»86 A VOYAGE TO 



•77Q- Whilft wc were gazing at this unufual fight, and admiring 

 the great civility of this Granger, which we imagined had 

 brought him to our afliftance, the man, after viewing us 

 for fome time very attentively, turned fhort round, and 

 went off, with great fpeed, toward the oftroj. We were not 

 lefs chagrined than difappointed at this abrupt departure, as 

 we began to find our journey over the ice, attended not only 

 with great difficulty, but even with danger. We funk at 

 every ftep almoft knee deep in the fnow, and though we 

 found tolerable footing at the bottom, yet the weak parts 

 of the ice not being discoverable, we were conftantly ex- 

 pofed to the rifk of breaking through it. This accident ac 

 la ft actually happened to myfelf; for flepping on quickly 

 over a fufpicious fpot, in order to prefs with lefs weight 

 upon it, I came upon a fecond, before I could flop myfelf, 

 which broke under me, and in I fell. Luckily, I rofe clear 

 of the ice, and a man that was a little way behind with a 

 boat-hook, throwing it to me, I laid it acrofs fome loofe 

 pieces near me, and, by that means, was enabled to get 

 upon firm ice again. 



As we approached the fliore, we found the ice, contrary to 

 our expectations, more broken than it had been before. 

 We were, however, again comforted by the fight of another 

 fledge coming toward us, but inftead of proceeding to our 

 Felief, the driver ftopt fhort, and began to call out to us. I 

 immediately held up to him Ifmyloff's letters ; upon which 

 he turned about, and fet off back again full fpeed ; fol- 

 lowed, I believe, not with the prayers of any of our party. 

 Being ac a great lofs what concluflons to draw from this 

 unaccountable behaviour, we continued our march toward 

 the ojlrog, with great circumfpection, and when we had ar- 

 rived within a quarter of a mile of it, we perceived a body 



i of 



