158 THE WHALEMAN ; OR, 



tions, as they would flash up from the pole and 

 overspread the northern sky ! Then we thought of 

 home, — far distant home, — and friends, and 

 the contrast, the strange contrast between their 

 condition and ours ! But words are poor vehi- 

 cles to convey to the reader the emotions of our 

 minds as we felt the loneliness of our condition, 

 and the dreariness of our prospects on that dread- 

 ful night. It will never be effaced from the tab- 

 let of our memories, and in our hearts may we 

 ever record, as long as life shall continue, the 

 goodness of God in preserving us, and causing 

 our eyes to behold the light of another day. 



About ten o'clock on the following day, one of 

 our number began to exhibit more than ordinary 

 weariness, languor, and stupidity. We found he 

 began to lag behind, and was unable to keep up 

 with us, though we were much exhausted, and 

 only by the greatest possible exertion were we 

 able to keep on our feet. We had not stopped, 

 except for a moment, since we left the settle- 

 ment. 



Tired and overtasked nature, however, could 

 not always endure. We all traveled slowly ; but 

 one of our number was really making little or no 

 progress at all. We, who were ahead, would 

 slacken our pace, or return to meet him, assist 

 him, and encourage him to hold out and press on. 



