per flew
into our faces. Kit and I thrust wildly with our bayonets; but the
poor beast had already ceased all offensive warfare. He was dead
enough. But who had killed him it was hard saying. No less than seven
bullets had been fired into him from "a standard weapon," as Wade
calls our muskets. We towed the carcass up to the edge of the floe,
and pulled it up. The captain estimated its gross weight to be from
four hundred and fifty to five hundred pounds. This was the largest
one we had killed. Donovan and Weymouth and Hobbs were occupied the
rest of the forenoon skinning it.

It being a favorable opportunity, we improved it to make soundings.
From where we lay moored to the floe, the nearest island was about
three leagues to the east, and the northern main from ten to twelve
miles. For sounding we had a twenty-four-pound iron weight, with a
staple leaded into it for the line. Dropping it out of the stern, we
ran out a hundred and seventy-three fathoms before it slacked. The
depth of the strait at that place was given at ten hundred and
thirty-eight feet. I should add, that this was considerably deeper
than we had found it below that point.

CHAPTER XI.

"Isle Aktok."--A Sea-Horse and a Sea-Horse Hunt.--In High
Spirits.--Sudden Interruption of the Hunt.--A Heavy Gun.--The
Race to the Ledge-Tops.--Too Late.--A Disheartening
Spectacle.--Surprised by the Company's Ship.--The Schooner in
Peril.--Capt. Hazard bravely waits.--The Flight of "The
Curlew" amid a Shower of Balls.--The Chase.--Left on the
Islet.--A Gloomy Prospect.--"What shall we have for Grub to
_ate_?"--Wild-Geese.--Egging.--"_Boom!_"--A Sea-Horse Fire.

Toward night the wind changed to north, and thinned out the patch-ice,
driving it southward, so that by ten o'clock, evening, we were able to
get in our ice-anchors and make sail, continuing our voyage, and
making about four knots an hour till nine o'clock next morning, when
we were off a small island, the first of a straggling group on the
south side of the strait. South-east of this islet was another large
island, which we at first mistook for the south main, but, after
comparing the chart, concluded that it was "Isle Aktok." To the north
the mainland, with its fringe of ledgy isles, was in sight, distant
not far from thirteen leagues. We had been bearing southward
considerably all night, falling off from the wind, which was
north-west. We were now, as nearly as w