RETURN TO THE SHIP.— FOURTH OF JULY. 327 



On the evening of Friday, the 28th of June, having spent seven 

 days at Cape True, I purposed starting back the next day for the 

 vessel. An extract from my journal of that date I will here in- 

 troduce : 



" To-morrow I accompany Captain B back to the George 



Henry. He goes with the expectation of remaining there until 

 the vessel is liberated, when he intends to return to this bay and 

 cruise around a while, and if unsuccessful, to return to Field Bay 

 or proceed to Cornelius Grrinnell Bay. Two boats' crews are to 

 follow in a few days, while two remain here (Frobisher Bay) for 

 a little while, to continue cruising for whales." 



Here follows another entry in my journal, made just before 

 leaving the whaling depot : 



" /Saturday, June 29th, 1861. I soon start for home — that is, set 



out for the vessel. Captain B and I are to have one sledge 



for ourselves and our traps, and will have Koojesse for dog-driver. 

 Charley, the good-hearted Innuit, is to take another team along, 

 to convey the clothes of two of the George Henry's men — one the 

 carpenter, a Portuguese, and young Smith, who are to go along. 



"Puto and Miner's wife have been mending my hum-ings (na- 

 tive boots) this morning, that I may go dry-shod to the vessel, as 

 we anticipate watery traveling." 



At 8 A.M. of the 29th we left Cape True, and at 6 P.M. arrived 

 at French Head. As we passed " French Head," where poor John 

 Brown had met his death a little over three months previous, we 

 had a look at the spot. Lo ! there were his remains just as we 

 had left them, except that foxes or bears had eaten part of his 

 skin clothing. His corpse was untouched ! As for the monu- 

 ment we had erected over him, that had melted away, and soon 

 the ice beneath his body would melt away also, and lower him 

 into his ocean grave. 



The journey back to the ship was very difficult. In many 

 places pools of water and broken ice led to the apprehension that 

 no passage would be found ; and nearly the whole way we had 

 to walk almost knee-deep through slush and water covering the 

 sea-ice. But at length, about midnight, we arrived on board, and 

 soon threw ourselves down to rest, after a most fatiguing journey 

 of sixteen hours. 



Four days later was the Fourth of July, and the following ex- 

 tract from my diary will show how it was celebrated among us : 



" Thursday, July 1861. Eighty-five years ago to-day was 



