THE FISHERY UNPRODUCTIVE. 217 



ployed to bring it would necessarily eat all or 

 the greater part of their loads on the way, and 

 therefore the meat was put en cache for our 

 future use. All this was very well, but did not 

 minister to our present need ; and as for caches, 

 in a neighbourhood of wolvereens, I knew that 

 little dependence could be placed on their secu- 

 rity, however carefully made. 



Still, the knowledge that the animals were 

 within reach, and had not entirely left us, was 

 enlivening ; and though not sanguine, yet I saw 

 no reason to despair of finally making up our 

 original stock of coast provision. In the mean- 

 time, and before this dream could be realised, 

 we were mortified and embarrassed by the 

 return of the whole of the people stationed at 

 one of the fisheries, which was described as being- 

 totally unequal to their support, having yielded 

 only three or four fish a day for the last fort- 

 night. Casualties such as these, coming in quick 

 succession, were not a little harassing : my plans 

 and prospects underwent continual change from 

 circumstances which no foresight could antici- 

 pate ; and when I thought myself most safe, I 

 was, perhaps, in the greatest danger. However, 

 it was of no use to sit still and mope. Action, 

 if it had no other effect, would at least keep up 

 the spirits of the men, and divert their thoughts 

 from the privation which they were suffering. 



