110 THE WHALEMAN ; OR, 



hours and severe labor. By the aid of ropes, 

 and a combination of all our efforts, we suc- 

 ceeded in getting all the molasses to the huts. 

 We managed in the same way with a number 

 of barrels of flour which came ashore about this 

 time. Several tin plates and basins were also 

 found on the beach, and these answered an ex- 

 cellent purpose, as they afterwards proved; be- 

 cause in them we mixed our flour and molasses 

 together, and thus made very luscious pancakes. 

 We usually baked them outside of the huts, as 

 no fire was allowed within, except very rarely ; 

 nor were we permitted to make any outside 

 when the wind was in a northerly direction, lest 

 the smoke should frighten away the seals from 

 the shore and region. So reasoned the natives. 



We continued to visit the wreck and obtain 

 whatever we could, until the weather became so 

 severe, and the traveling so bad, that it was no 

 longer safe to expose ourselves. 



After having gathered all the provisions we 

 could find at the wreck, such as bread, flour, and 

 molasses, we judged that with economy, and 

 with ordinary allowance, it would last the ship's 

 company three or four months. But the great 

 drawback which we apprehended, and which we 

 found to be true, was, the natives acted as if they 

 had as good a right to our provisions as we had 



