NINE MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC. 31 



other sources of deliverance should fail us, nei- 

 ther finding the settlements of the natives, or 

 being received by them, nor seeing any ship to 

 take us off, then we must return to the wreck, 

 and make the best of what we had, and live as 

 long as we could. 



We furthermore agreed to travel seven days 

 from the wreck, and if we found no help or 

 deliverance from any quarter, then we would 

 return, which would require seven days more — 

 about as long as we supposed our provisions 

 Would last us. 



The direction we took was towards the east 

 and south, along shore, which was less difficult 

 to travel than farther back in the country ; be- 

 sides, there were less snow and ice on the sea- 

 board at that time. 



"We had traveled, as was supposed, about fif- 

 teen miles, when we saw two natives, some little 

 distance before us, in an inland direction. At 

 first they were unwilling to stop, probably aware 

 from our appearance that we were foreigners. 

 While we all kept together the natives continued 

 on their way. 



Captain Norton and two of his officers sepa- 

 rated themselves from the rest of the company, 

 making signs, thus indicating peaceable inten- 

 tions, and advanced towards them. The natives 

 6 



