42 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



not stand the travel, and our spare tin had to be saved 

 for protecting the boats from ice. At this juncture we 

 cut plates out of every imaginable and rejected piece of 

 tinware. Borden's meat-biscuit canisters furnished us 

 with a splendid dinner-service ; and some rightly feared 

 tin jars, with ominous labels of Corrosive Sublimate and 

 Arsenic, which once belonged to our department of 

 Natural History, were emptied, scoured, and cut down 

 into tea-cups." 



The 17th of May was fixed as the date of setting out, 

 and each man was to be allowed 8 lb. of personal 

 effects. Until the boats were hauled a considerable dis- 

 tance from the brig, the party returned to it at night. 

 When the last farewell to the brig was made, the entire 

 ship's company took part in the ceremonial. It is best 

 described in Dr. Kane's own words : — 



" We read prayers and a chapter of the Bible ; and 

 then, all standing silently round, I took Sir John 

 Franklin's portrait from its frame and cased it in an india- 

 rubber scroll. I next read the reports of inspection and 

 survey which had been made by the several commissions 

 organised for the purpose, all of them testifying to the 

 necessities under which I was about to act. I then 

 addressed the party : I did not affect to disguise the 

 difficulties that were before us ; but I assured them that 

 they could all be overcome by energy and subordination 

 to command, and that the 1300 miles of ice and water 

 that lay between us and North Greenland could be 

 traversed with safety for most of us, and hope for all. I 

 added that as men and messmates it Mas the duty of us 

 all, enjoined by gallantry as well as religion, to postpone 

 every consideration of self to the protection of the 

 wounded and sick ; and that this must be regarded by 

 every man and under all circumstances as a paramount 

 order. In conclusion, I told them to think over the trials 



