74 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 



collided with the iceberg that is, at twenty minutes after 

 eight o'clock. 



At about half-past nine two little specks were discerned 

 in the distance, alternately appearing and disappearing with 

 the motion of the waves, and as we drew nearer these turned 

 out to be two Eskimo pilots in kayaks. With great skill 

 they ran alongside the ship, unhitched themselves from their 

 gear, and came aboard. Then the governor's boat hove 

 in sight ; for our signals of distress had been heard, and it 

 bore the crack pilot of these waters. By eleven o'clock 

 we were safely anchored in the harbor of Sukkertoppen, 

 and the Miranda was tied with cables to ring-bolts in the 

 rocks. 



NOAV a more careful examination as to the damage the 

 rocks had done us was made though, of course, it could 

 not be fully ascertained. It was discovered, however, that 

 whatever hole the rocks had made was just beneath the 

 ballast-tank. This tank extended the whole width of the 

 ship, and lay beneath the engine-room arid stoke-hold. It 

 was empty when the Miranda left Sukkertoppen ; but on her 

 return after the accident was found to be full of water, 

 and the pumps could make no impression upon it. It was 

 fortunate for us that the force of the blows had been sus- 

 tained by this portion of the ship, for had the rocks gored 

 anywhere else we should have gone to the bottom at once. 

 The top of the ballast-tank acted as a false bottom and kept 

 us afloat ; but the top of this tank was thin and worn and 

 coated with rust, liable to burst at any minute if sub- 

 jected to a rough sea. Hence the captain at once decided 

 that it was unsafe to venture forth in the Miranda, and 

 the question of how we were to get home again stared us in 

 the face. 



Here was a pretty how-de-do. We were stranded in 

 Greenland. Provisions already were beginning to run short, 



