THE LOST FOUND— FROZEN DEAD. 



237 



the shore, but the high, perpendicular walls of ice thrown up by 

 the ever-changing tide would not admit of his accomplishing the 

 undertaking. 



" From behind these ice barriers the edges of sombre rocks 

 peered through. Johnston was deceived thereby at one particu- 

 lar spot, and exclaimed, ' There he is ! There ! do you see ?' 

 pointing excitedly to the point indicated. For a few moments all 

 eyes were strained ; but sighting showed that John's tracks led 

 easterly, and then south, around the spit of land, on the ice. 

 Again we followed on for half a mile, when we were led into a 

 cove that was terminated by a high rock bluff. Here the ice be- 

 came rough. Captain B— — and myself were on the sledge, 

 while Charley and Johnston kept directly upon the track. From 

 the bottom or extreme line of the cove that made up to the base 

 of the indicated bluff sprung out another spit, which swept around 

 a little way to the south, its southern side being limited by the 

 channel* through which we passed last fall with the Rescue, up 

 into the bay, where we made anchorage while we visited Frobish- 

 er Bay. As the tracks of the lost led up into this recess, Captain 



B and myself thought that John had made his way up into 



it for the purpose of passing directly across the neck of the penin- 

 sula instead of going around it. 



" Charley and Johnston thought it best to continue on his track, 



while Captain B and myself concluded to pass on with the 



dogs and kummitie till we should reach the place where John 

 would probably make the ice on the other side. The distance 

 around, we thought, could be but trifling. Before we had passed 

 out of sight of the track followers, we heard the loud but mourn- 

 ful toned voice of the Innuit Charley. We checked the dogs, 

 turned them back, and thence followed up. Our eyes were watch- 

 ing intensely each movement, each step of Charley. All at once 

 he stopped, then threw up his arms and hands, letting them fall 

 slowly, droopingly. 



" It needed no other language than what we saw in the motions 

 of this noble-hearted Innuit to tell us the terrible termination of 

 this day's search. 



" Charley and Johnston turned to meet Captain B and my- 

 self. Said they, ' We've found him, and fear he is dead.' Neither 

 had approached nearer than within half a dozen rods of him 



* In this idea, at the time, I was mistaken. The channel (leading to Chapell 

 Inlet) is full five miles more to the southward of French Head. Vide, Chart. 



