THEY REACH NORWAY. 97 



four lay down in the bottom of the boat, and 

 being providentially blessed with fine weather, 

 they actually succeeded in reaching the coast 

 of Fimarken in about eight days time, but 

 half-dead with hunger, thirst, and fatigue, as 

 may be supposed. The two jolly fellows in 

 the sloop kept themselves gloriously drunk, and 

 floated about at the mercy of the winds and 

 the ice for many days ; but instead of going to 

 the bottom as they deserved, they had the 

 good luck to fall in with one of the other 

 sealers, which, observing the helpless condition 

 of the sloop, and imagining her to be aban 

 doned, sent a boat on board to take possession ; 

 but finding the two worthies asleep in close 

 proximity to their beloved cask, they were 

 cruel and hardhearted enough to throw the 

 latter overboard, and then lent them a mate 

 and two men to assist them to navigate the 

 vessel to Hammerfest, where we may form 

 some idea of the kind of reception they met 

 with from their justly exasperated comrades 

 and the owners of the vessel. 



ii 



