THE FINDING OF THE RIGEL. 199 



souls, was reached at eleven o'clock. The Arctic Circle had 

 been crossed that morning, and for the first time we were 

 really within the Arctic Zone. The news we heard was bad 

 no schooners, and no knowledge of them. That was the gist 

 of our conversation with Trader Jacob Dahl. 



The wind had gone down, and the mosquitoes were mak- 

 ing life miserable, when we packed up our effects, after a hasty 

 meal, and prepared for a thirty-mile row. We buckled down 

 to our task in earnest, each one in turn taking a hand at the 

 oars. 



At six o'clock that night Amerdlok fiord was crossed, 

 and at eight the town of Holsteinborg, our destination, was 

 sighted. We were greeted with open arms by Governor 

 Miiller, who informed .us that some five schooners were off the 

 coast only a few miles, one having gone out only that 

 morning. 



The effect upon us of this news, the feeling of joy and 

 relief, can be better imagined than described, and when we 

 were ushered into a room where actually there was a bed with 

 eider-down pillows, mattresses, and quilts we for the mo- 

 ment forgot that we were shipwrecked people, and lived 

 entirely in the present. 



There was but one hitch in this streak of good luck : we 

 couldn't all sleep in that bed ; so we drew lots, and Ladd, 

 Thompson, and I bunked out on the floor. Dr. Cook and 

 Rogers slept on the feathers. Next night, however, I very 

 conveniently became ill, which obviously gave me the right to 

 the bed, so I experienced the pleasant change from rocks and 

 boards to eider-down and linen. 



When I awoke next morning I heard these words uttered 

 by Dr. Cook : "Thompson, I want you, Rogers, and Porter 

 to take a telescope and climb that mountain across the harbor 

 to look for a schooner ; if you see a sail, note its bearing and 

 return at once." We had no sooner crossed the harbor and 



