sed by a bear. They hurried on, when, to their
surprise, they discovered that he was a stranger, his face so blackened
by the smoke from the oil-lamp that his features could not be
recognised. "Who are you? Where are you come from?"

"Lieutenant Pim--_Herald_--Captain Kellet," was the answer. Wonderful
indeed it seemed; for Lieutenant Pim was the last person with whom the
captain of the _Investigator_ had shaken hands in Behring's Straits. It
was some time before Lieutenant Pim could find words to express himself,
when he announced that he was ahead of his party, who had crossed from
the winter quarters of the _Resolute_ in Bridport Inlet, Melville
Island. Captain McClure then set out with a party of officers and men
to visit the _Resolute_, which ship was reached on the 19th of April
1853, after traversing a distance of 170 miles.

Great was the satisfaction of the two gallant captains at thus again
meeting. It was finally resolved that a portion of the crews of both
ships should be sent home, while the remainder should stay in the hopes
of extricating them during the coming summer. As, however, many of the
_Investigator's_ crew were suffering from scurvy, only a small number
were able to continue the journey westward, under command of Lieutenant
Cresswell and Lieutenant Wynniett.

On the 2nd of June they arrived on board the _North Star_, Captain
Pullen, at Beechey Island. The distance was 300 miles, and it had taken
them four weeks to perform the journey.

On the 8th of August the _Phoenix_ screw-steamer, Captain Inglefield,
arrived. At that time Captain Pullen had been away a month up
Wellington Channel, to communicate with Sir Edward Belcher. By the time
he returned, the season had so much advanced, that it was decided to
send back the _Phoenix_ with Lieutenant Cresswell and his party. On the
4th of October they landed at Thurso, and on the 7th of October arrived
at the Admiralty, with the announcement of the safety of the
_Investigator_, and the tidings that the geographical question of the
existence of the long-sought-for North-West Passage had been
satisfactorily solved.

We must now turn briefly to narrate the fate of the numerous exploring
vessels left in the Arctic regions at the setting in of the winter of
1853-54.

Before we do so, we must, however, give a brief account of the progress
made by the persevering and brave Captain Collinson.

When, in 1850, Captain McClure succeeded in reach