[ /5 J 
for the pnrpofe. The difficulty therefore 
was, by what means to fecure themfelves 
againft. fo difmal a calamity as the want 
of fire? After revolving this hard pro- 
blem in their minds, they had recourfe 
to the following contrivance. In their ex- 
enrfions through the ifland, they had 
met with a flimy loam, or a kind of clay, 
nearly in the middle of it. Out of this 
they found means to form a utenfil which 
might ferve for a lamp ; and they pro- 
pofed to keep it conlhntly burning, with 
the fat of the animals they fhould kill. 
This was certainly the moil rational fcheme 
they could have thought of; for to be 
without a light, in a climate where, dur- 
ing winter, darknefs reigns for feveral 
months together, would have added much 
to their other calamities. Having there- 
fore fafhioned a kind of lamp, they filled 
it with raindeer's fat, and ftuck in it 
fome twifted linen, lhaped into a wick. 
But they had the mortification to find, 
that as foon as the fat melted, it not 
only foaked into the clay, but fairly 
run 
