THE ICE-PACK. — GOOD NEWS. 



561 



ing, and pulling our boat over several miles of driving, drifting, 

 whirling, crashing, thundering ice. Occasionally, while my com- 

 pany — both men and women — would be getting the boat upon an 

 ice-floe, and dragging it along, the dogs and children accompany- 

 ing, I would be busily engaged with my instruments taking my 

 "last sights" of the principal places in and around the ever mem- 

 orable " Countess of "Warwick's Sound," which had been lost to 

 the world for near three hundred years, but now was found. At 

 last we got clear, arriving at open water, when we at once launch- 

 ed the boat and pushed off. From thence it was not long that we 

 were on our way to Cape True, where we arrived in perfect safe- 

 ty, though, within two hours after our arrival, the pack ribbed the 

 whole coast, and we thus narrowly escaped being closed in the 

 second time. 



Two days after our return, on Friday, August 8th, we were 

 agreeably surprised, in the early morning, by the arrival of Cap- 

 tain B in a boat direct from George Henry Harbor, in the 



upper part of Field Bay. He announced that the ship was near- 

 ly free, and that the ice of Field Bay was all broken up, and 

 much of it had drifted out to sea. His orders were for all hands 

 to proceed immediately on board. 



This news caused immense joy. All was excitement. Tents 

 were quickly struck, boats were made ready, and stowed with 

 such of the material as we intended carrying on board, and in a 

 very short time we were ready for a start. As for myself, I had 

 to regret the loss of some of my geological specimens, which I 

 was obliged to abandon here on account of their weight in the al- 

 ready overloaded boat. 



At 4 A.M. we took our final leave of Cape True, after a friend- 

 ly adieu to the people in that locality, with whom we had become 

 so familiar. We struck direct for Hubbel's Point,* and soon aft- 

 er was passing up Bear Sound. The day was calm and clear, and 

 the boats had to be pulled nearly the whole way; but no fatigue 

 was felt while anticipating a speedy arrival on board the ship. 

 At seven o'clock we were through Bear Sound, where the tide, as 

 usual, was running very swiftly and strong, though it was in our 

 favor. Many well-known spots were quickly passed, receiving 

 our farewell, and we were soon through Lupton Channel, when 

 we turned into Field Bay, which was seen to be nearly full of 



* This point, on the west side at the entrance of Bear Sound, I have named after 

 Charles C. Hubbel, of Hudson, New York. 



