THE WHITE WORLD 



and then returned to St. John's, Newfoundland, for per- 

 manent repairs. Nothing daunted, however, we had set 

 out again for the Greenland shores, and, after much trouble 

 in getting through the floe ice, had attained our present 

 position, though two weeks belated. Nevertheless, we 

 now ventured out to see what we could in the time left at 

 our disposal. 



But ill fortune still attended us. A dangerous reef 

 stretches nearly across the mouth of the harbor of Sukker- 

 toppen. The depth of water over this is such that ordi- 

 nary vessels can in calm weather sail freely across it. But 

 the " Miranda " was not an ordinary vessel, and the sea 

 was not calm when we started out. Moreover, our native 

 pilot had left us before the critical point was reached. We 

 turned north a little too soon, and the swells which lifted 

 us and let us down dropped us three times upon the rocks, 

 and then carried us over into deep water. It was a bust- 

 ling time on deck until we were calmed by the ship car- 

 penter, who, after measuring the water in the hold, in- 

 formed us that there was no immediate danger. But our 

 captain decided that discretion was the better part of valor, 

 and returned immediately to the anchoring-place in Suk- 

 kertoppen. Here it was found that the injuries were such 

 as to render the " Miranda " unseaworthy, and it suddenly 

 dawned upon us that we were shipwrecked on the coast of 

 Greenland under conditions which rendered escape con- 

 siderably doubtful. For there was a large company of us — 

 ninety-three in all, counting the crew — with provisions 

 only sufficient to last us two months; while the Greenland 

 colonies are so small that the addition of such a party as 

 ours for the winter would be sure to exhaust their means 

 of subsistence, and produce a general famine. 



However, we all put on a bold face, and made every 

 preparation that was possible to relieve the anxiety of our 

 friends at home, while we left no stone unturned to extri- 

 cate ourselves from our hazardous position. The first 

 thing we all did was to sit down and write letters home. 

 These we dispatched by some swift kayaks (the long, 

 pointed skin-boat of the Eskimo) which hastened south- 

 ward three hundred miles to Ivigtut, from which vessels 

 were going to start in two or three days for Copenhagen. 



204 



