BUFFETED BY STORM AND ICE 71 



that the boat was loaded and we were enabled to re- 

 sume our journey. Coming from the northward were 

 large pans of ice to be avoided. The wind, too, 

 was against us, but the tide in our favor. Off Cairn 

 Point heavy ice blocked our way and for two hours 

 we were compelled to await the opening of a lead; 

 then, when the floe parted, we rowed forward, only 

 to discover that we were in a lake shut in by ice. 

 This drove us back on our course three miles, where 

 we found a sheltering cove, filled with loose ice, in 

 which to take refuge. Here we tied up to a perpen- 

 dicular wall of rock, pitched the tent in the boat as 

 best we could, and settled for the roughest night's 

 experience that had ever fallen to my lot. 



Our two oil stoves were started and they served to 

 mitigate our hardships somewhat, as over them Billy, 

 the boatswain and I crouched to keep warm, while 

 the Eskimos found nooks on shelving rock in which 

 to stretch out and sleep. We three sat there talking 

 and joking about our disagreeable situation until sud- 

 denly the boat gave a lunge and began to take water 

 on the starboard side. We were all on our feet in a 

 moment cutting down the tent to free ourselves. It 

 was quickly discovered that the falling tide had left 

 us on a sloping ledge high and dry. A shout brought 

 the Eskimos to us in a hurry, all of them pretty well 

 frightened, until they learned the cause of our trouble. 



At half -past eight in the morning the ice outside 

 began to loosen, and we pulled for Cape Inglefield. 

 Thence watching for leads, taking advantage of 



