" DANGEKS OF THE AKCTIC SEAS. 175 



were either wholly or in part deserted, the very snow which composed the beds and fire- 

 places having been turned up, that no article might be left behind. Even the bare walls, 

 whose original colour was scarcely perceptible for lamp-black, blood, and other filth, were 

 not left perfect, large holes having been made in sides and roofs for the convenience 

 of handing out the goods and chattels. The sight of a deserted habitation is at all 

 times calculated to excite in the mind a sensation of dreariness and desolation, especially 

 when we have lately seen it filled with cheerful inhabitants ; but the feeling is even 

 heightened rather than diminished when a small portion of these inhabitants remain 

 behind to endure the wretchedness which such a scene exhibits. This was now the case 

 at the village, where, though the remaining tenants of each hut had combined to occupy 

 one of the apartments, a great part of the bed-places were still bare, and the wind and 

 drift blowing in through the holes which they had not yet taken the trouble to stop 

 up. The old man Hikkeiera and his wife occupied a hut to themselves, without any 

 lamp or a single ounce of meat belonging to them, while three small skins, on which 

 the former was lying, were all that they possessed in the way of blankets. Upon the 

 whole, I never beheld a more miserable spectacle, and it seemed a charity to hope that 

 a violent and constant cough with which the old man was afflicted would speedily 

 combine with his age and infirmities to release him from his present sufferings. Yet 

 in the midst of all this he was even cheerful, nor was there a gloomy countenance to 

 be seen in the village." 



It was not till July 2nd that the ships were enabled to move from their icy dock, 

 and they at first starting encountered severe dangers. Captain Lyon, Parry's associate in 

 command, thus speaks of the situation of the Hecla : 



" The flood-tide, coming down loaded with a more than ordinary quantity of ice, pressed 

 the ship very much between six and seven A.M., and rendered it necessary to run out the 

 stream cable, in addition to the hawsers which were fast to the land ice. This was scarcely 

 accomplished when a very heavy and extensive floe took the ship on her broadside, and, 

 being backed by another large body of ice, gradually lifted her stern as if by the action 

 of a wedge. The weight every moment increasing obliged us to veer on the hawsers, 

 whose friction was so great as nearly to cut through the bilt-heads, and ultimately set 

 them on fire, so that it became requisite for people to attend with buckets of water. The 

 pressure was at length too powerful for resistance, and the stream cable, with two six and 

 one five inch hawsers, went at the same moment. Three others soon followed. The sea 

 was too full of ice to allow the ship to drive, and the only way by which she could yield 

 to the enormous weight which oppressed her was by leaning over the land ice, while her 

 stern at the same time was entirely lifted more than five feet out of the water. The 

 lower deck beams now complained very much, and the whole frame of the ship underwent 

 a trial which would have proved fatal to any less strengthened vessel. At this moment 

 the rudder was unhung with a sudden jerk, which broke up the rudder-case and struck 

 the driver-boom Avith great force. In this state I made known our situation by telegraph, 

 as I clearly saw that, in the event of another floe backing the one which lifted us, the 

 ship must inevitably turn over or part in midships. The pressure which had been so 

 dangerous at length proved our friend, for by its increasing weight the floe on w r hich we 



