had been buoyed up with the
expectation of relief; now the most sanguine felt that the last whaler
had departed for the season.

It was my turn to look out just before it grew dark. The floe on which
we had floated for so long had now drifted a considerable distance off,
and had broken into three almost circular pieces. As I watched, it was
met by several other floes of equal magnitude, which were revolving,
some in one direction, some in another, without any apparent cause.
Then began a most furious contest between them,--hurled together, they
overlapped and crushed on each other, till in the course of a few
minutes they had broken into a thousand fragments. I was indeed
thankful that we had not remained on the floe in the hopes of being seen
by a ship.

Darkness coming on, and it being impossible any longer to distinguish
objects at a distance, I returned to the hut. I found my companions
sitting round our kitchen in the hut, and discussing plans for the
future. Some were still anxious to get on to the southward in the boat,
in the hopes of overtaking some whaler which might have stopped to fish;
but Andrew strongly urged them at once to abandon all hopes of escaping
that year, and at once, while they had health and strength, and the
weather remained moderate, to make preparations for the winter. He
showed the extreme improbability of our overtaking ships which must have
been driven very far to the south by the gale, as also the danger of
being swamped should the slightest sea get up; while, should we not
succeed in our attempt, we should be worn out, and, incapable of
providing for the future, must inevitably be destroyed.

I voted with Andrew, and also spoke in favour of his plan, showing, from
what I had read and heard, that, notwithstanding the cold, with good
management we might preserve our lives and our health throughout an
arctic winter. At last this plan was agreed to by all, and we lay down
once more to sleep away the time till daylight.

We were up by dawn; and, having laden our boat with all our stores, we
commenced our toilsome journey. Our purpose was to make the land, and
then to travel along over the ice till we should arrive at some valley,
or at the mouth of a river, where we might hope to find some clear water
and opportunities of catching fish.

Though the land appeared quite near, it was late in the day before we
reached it. What, then, was our disappointment to find not even a beach