THE LAST EXPEDITION OF CHARLES FRANCIS HALL. 



773 



wind blowing moderately, and the sea going down. The ice is much slacker, and 

 there is more water than I have seen yet. At 4.30 saw a steamer right ahead, and a 

 little to the north of us. We hoisted the colors, and pulled until dark, trying to cut 

 her off ; but she does not see us. We found a small piece of ice, and boarded it 

 for the night. The stars are out for the first time this week, and there is a new moon. 

 Divided into two watches, four hours' sleep each. Intend to start early. Joe had 

 shot three young seals, which we had taken along in the boat. Cooked with a blub- 

 ber fire; and kept a good one all night, so that we could be seen. 2^th. — Morning 

 calm, water quiet. At daylight sighted the steamer five miles off ; launched the boat 

 and made for her. After an hour's pull gained on her a good deal ; another hour 

 and we got fast in the ice, and could go no farther. Landed on a piece of ice and 

 hoisted our colors on an elevated place. Fired three rounds from our rifles and pistols, 

 making a considerable report, and were answered by three shots, the steamer heading 

 for us. She headed for us N. then S. E., and kept on so all day. We tried very 

 hard to work through the ice, but could not. Very strange. I should think any sail- 

 ing vessel, much more a steamer, could get through with ease. She was not more 

 than five miles from us. Late in the evening she steamed away, bearing S. W. We 

 gave her up. In the evening she hove in sight again, but further off. While looking 

 at her another steamer hove in sight, so that we have two sealers near, — one on each 

 side of us ; but I do not expect to be picked up by either of them. Hans caught a 

 seal, very small and young, a perfect baby of a seal. Dried most of our things to- 

 day." 



From the next and closing entry in Herron's Journal it is probable that he was mis- 

 taken in supposing that the party had been seen from the steamer. Probably the 

 musketry which they fired was heard, and supposed to come from some unseen vessel, 

 and was answered by the three guns from the steamer. At all events he was 

 fortunately mistaken in his belief that they would not be picked up by the other 

 steamer. 



" Wednesday, April 30th, — Five A. M., weather thick and foggy. Glorious sight 

 when the fog broke : a steamer close to us. She sees us and bears down on us. We 

 are saved, thank God ! We are safe on board the Tigress of St. Johns, Captain 

 Bartlett. He says the other steamer could not have seen us, as the captain is noted 

 for his humanity. The Tigress musters 120 men, the kindest and most obliging I 

 have ever met. Picked up in latitude 52"^ 35' N." 



Here closes this most remarkable journal, of which we have given only the leading 

 points. That a party of nineteen persons, among whom were two women, and five 

 children, one of them only two months old, should thus have drifted well nigh 2,000 

 miles, for 195 days all through an Arctic winter of unusual severity, and come out 

 not merely alive but in good health, is marvelous. Unless they had been forced to 

 adopt Hall's theory of living there as the Esquimaux live, it is hardly probable that 

 they could have escaped. If they had been left on the ice with an abundance of ship's 

 stores, and so not been thrown mainly upon raw seal and blubber, most likely the 

 scurvy would have swept them all away. But were it not for Ebierbing, or as he is 

 here called Esquimaux Joe, they would have caught but few seals, and so would have 

 died of starvation. It is safe to believe that had he been with Sir John Franklin, the 



