gotten in
rewards: indeed, I shall consider that you have the first claim,
provided your commander, on his arrival in England, reports favourably
on your conduct." At eight o'clock we parted company, and, under sail
and steam, steered direct for Wolstenholme Island.

A little after ten o'clock we broke through a neck of ice, and had just
put the helm up to run down a lead, when, happening to look over my
shoulder at the "Resolute," now hull down to the westward, I was
astonished to see what appeared the smoke of a gun, and soon afterwards
another, and another. The general recall at the mast-head was next
seen, and the "Assistance," under all sail, pressing to the south,
showed that the "Intrepid" had been caught sight of. Joy was strongly
marked on every countenance as we turned on our heel, and one
exclamation--"Thank God for our escape from a second winter," was on
every tongue. It would have been indeed an unprofitable detention to
have been caught in Wolstenholme Sound by the pack, as we undoubtedly
should have been, whilst the vessel we went to relieve was safe without
it. However, the evil was now averted; the whole squadron was united,
my provisions, men, and stores again taken out, and a memorandum
issued, the purport of which was that we were to go to Woolwich. At
eight o'clock the yards were squared, sails spread, and homeward we
steered.

Fresh and fair gales, a sea entirely clear of all but stray icebergs,
and here and there a patch of broken ice, gave us nothing to do but
endeavour to reduce our speed sufficiently under canvas to insure not
outrunning our consorts. In eight days we reached the latitude of Cape
Farewell. Once in the Atlantic, strong gales and dark nights rendered
it impossible for such ill-matched consorts to keep company, and we
found ourselves alone, sighting the Orkneys fourteen days after bearing
up from the latitude of Wolstenholme Island in Baffin's Bay, and
anchored at Grimsby in the river Humber, exactly three weeks from the
commencement of our homeward-bound voyage. The rest of the squadron
followed us to Woolwich, where all were paid off safe and sound, with
the exception of one man, the only one missing out of the original one
hundred and eighty officers and men who had sailed in 1850, under
Captain Horatio T. Austin, C.B., to rescue or solve the fate of the
expedition commanded by Captain Sir John Franklin.

[Headnote: _OPINION OF FRIENDS AND THE PUBLIC._]

Our self-importan