OF THE POLAR SEA. 



155 



officers, prompted by an anxious solicitude 

 for Augustus and Junius, crawled up fre- 

 quently to the summit of the mountain to 

 watch their return. The view, however, 

 was not extensive, being bounded at the 

 distance of eight miles by a range of hills 

 similar to the Copper Mountains, but not 

 so lofty. The night came without bringing 

 any intelligence of our messengers, and our 

 fears for their safety increased with the 

 length of their absence. 



As every one had been interested in the 

 welfare of these men through their vivacity 

 and good-nature, and the assistance they 

 had cheerfully rendered in bearing their 

 portion of whatever labour might be going 

 on, their detention formed the subject of all 

 our conversation, and numerous conjectures 

 were hazarded as to the cause. 



Dr. Richardson, having the first watch, 

 had gone to the summit of the hill and re- 

 mained seated contemplating the river that 

 washed the precipice under his feet, long 

 after dusk had hid distant objects from his 

 view. His thoughts were, perhaps, far dis- 



