HAYES' EXPEDITION (1861) 61 



should make the journey at that period, taking a single 

 sledge, and Hans for a driver. They set out on the 

 21st December, and nothing was heard of them until 

 the 29th January, when two Esquimaux arrived with the 

 news that Sonntag had died. Hans appeared two days 

 afterwards, and told his story : — 



u The travellers rounded Cape Alexander without 

 difficulty, finding the ice solid ; and they did not halt 

 until they had reached Sutherland Island, where they 

 built a snow-hut and rested for a few hours. Continuing 

 thence down the coast, they sought the Esquimaux at 

 Sorfalik without success. The native hut at that place 

 being in ruins, they made for their shelter another house 

 of snow ; and after being well rested, they set out directly 

 for Northumberland Island, having concluded that it was 

 useless to seek longer for natives on the north side of the 

 sound. They had proceeded on their course about 4 or 

 5 miles, as nearly as I can judge from Hans's description, 

 when Sonntag, growing a little chilled, sprang off the 

 sledge and ran ahead of the dogs to warm himself with 

 the exercise. The tangling of a trace obliging Hans to 

 halt the team for a few minutes, he fell some distance 

 behind, and was hurrying on to catch up, when he 

 suddenly observed Sonntag sinking. He had come upon 

 the thin ice, covering a recently open tide-crack, and, 

 probably not observing his footing, he slipped upon it 

 unawares. Hans hastened to his rescue, aided him 

 out of the water, and then turned back for the shelter 

 which they had recently abandoned. A light wind was 

 blowing at the time from the north-east, and this, 

 according to Hans, caused Sonntag to seek the hut 

 without stopping to change his wet clothing. At first he 

 ran beside the sledge, and thus guarded against danger ; 

 but after a while he rode, and when they halted at 

 Sorfalik, Hans discovered that his companion was stiff 



