96 



AECTIC EESEAECH EXPEDITION. 



ceeded, and then pulled out some ways ; we then up sail ; it was not up long before 

 it blew so strong that it carried away the mast. We then ran in under a jib, and 

 made a lee. About half an hour after we landed my shipmate died of starvation. 

 The evening he died, Samuel Fisher proposed to eat him ; he took his knife, and 

 cut a piece off the thigh, and held it over the fire until it was cooked. Then, next 

 morning, each one followed his example ; after that the meat was taken off the 

 bones, and each man took a share. We stopped here three days. We then made 

 a start ; but the wind being ahead, we were obliged to put back. Here we stopped 

 two more days. During that time the bones were broken up small, and boiled in a 

 pot or kettle we had ; also the skull was broken open, the brains taken out, and 

 cooked. We then got a fair wind, but as we got around a point, we had the wind 

 very fresh off shore ; we could hardly manage the boat ; at last we drove on to an 

 island some ways out to sea ; we got the boat under the lee of it ; but the same 

 night we had a large hole stove into her. Being unable to haul her up, we were 

 obliged to remain here eight days: it was on this island they tried to murder me. 



"The third day we stopped here, I was out as usual picking berries, or any thing 

 I could find to eat. Coming in, I chanced to pick up a mushroom. I brought it in 

 with me ; also an armful of wood to keep. While kneeling down to cook the mush- 

 room, I received a heavy blow of a club from Joseph Fisher, and before I could get 

 on my feet I got three more blows. I then managed to get to my feet, when Samuel 

 Fisher got hold of my right arm ; then Joseph Fisher struck me three more blows on 

 the arm. I somehow got away from them, and, being half crazy, I did not know 

 what to do. They made for me again ; I kept begging of them, for God's sake, to 

 spare my life, but they would not listen to my cries. They said they wanted some 

 meat, and were bound to kill me. I had nothing I could defend myself with but a 

 small knife ; this I held in my hand until they approached me. Samuel Fisher was 

 the first to come toward me ; he had a large dirk-knife in his hand; his cousin was 

 coming from another direction with a club and a stone. Samuel came on and 

 grasped me by the shoulder, and had his knife raised to stab me. I then raised my 

 knife, and stabbed him in the throat ; he immediately fell, and I then made a step 

 for Joe ; he dropped his club, and went up to where the rest was. I then stooped 

 down to see if Samuel was dead ; he was still alive. I did not know what to do. 

 At this time I began to cry ; after a little while the rest told me to come up ; they 

 would see there was nothing more done to me. I received four deep cuts on the 

 head ; one of the fellows dressed them for me, and washed the blood off my face. 

 Next day Samuel Fisher died ; his cousin was the first one to cut him up ; his body 

 was used up the same as my unfortunate shipmate's. 



"After a while we managed to repair the boat, and left this island. We ran in 

 where we thought was main land, but it proved to be an island ; here we left the 

 boat, and proceeded on foot, walking about one mile a day. At last we reached the 

 other side of the island in four days ; then put back again to the boat. It took us 

 four days to get back again. When we got there, we found the boat was stove very 

 bad since we left her. We tried to get around the island in her, but she sunk when 

 we got into her ; we then left her, and went back again to the other side of the isl- 

 and, to remain there until we would die or be picked up. We ate our boots, belts, 

 and sheaths, and a number of bearskin and sealskin articles we had with us. To 

 add to our misery, it commenced to rain, and kept up for three days ; it then began 

 to snow. In this miserable condition, we were picked up by a boat's crew of Esqui- 

 maux on- the 29th of September, and brought to Okoke on the 3d of October. The 

 missionaries did all that lay in their power to help us along, and provided us with 

 food and clothing, then sent us on to Nain, where Ave met 'the doctor,' who was 



