OF THE POLAR SEA. 



93 



marked the sepulchral tone of our voices, 

 which he requested us to make more 

 cheerful if possible, unconscious that his 

 own pari Dok of the same key. 



Hepburn having shot a partridge, which 

 was brought to the house, the Doctor tore 

 out the feathers, and having held it to the 

 fire a few minutes divided it into six por- 

 tions. I and my three companions rave- 

 nously devoured our shares, as it was the 

 first morsel of flesh any of us had tasted 

 for thirty-one days, unless, indeed, the small 

 gristly particles which we found occasionally 

 adhering to the pounded bones may be 

 termed flesh. Our spirits were revived by 

 this small supply, and the Doctor endea- 

 voured to raise them still higher by the 

 prospect of Hepburn's being able to kill a 

 deer next day, as they had seen, and even 

 fired at, several near the house. He en- 

 deavoured too, to rouse us into some atten- 

 tion to the comfort of our apartment, and 

 particularly to roll up in the day our 

 blankets, which (expressly for the conveni- 

 ence of Adam and Samandre,) we had been 



