THE DANGERS OF THE SEA 387 



later I realized that we had made a great mistake in 

 venturing from the island, but with wind and tide 

 against us return was impossible. I had experienced 

 many narrow escapes from death while in the Arctic, 

 but none, it seemed to me then, to compare with the 

 experience that followed. 



The gale suddenly developed into a hurricane. 

 The seas were tremendous and every moment I ex- 

 pected the boat to be swamped. Any attempt to 

 reach the nearest land, half a mile away, seemed 

 hopeless. The Eskimos, speechless with fright, hud- 

 dled in the bottom of the boat. They lost their heads 

 completely and were as helpless as children. Seas 

 broke over us and we were shipping a great deal of 

 water. I was at the steering-oar, and called desper- 

 ately to Kulutinguah to lower sail; but mute and 

 panic-stricken he sat still and only pointed at the 

 nearest land, which was quite impossible to make, as 

 any attempt to reach it would have taken us broad- 

 side upon the seas and brought instant wreck. Our 

 only chance was to keep running before the gale and 

 try for a landing farther on. 



Tossing all about us upon the crest of foam and 

 rollers were vagrant pieces of ice, and these added to 

 our danger, for had one of them struck our boat it 

 would have crushed it like a shell. I had worked the 

 boat fairly close to land, and was all but exhausted 

 handling the steering-oar alone when one of these 

 cakes of ice loomed up before us. Portlooner saw 

 the ice, and realizing the imminent peril so far over- 

 came his fears as to respond to my demand for as- 



