CRADLING THE BOATS. 
i rrr 
1/0 
only object was to move farther south, retaining the 
brig, however, as a home to retreat to. Others whis¬ 
pered that I wanted to transport the sick to the hunting- 
grounds and other resources of the lower settlements, 
which I had such difficulty in preventing the mutinous 
from securing for themselves alone. A few of a more 
cheerful spirit thought I had resolved to make for some 
point of look-out, in the hope of a rescue by whalers or 
English expedition-parties which were supposed still 
to be within the Arctic circle. The number is unfor¬ 
tunately small of those human beings whom calamity 
elevates. 
There was no sign or affectation of spirit or enthu¬ 
siasm upon the memorable day when we first adjusted 
the boats to their cradles on the sledges and moved 
them off to the ice-foot. But the ice immediately 
around the vessel was smooth; and, as the boats had not 
received their lading, the first labor was an easy one. 
As the runners moved, the gloom of several counte¬ 
nances was perceptibly lightened. The croakers had 
protested that we could not stir an inch. These cheer¬ 
ing remarks always reach a commander’s ears, and I 
took good care of course to make the outset contradict 
them. By the time we reached the end of our little 
level, the tone had improved wonderfully, and we were 
prepared for the effort of crossing the successive lines 
of the belt-ice and forcing a way through the smashed 
material which interposed between us and the ice-foot. 
This was a work of great difficulty, and sorrowfully 
exhausting to the poor fellows not yet accustomed to 
