r's tools and two
fowling-pieces, some canisters of powder, with a supply of shot, thus
giving us the means of killing any game we might meet with. It was, as
I said, very cold; but as there was a stove in the cabin, we lighted it,
and soon got the cabin comfortably warm. Probably, had we been left to
our own devices, we should have all gone to sleep without keeping any
watch; but Andrew ordered one of us to keep watch by turns throughout
the night, both to supply the stove with fuel and to guard against fire.
Had it not been for this precaution, we might have slept away some of
the valuable hours of daylight.

As soon as we had breakfasted, Andrew gave the signal for us to start.
Some wanted to leave the boat till we had found the spot we were in
search of; but he insisted on its being brought along, showing that we
must have her at our station, both to enable us to catch fish and to
assist us in escaping on the following summer; and that, as she was
laden and prepared for the journey, it would be wise to bring her at
once.

We could only drag one sledge with us, and on that were placed a few
additional stores. Having closed the hatches, we once more left the
ship. We travelled on the whole of that day and the greater part of the
next, without meeting with a fit place to fix on for our winter station.
Some of the grumblers declared that we never should find it, and that
we had much better go back to the ship.

The prospect was certainly very discouraging, and even Andrew was
beginning to think that there was no help for it but to return, when, on
reaching a high black rocky point, we saw a bay spreading far back and
surrounded by hills of only moderate height, from which the snow had
melted, leaving exposed a variety of grasses and lichens which clothed
their sides. I shouted with joy on seeing this to us cheering prospect.
To people under different circumstances, the view might have appeared
bleak and gloomy enough.

On getting round the point, we landed on firm ground for the first time
since leaving our ship; and, strange as it may seem, I felt as if half
our difficulties and dangers were over. On climbing up the nearest
hill, we saw that a stream, or rather river, ran into the centre of the
bay, and that from its mouth to the sea there was a clear channel.
Nothing could have been more in accordance with our wishes. We might
here be able to supply ourselves with fish, and from the appearance of
the count