THE FINDING OF THE RIGEL. 



BY RUSSELL W. PORTER. 



At the time the boat jour- 

 ney up the coast in search of as- 

 sistance was decided upon matters 

 relating to the party's welfare were 

 in a very bad way. As far as we 

 could make out, from what we 

 already knew and from what we 

 learned from the governor at 

 Sukkertoppen, our chances for 

 returning to Europe or the United 

 States that summer were very 

 slight. No more Copenhagen 

 trading vessels would put in at 

 Sukkertoppen, and Captain Farrell, of the Miranda, said 

 she was not safe to return in unaccompanied by another ves- 

 sel. So our only chance was to intercept and bring to our 

 relief one or more of the American fishing schooners which 

 were usually to be found about this time somewhere off Hol- 

 steinborg, near the Circle. Holsteinborg was one hundred 

 and forty miles up the coast, and with a fair wind could be 

 reached in a few days. 



So the open-boat journey was decided on. Dr. Cook un- 

 folded his plans to us in his cabin. In the party were Ladd, 

 Thompson, Rogers, Dunning, and myself. He frankly told 

 us what we might expect — hard work at the oars, bad weather, 

 camping on the rocks, etc., but we determined to go, some 

 of us being glad to get the chance. 



