THE LAST CRUISE OF THE illEANDA. 



75 



and the settlement could not afford us any, having a bare 

 sufficiency for itself. There was no chance of getting away 

 before spring, unless we secured some vessel cruising about 

 in the vicinity. There was a bare chance that the Falcon 

 might be intercepted on her return from Peary's headquar- 

 ters ; but then the Falcon, being a small ship, could accom- 

 modate only a few of us, at best, in addition to those she 

 had on board. We learned from the governor that there 

 were two or three American schooners at the fishing-banks of 

 Holsteinborg, about a hundred and fifty miles away. Here, 

 then, was our chance of getting back to civilization ; but how 

 one of these schooners finally came to our rescue must be told 

 in another chapter. 



