THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIKAXDA. 107 



its insurance, they had themselves suffered considerable loss. 

 The law does riot hold a company responsible for a contract 

 made with a captain under these circumstances. Had the 

 Miranda been brought into port, then Captain Dixon would 

 have had a legally recognized claim. As it was, he could not 

 recover even for the losses he had sustained in making room 

 for the passengers and crew of the steamer. At no time, 

 before or after the repudiation of the contract, has Captain 

 Dixon made any claim upon the passengers of the Miranda 

 for the great service he had rendered them. Of their own 

 volition they started a subscription, to which the Miranda's 

 company contributed two hundred and fifty dollars, and 

 have forwarded him something over one -half the sum the 

 contract called for. This little volume has been issued in the 

 hope that the profits arising from its sale may at least amount 

 to a fair portion of the balance morally, if not legally, due to 

 the captain and crew of the Rigel. 



After the agreements between the two captains had been 

 drawn up and witnessed by the first officer of the Miranda 

 and the two Governors of Sukkertoppen, preparations Avere 

 immediately made for the reception of the Miranda's passen- 

 gers on board the Rigel. There were four bunks in the after- 

 cabin, which were reserved for the older members of our party. 

 A place was cleared in the after-hold, used mainly as a store- 

 room for salt ; fifty hundredweight of salt was taken out, with 

 some lumber, and presented to the Eskimos, and $800 worth 

 of fishing tackle was thrown away, in order to make room for 

 our party. Thus a space was cleared about twenty feet long, 

 fifteen wide, and four feet high ; a door communicated with 

 the cabin, and in this space sleeping room for thirty passen- 

 gers was divided off. The crew of the Rigel willingly turned 

 out of their quarters to make room for the Miranda's passen- 

 gers, and all crowded into the forecastle. 



The evening of August 20 was our last at Sukkertoppen. 



