236 THE SEA. 



The return of an exploring party, which had suffered severely, is well described by 

 Kane. " We were at work cheerfully, sewing 1 away at the skins of some mocassins by 

 the blaze of our lamps, when, towards midnight, we heard the noise of steps above, and 

 the next minute Sontag, Ohlsen, and Petersen, came down into the cabin. Their manner 

 startled me even more than their unexpected appearance on board. They were swollen and 

 hnggard, and hardly able to speak. 



"Their story was a fearful one. They had left their companions in the ice, risking 



their own lives to bring us the news. Brooks, Baker, Wilson, and Pierre, were all lying 

 frozen and disabled. Where? They could not tell. Somewhere in among the hummocks 

 to the north and east. It was drifting heavily round them when they parted. Irish Tom 

 had stayed by to feed and care for the others, but the chances were sorely against them. 

 It was in vain to question them further. They had evidently travelled a great distance, 

 for they were sinking with fatigue and hunger, and could hardly be rallied enough to tell 

 us the direction in which they had come/' 



Kane's promptness saved the party. A sledge was hastily loaded, Ohlsen deposited 

 upon it, wrapped in furs, and an immediate departure made. The thermometer stood at 

 76 below freezing. For sixteen hours they struggled on, till at length they came to 



