58 THE OCEAN 



the far polar regions to the waters of? the 

 Newfoundland coasts without change and not 

 infrequently polar bears are seen on floating 

 bergs far out at sea. Even men at times have 

 travelled long distances on bergs and been res- 

 cued by passing ships. On October 14, 1871, 

 Captain Tyson of the U, S. S. Polaris, in com- 

 pany with nineteen persons, became separated 

 from the rest of the ship's company by the ice 

 breaking apart just south of Littleton Island. 

 The party had no boat, and being unable to re- 

 gain the solid ice they were compelled to re- 

 main on the drifting mass, which, once in a 

 current, commenced to travel southward and 

 out to sea. Here the little party remained; 

 ever travelling slowly southward and con- 

 stantly in dread of the ice breaking up ; on the 

 brink of starvation and exposed to the fury 

 of the Arctic storms and icy gales. At one 

 time a polar bear climbed aboard the drifting 

 ice and an Eskimo hunter in the party added 

 him to the larder. Now and then a seal would 

 clamber upon the ice and would form a wel- 

 come addition to the bill of fare, while gulls, 

 auks, murres and other sea birds were often 



