' NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NORTHWEST PASSAGE. 255 



I had just got out my log to enter the events of the day, -when I was 

 suddenly interrupted by the cry of fire. I knew Avhat this meant on 

 board a small vessel carrying 7,000 gallons of petroleum, great quan- 

 tities of gunpowder and explosives, and whose whole hull was. besides, 

 saturated with tar. "We were all up on deck in less time than it takes 

 to tell it. The first thing that met our eyes was an enormous pillar of 

 fire rising up through the engine-room skylight. Things didn't look 

 peaceful any longer. AVe all ran like mad for vessel and life. The 

 engineer on watch had not left his post ; he was holding out bravely 

 down below in the suffocating smoke, trying to the best of his abilities 

 to subdue the fire, which had arisen in some cotton permeated with 

 petroleum. This was Wiik. We succeeded by united exertions in 

 becoming master of the fire, and got off Avithout much damage. 



The evening of this same cla}'^ we beat up under an islet and 

 anchored there. We took this to be one of the small islands lying 

 north of Malty Island. It was then blowing hard and night coming 

 on. At 4 the next morning we Aveighed, and continued our course. 

 It was a fine morning, partially clear, and with a westerly breeze. I 

 was at the tiller and my two comrades were hoisting the sails. Sud- 

 denly there was a shock, and we struck three times. All expedients 

 to get off were in vain, and there we were for thirty hours. A strong 

 breeze blew up from the north and came to our assistance, and under 

 crowded sail Ave succeeded in forcing the Gjoa across a 200-A"ard-long 

 bank and out into comparatiA^ely deep Avater. We lost only our false 

 keel, but from that day to this it has been a matter of Avonder to me 

 that human handiwork could have Avithstood the treatment Avhich the 

 Gjoa underAvent on that occasion. 



During this enforced delay Ave got a determination for position, 

 and thus kneAv where Ave Avere. About midday Ave cast anchor off 

 Cape Christian Frederik, on Boothia Felix, so as to get things a little 

 in order after grounding. The Avind was then slack and offshore. 

 At 11 in the eA^ening it suddenly Avent OA'er to the southeast and blcAv 

 hard. There Avas no question, in the darkness and the shoal and foul 

 sea outside, of getting underAvay. There Avas only one thing to be 

 done, and that was to pay out our cables to the bitter end and await 

 results. The Avind soon increased to a gale; the seas Avere high and 

 short, shaking our chain cables A'iolently. The land did not look as 

 Avell now as Avhen Ave came in and anchored into it to leeward. All 

 hands were on deck and getting ready for the stranding Avhich seemed 

 inevitable. Each man had had his work allotted to him, and at the 

 moment when the cables gaA'e Avould be in readiness at his post. 

 The petroleum motor was going at full speed, and the vessel was 

 kept well up to the wind and sea, by Avhich means I hoped to ease a 

 little the violent strain on the cables. We had anchored at midday 

 on the 3d, and it Avas not till 4 o'clock on the 8th that the Avind 



