ALL HANDS ABOAED. 



341 



ter permitted ; then we struck into broken ice, where our prog- 

 ress became slower. But,, by the good steering of the elder Smith, 

 we still pushed on, oftener using the ice for our oars to rest against 

 than water. We passed the "Ghost," which was now floating 

 with the tide ; and her bow — or so much of it as was above wa- 

 ter — became a resisting medium on which the starboard oars of 

 our boat found hold in several heavy pulls. 



Presently we came to a desolate island, and on it we found 

 Morgan, Bailey, Keeney, and Ebierbing, who had come from a 

 point some three miles below, and made their way there by trudg- 

 ing over ice, ferrying across spaces of water on drifting ice, wad- 

 ing, etc. This party was but a small portion of the one that left 

 the whaling depot in the morning for the ship. The remainder 

 had stopped for the night at a point below, where, owing to the 

 ice, the boats they had with them could not be taken farther. 

 Morgan and his company, however, felt determined to try and 

 reach the vessel that night, but had run great risks in so doing. 

 The ice between the islands below was all in a disruptured state, 

 and only by great daring did they succeed in getting to the place 

 where we found them. In making across several channels their 

 only way was to find a fragment of floating ice, place themselves 

 upon it, and paddle over by a small piece of board which they 

 found. We succeeded in getting this party to the vessel ; and, 

 finally, Mates Eogers, Gardiner, and Lamb, each with his boat and 

 crew, also arrived, though not without great difficulty on account 

 of the ice which they encountered on their way. And thus the 

 whole ship's company were safe on board. 



The information given me by Mr. Eogers I found very inter- 

 esting. It was as follows : 



On the day I left the whaling depot, Eogers — who, with an 

 Innuit crew, had gone up Frobisher Bay — arrived at the native 

 settlement beyond Evictoon. Here they found Sampson, Ook- 

 goo-al-loo, their families, and the old lady Innuits, whom I met 

 the previous April, as mentioned page 266. For some time Eog- 

 ers did not recognize Sampson, though well acquainted with him, 

 for he was completely changed in appearance, and not much more 

 than a mere skeleton. He was informed that, some weeks before, 

 a little pimple made its appearance near Sampson's left breast. 

 It received a scratch. Inflammation followed, and this had in- 

 creased so much that his very vitals were being eaten out. The 

 sight was horrible ! No Innuit of Eogers's crew dared behold it 



