42 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. JOTTE 



' Travelling most excellent, fortunately, and the 

 ravine taking us down, so as to admit of the sledge 

 following with the least possible strain on the drag- 

 belts. As the Sergeant was exceedingly ill, and I did 

 not like the look of him at all, we put him on the 

 sledge, and I walked on with the boat well loaded. 

 Mitchell, Good, Doidge, and Ayles came with the 

 sledge. On coming to a little bit of level travelling, 

 which required more strain on the drag-ropes, I got 

 the Sergeant down, and supported him along while 

 I dragged the boat at the same time. There was 

 nothing for it but to go on very slowly, waiting as 

 they required, and urging on for the depot and ship 

 news ; but the fact of getting the latter does riot raise 

 their spirits, although the actual fact of getting it has 

 been more or less talked about all the homeward 

 journey. At seven came to View Point. Observed a 

 staff placed in the snow by Dr. Moss, which gave us 

 the intelligence that the Commander's party had 

 passed, but no particulars, the latter being left farther 

 on at the depot. We were glad to hear of their safe 

 return, but sorry they were before us, as we had half 

 hoped to have met with some assistance from them. 

 As events have become subsequently known, we should 

 not have benefited one another by meeting. 



' Little by little we crept on, but eveiy moment 

 made our inability to go on for the ship without assist- 

 ance the more apparent. 



' " There's a silver lining to every cloud," and 

 never did one appear so welcome as that which came 

 in the form of a shout from the hill above View' Point 

 and the discharge of a gun. It turned out to be 



