152 ROBBED BY FOXES AND SHRIMPS. 



causing the accumulation referred to, ceased 

 abruptly where this and other similar remark- 

 able elevations appeared. Beyond that line, 

 and occupying a full mile in breadth, was a 

 sheet of young ice, alternating with heaps of 

 a different character, and extending towards 

 the land, which, however, we were prevented 

 from reaching by a narrow lane of water. Tracks 

 of bears, wolves, and foxes were noticed, of which 

 the last mentioned alone ever ventured to ap- 

 proach the ship. Indeed these met with no very 

 friendly reception, having put an end to all 

 relations of amity, by stealing sundry pieces 

 of beef, left carelessly by the owners outside on 

 the snow. To do them justice however, they 

 were not the only depredators, as they soon ex- 

 perienced who, having been taught to mistrust 

 the honesty of the foxes, afterwards to be very safe, 

 sunk their allowance of beef in the " fire hole." 

 Alas! to adopt the pathetic lament of old Shylock, 

 M There be water thieves and land thieves :" and 

 here a greedy colony of shrimps made such 

 havock, that when in the morning one of the men 

 went to draw up the meat intended for the dinner 

 of his mess, he found in its place a few miserable 

 shreds, to which the pirates still clung with un- 

 satiated appetites. The temperature fluctuated 

 from 0° to about 21° — , but there were neither 

 aurora nor other phenomena to excite attention 



