104 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 



Gloucester, Mass., had left Holsteinborg on the previous day 

 for the Banks, and that there were five other schooners out- 

 side. Three of the party were detailed to go to the top of a 

 neighboring mountain, eighteen hundred feet high, to look 

 for a schooner with a spy-glass ; but they had hardly started 

 before a schooner was seen bearing west by south. Mr. 

 Rogers went back to inform Dr. Cook, and an Eskimo in 

 a kayak was sent over to the schooner. Two of the party 

 continued the ascent of the mountain, and plunged into a 

 driving snow-storm about four hundred feet from the summit. 

 In the evening they returned to the governor's house, where 

 the party was assembled, and shortly afterward news was 

 brought that a dory had been sighted coming up the harbor. 

 The dory proved to contain Captain Dixon, of the schooner 

 Rigel. The schooner had been five months out from Glouces- 

 ter, and had recently come from fishing on the Iceland coast. 



The day before several couriers had been despatched in 

 kayaks to scour the surrounding waters for any of the reported 

 schooners, and they bore letters from Dr. Cook calling for 

 assistance. One of these couriers had boarded the Rigel near 

 Itirdlet, and so Captain Dixon had come over post-haste to 

 Holsteinborg, arriving at about ten o'clock in the evening. 

 In talking over the matter with Dr. Cook Captain Dixon 

 said that before he could go to the rescue of the people on 

 board the Miranda he would have to consult with his crew, 

 as they were co-operative sharers in the profits of the fishing 

 trip, which would have to be abandoned if the rescue were 

 made at once. He said that his trip would be over about 

 September 5, and that he could then call at Sukkertoppen ; 

 but if his men were willing to give up the trip and start for 

 Sukkertoppen at once he would bring his schooner up in the 

 offing in the morning and fly his flag as a signal. He then 

 left to go back to the Rigel. 



The following morning a man was detailed to mount the 



