116 DAGGERS IN 



but in vain, owing to the violence of the gale, and 

 scudded to leeward ; thus leaving fourteen of her 

 crew to a fate the most dreadful, the fulfilment of 

 which appeared almost inevitable. The temperature 

 was at 15 Fahrenheit, when these poor fellows 

 were left upon a detached piece of ice of no con- 

 siderable magnitude, without food, without shelter 

 from the inclement storm, and deprived of every 

 means of refuge, except a single boat, which, on 

 account of the number of men and the violence of 

 the storm, was incapable of conveying them to their 

 ship. Death stared them in the face whichever 

 way they turned, and a division of opinion ensued. 

 Some were wishful to remain by the ice ; but it 

 could afford them no shelter and would probably 

 be soon broken to pieces by the increasing swell ; 

 others were anxious to attempt to join their ship 

 whilst she was yet in sight ; but the force of the 

 wind, the violence of the sea, and the smallness of 

 the boat, were objections which would have ap- 

 peared insurmountable to any but men in a state of 

 despair. Judging that, by remaining on the ice, 

 death was but retarded for a few hours, as the ex- 

 treme cold must eventually benumb their faculties, 

 they determined to make the attempt of rowing to 

 the ship. Poor souls ! What must have been their 

 sensations at this moment ? They made the daring 

 experiment, when a few minutes trial convinced 

 them that the attempt was impracticable. They 

 then, with longing eyes, turned their efforts to- 

 wards recovering the ice which they had left ; but 



