204 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



tea. Then, giving him some warm food and drink, he 

 urged him to walk, in order to avoid freezing. His 

 condition had now, however, become so alarming that he 

 could not stand up, and his mind continually reverted to 

 home, relations, and friends. Frederick stripped himself 

 of his jumper, in which to wrap Rice's feet. In his shirt- 

 sleeves, sitting on the sledge, in a driving storm of wind 

 and snow, he held his dying comrade in his arms for 

 several hours, until he passed away. The feelings of 

 Frederick may be imagined ; his sleeping-bag had been 

 left some miles away, and to reach it he must struggle 

 against a cutting blast filled with drifting snow. 

 Recovering strength by sleep and a little food, he returned 

 6 miles to cover his comrade with snow and ice. In 

 returning to the camp at Cape Sabine, he dragged his 

 sledge as far as his feebleness would permit, then took a 

 little food, and getting into his bag, drank a spoonful of 

 ammonia and rum, which enabled him to sleep. As soon 

 as he awoke, he travelled on as before. In this way he 

 hauled everything back to the camp, even including Rice's 

 rations. It may truly be said that Rice laid down his 

 life for his comrades. On several other occasions he 

 had ventured it, especially on his extraordinary trips to 

 Isabella, and towards Littleton Island. Rice's death 

 deeply affected the party. 



On the same day that this tragedy was being enacted 

 on the ice, Lockwood breathed his last in the hut at Cape 

 Sabine. Since the beginning of the year he had been 

 extremely weak, but lingered on till the 9th of April. 

 He was the most distinguished man of the party, his 

 explorations having been the main achievements of the 

 expedition. His name will remain in Arctic history. 



" Jewell is much weaker to-day," were the last words 

 Lockwood wrote. This was on the 7th April, and on the 

 l^th Jewell died. On the 11th, Brainard fortunately 



