132 SUPPLY OF PKOVISIONS. Chap. VIII. 



danger a strong vessel ! The ' Princess Char- 

 lotte ' was a very fine, strong ship, and her 

 captain one of the most experienced Arctic sea- 

 men : he now commands the finest whaler in 

 the fleet. 



\4ih. — We have only advanced a few miles to 

 the northward. The steamer ' Innuit' has joined 

 our small steam squadron. Captain Sutter left 

 Scotland only a month ago : he has very kindly 

 and promptly sent us a present of newspapers 

 and potatoes. Captain Deuchars has also been 

 good enough to supply us with some potatoes 

 and porter, perhaps the most serviceable pre- 

 sent he could have made us after our long sub- 

 sistence upon salt and preserved meats. 



19^/t. — Once more alone in Melville Bay. 

 The ' Innuit ' and ' Chase ' steamed much too 

 fast for us, and the last of the four vessels, the 

 ' Tay,' parted from us in a thick fog yesterday. 

 We have come close along the edge of the fixed 

 ice, passing about 6 miles outside of the Sabine 

 Islands, and are advancing as opportunities 

 offer. This morning the man who was sta- 

 tioned to watch a nip about a quarter of a mile 

 ahead of the ship, came running back, pursued 

 by three bears — a mother with her half-grown 

 cubs. I suppose they followed him chiefly 

 because he ran from them ; at all events they 



