THE ZOOLOGIST. 



THIRD SERIES. 



Vol. VI.] . OCTOBEE, 1882. [No. 70. 



THE ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF 'THE EIRA." 



On the 14th June, 1881, Mr. Leigh Smith, emulating the 

 exploits of previous arctic explorers, sailed from Peterhead in his 

 steam yacht 'Eira,' a vessel of 260 tons, 125 feet long, with a 

 beam of 25 feet, and driven by engines of 50 horse -power. Two 

 months later, when made fast to a land-floe off Cape Flora, the 

 ice pressed so heavily around as to cause a leakage. With such 

 rapidity did the water find ingress that the pumps could not work 

 fast enough. The owner and crew, twenty-three in number, were 

 compelled to abandon the yacht and take to the boats, and shortly 

 afterwards the vessel foundered. 



That night they camped out upon the ice, rigging up a tent 

 with oars and sails, and the next day reached the mainland. 

 Here they were compelled to pass the winter, in a hut of stones 

 and turf, which they roofed with sail-cloth. The weather they 

 experienced is described as terrible. A succession of heavy gales 

 compelled them to keep watch night after night, holding on to 

 their house lest it should be blown away, while floods of freezing 

 rain at times completely swamped them. 



For nearly twelve months did they endure these hardships, 

 buoyed up with the hope that the ice would break up, and 

 enable them to undertake a boat voyage towards the south. 

 Being unable to procure fuel, they were compelled to feed 

 their fire with blubber and old rope, and had to choose between 



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