In the Later Days 405 



plunge of the bow, they must endure life as well 

 as they could in the journey down the long, narrow 

 lead. 



Beginning at the stroke of the bell at noon 

 on September 14, every ship set her ensign, with 

 the union down. Then the crews climbed over 

 the rails, helped the women and children down 

 ladders to the boats, and when all were ready 

 the whole flotilla, numbering nearly two hundred 

 boats, bearing 1219 souls, headed away down 

 the lead. 



"It was just 4 o'clock when we shoved off from 

 the Victoria" said Captain Davis, one of the un- 

 fortunates, in relating the story to the writer. 

 "The sleet and snow were flying around us, and 

 the blasts of wind that swept across the ice-fields 

 made nothing of flannels and oilskins; but there 

 was nothing else to do but pull away at the oars, 

 as best we could, the whole night long. When 

 daylight came we were strung along the open 

 streak in a procession like the geese I was telling 

 you about. Some were rowing, some were pad- 

 dling, some had rails set. Between the snow and 

 sleet squalls we could see the whole flotilla, but 



