100 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 



come to terms. It was agreed between them that $4,000 

 should be paid to Captain Dixon as a recompense for breaking 

 in upon his fishing trip, and for carrying the passengers to 

 some port where they could get transportation home. It was 

 also agreed that the schooner should accompany the Miranda 

 to some convenient port of repair, and that the crew of the 

 schooner should hold themselves in readiness to rescue the 

 officers and crew of the Miranda in case the steamer should 

 founder or have to be abandoned the recompense for this to 

 be settled by arbitration, or by mutual agreement between the 

 agents of the schooner and the underwriters of the Miranda. 

 At first glance it might seem to the reader that $4,000 for 

 taking the party to a port of safety was rather high ; but a few 

 words suffice to show that it was only a just and moderate 

 charge. In the first place, it must be remembered that our 

 party, with the Miranda's crew, numbered seventy-five men 

 all told, making the price per head a trifle over fifty-three 

 dollars. Then Captain Dixon was obliged to give up finish- 

 ing out his fishing trip, and a trip into these regions means 

 considerable expense and great hardships. An average catch 

 of halibut would net $6,000. Again, half the sum netted by 

 a fishing schooner of the kind goes to the owners of the 

 vessel ; the remainder is divided between the captain and 

 crew. Indeed, Captain Dixon generously offered to take the 

 entire party homeward for nothing if they would consent to 

 remain in Greenland two or three weeks longer and allow him 

 to finish his fishing. But the inadequate stock of provisions 

 made it dangerous to remain even for this short period of 

 time. In truth, the expedition was at the mercy of this big- 

 hearted captain ; he could have demanded any sum that he 

 pleased. As it turned out, the contract made proved to be 

 in no way binding upon the Miranda's owners. They felt 

 themselves in nowise bound to pay the $4,000, and did not 

 do so. They held that in losing the ship, notwithstanding 



