WRECKED ON THE COAST OF GREENLAND 



came out upon the harbor in small boats, while the Eskimo 

 gathered in clusters on all the surrounding- rocky promi- 

 nences, a trained company of them saluting us with fire- 

 works as, just at the point of departure, the Star-spangled 

 Banner was hoisted upon the " Rigel," and the whole com- 

 pany joined in singing: — 



" My country, 'tis of thee, 

 Sweet land of liberty." 



With the tears rolling down the face of Captain Dixon 

 as well as of many others, the steamer started on its ad- 

 venturous trip. 



For twelve hours the sea was smooth and everything 

 went well; the "Rigel" following the "Miranda" at the 

 end of a cable several hundred feet long, and it was re- 

 ported that we had gone ninety-six miles. Twenty-four 

 hours more passed without special incident and without 

 any occasion to communicate with the crew on the " Mi- 

 randa." We had then gone one hundred and ninety-two 

 miles farther, making two hundred and eighty-eight miles 

 in all. But heavy swells were rolling in upon us as the 

 effect of a storm to the south, and at midnight the sign of 

 distress was run up from the steamer. Our captain 

 shouted for all the crew to come on deck, and the others 

 to stay below; but we did not all of us obey. The scene 

 for the next few hours is the memory of a lifetime. 



We were informed from the " Miranda " that the leak 

 in the bottom had become unmanageable, so that she 

 must be abandoned in a short time, and we were requested 

 to come up nearer to her. But this our captain refused to 

 do lest we should all be pulled down together. A man 

 was stationed with an ax to cut the hawser in case of 

 immediate danger, and we all lay rolling upon the mighty 

 swells till we could get the crew from the " Miranda " 

 safely on board. After two or three hours of hard strug- 

 gling with the elements, a boatload came almost within 

 reach of the " Rigel," but was repeatedly carried away from 

 us by the angry waves. At last, however, one after an- 

 other were all taken on board, the cable connecting the 

 two vessels was cut loose, and the " Miranda." with the 

 lights all burning, the smoke and steam coming out of 



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