three 

 bears — a mother with her half-grown cubs. I suppose they 

 followed him chiefly because he ran from them ; at all events 

 they were very close up when he reached the ship. Another 

 bear was seen about the same time, but none of them came 

 within shot. Rotchies (or little auks) are very abundant. 

 Seals are occasionally shot. I ate some boiled seal to-day, 

 and found it good : this is the first time I have eaten posi- 

 tive blubber ; all scruples respecting it henceforth vanish. 



25//^ — The land-ice broke away inshore of the ' Fox' on 

 the 19th or 20th, and we found ourselves drifting southward 

 amongst extensive fields of ice. Sad experience has already 

 shown us how powerless our small craft is under such cir- 

 cumstances. But after many attempts we regained the edge 

 of the fast ice this morning, and steamed merrily along it 

 towards Bushnan Island. When within a few miles a nip 

 brought us to a standstill : here five or six icebergs, appa- 

 rently aground, lie encompassed by land ice ; one of them 

 juts out and has caught the point of an immense field of ice ; 



