KANE'S EXPEDITION (1855) 47 



Here they remained three days, until the storm abated. 

 They now made for Cape Dudley Digges, which they 

 reached on 11th July. Here they obtained an abundance 

 of birds, and scurvy grass. The ice ahead barred their 

 passage, and they were nothing loath to spend a week 

 where there was plenty of food. On 18th July they 

 again set out, but in doing so were unfortunate enough 

 to lose their best shot-gun and their kettle, owing to the 

 capsizing of one of the boats. Cape York was reached 

 on 21st July. Here they left the coast-line and entered 

 the ice-pack. On the 28th the daily allowance of food 

 was restricted to 5 oz. of bread-dust, 4 oz. of tallow, 

 and 3 oz. of bird-meat. The Red Erie was broken up 

 for fuel, so that the whole party had now to be trans- 

 ported in two boats. The short rations soon began to 

 tell on their strength, and the old symptoms of scurvy 

 came back again. It was at this crisis that a seal was 

 seen, and the incident is thus described by Dr. Kane : — 



" It was an ussuk, and so large that I at first mistook 

 it for a walrus. Signal was made for the Hope to follow 

 astern, and, trembling with anxiety, we prepared to crawl 

 down upon him. 



" Petersen, with the large English rifle, was stationed 

 in the bow, and stockings were drawn over the oars as 

 mufflers. As we neared the animal, our excitement 

 became so intense that the men could hardly keep stroke. 

 I had a set of signals for such occasions which spared us 

 the noise of the voice ; and when about 300 yards off, the 

 oars were taken in, and we moved in deep silence with a 

 single scull astern. 



" He was not asleep, for he reared his head when we 

 were almost within rifle-shot ; and to this day I can 

 remember the hard, careworn, almost despairing expression 

 of the men's thin faces as they saw him move : their lives 

 depended on his capture. 



