STARTLING NEWS. 



457 



those fingers while the restoration was going on seemed almost 

 unbearable. 



" We remained forty-five minutes on this mountain-top. Had 

 it not been for the lateness of the hour I should have proceeded 

 two miles farther ; this distance would have led me to the ridge 

 which limited my view, shutting out from sight the interesting 

 places named. This ridge is by the entrance to the little bay, or, 

 more properly, the harbor making up nearest Field Bay. 



" Taking a last look at the scenery around, we started down the 

 mountain. Our steps were rapid. I had the misfortune to get 

 one severe fall. As we were descending the steepest part, my 

 right foot caught between two stones that were deep beneath a 

 snow-covering, and the swift rate at which I was going threw me 

 headlong while I was fast in the rocks. I recovered myself and 

 extricated my foot, though not until the cramp had seized my leg 

 and tied knots in it. I cried lustily to Shevikoo, who was ten 

 rods ahead. He did not hear me at first, but the second call 

 brought him to. I managed to get the knots rubbed out of my 

 leg before he reached me, though it was some time before I could 

 proceed. The time of our descent was not a quarter of that con- 

 sumed in going up. When within a mile of the boat I saw the 

 balance of my crew awaiting our return, and we reached the boat 

 at 4 P.M., having been five hours absent from it. 



"We started at once for the vessel, making slow progress at 

 first on account of the ice. At length we reached open water, 

 raised sail, and sped along. As we approached the harbor we 

 found that the ice had become so thick that it was only by hard 

 pulling, and hard drives of the oars into it, that we got to the ship. 



As soon as I was aboard, I asked Captain B if his men had 



another whale. He replied that as yet he did not know, but the 

 indications were, as his boats were not in, that they had. He was 

 in fine spirits. But, alas! how soon were they changed to the 

 very depth of grief! 



" Shevikoo was the first one of the crew up the side of the ves- 

 sel. As soon as he got aboard he told Captain B we had 



seen much ice down at the entrance of the bay. When I went 



down below, Captain B came to me asking if I had seen any 



heavy ice — pack — in Davis's Strait. I told him that I had, and 

 proceeded to give him as truthful an account of it as I could. I 

 was astounded at the effect it produced upon him. Then it was 

 that I first began to realize, to feel the overwhelming importance, 



