thickly covered with snow, which had
contributed, I suppose, to preserve them. Her masts and lower rigging
were standing, though the topmasts had gone over the side. David
pronounced her to be a Dutch whaler; and such, I believe, she was. Her
hatches were on, and even the companion-hatch was drawn over, which made
us think that the crew had remained on board till she was driven into
her present position, and had afterwards quitted her with the intention
of returning.

This opinion was confirmed when we went below. We found the cabin in
good order and the furniture uninjured, for the water had not reached
it. On going into the hold we discovered an abundant supply of
provisions in casks; but all her tubs were empty, which showed us that
she had been wrecked on her outward voyage, before having taken a fish.
Her boats also were gone, which showed the way in which her crew had
escaped from her. When I first went below, I half expected to find all
her people frozen to death, as I had heard of such dreadful occurrences
having taken place.

Several books and papers were found in the cabin, but as none of us
could read Dutch, we were unable to learn anything from them; but Andrew
and David were of opinion that she had been there five years at least,
perhaps longer.

Having taken a cursory glance throughout the ship, our appetites
reminded us that we had eaten nothing that morning, so we set to work to
examine the condition of the stores on board. The meat in the casks was
perfectly good, and so even was the biscuit and flour, which had been
preserved, I conclude, by the cold from the weevils and the rats. The
only animals which had visited the ship were the bears. They had not
failed to scent out the good things she contained, but not having been
clever enough to lift the hatches off, they had, fortunately for us,
been unable to appropriate them.

We were not long in knocking the head out of a cask and in collecting
materials to form an abundant meal, which we had not enjoyed for so many
days. The cook's caboose was still uninjured on deck, and his pots and
kettles were hung up inside it, with a store of coals and wood ready
chopped up. We accordingly lighted a fire, and two of the men, who
professed to be the best cooks, prepared our breakfast.

In the cabin we found in jars and canisters a profuse store of tea,
coffee, cocoa, sugar, and several sorts of preserved fruits and
sweetmeats; indeed there was an am