THE LAST OF THE JEANNETTE. 



551 



there were more of them. They 

 seem to be in our neighborhood 

 only, or within a radius of five miles, 

 while the islands are thirty, and say 

 forty miles off, — and from that five 

 miles radius to the islands the ice is 

 as close and compact as ever. 



However, we made all the use we 

 could of the openings. The iron din- 

 gy, the two kyacks, and the oumi- 

 ack were put into requisition, and 

 away went parties to hunt for birds 

 and seals, dragging the boats from 

 one lead to another, as occasion re- 

 quired. And while a party of men 

 were thus employed in transporting 

 the oumiack on their shoulders she 

 slipped, and brought so much weight 

 on John Lauterbach (a coal heaver) 

 as to double him up and severely 

 strain his back. 



" It never rains but it pours," is 

 an old saying, and it seems to be 

 proven in our case, for hardly had 

 we prepared ourselves to take care 

 of Chipp when we have another case, 

 Lauterbach. When I saw r him being 

 supported back to the ship by a ship- 

 mate, I was afraid he had shot him- 

 self, or had been shot by a compan- 

 ion, — accidentally, of course, in both 

 cases, — and I ran out to meet him 

 with considerable alarm. For some 

 time it was impossible to find out 

 what was the matter, for the man 



