NINE MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC. 93 



nent position near the wreck, hoping that it 

 might possibly meet the eye of some deliverer, 

 though an event so much desired could now 

 hardly be expected. 



The company remained in the vicinity of 

 the wreck until towards night, and then each 

 man took with him a bag of bread, and, 

 with the natives and their dog teams, we left 

 for the settlement, which was about fifteen miles 

 distant. 



It was exceedingly hard to visit the scene of 

 our recent disaster, and behold the desolation 

 and end of the noble ship that had withstood so 

 many storms and weathered so many gales, but 

 now a promiscuous mass of broken timbers, 

 planks, and spars ; besides, her cargo thrown upon 

 the beach. If possible, it was even harder to 

 leave what remained of her behind, and to carry 

 away a small quantity of provisions to eke out 

 an existence which, under the most favorable 

 circumstances, among the natives, must be most 

 trying and painful. And then, again, all the 

 provisions we expected to obtain from the wreck 

 could last us but a few months, at the longest. 

 If our lives, therefore, should be prolonged, we 

 saw before us the only alternative of living as the 

 natives did, being constant spectators of their 

 extreme filthiness in person and habits, and 



