in her, or to try and fall in with some whaler at the
entrance of Davis' Straits.

I cannot say that I very much approved of this plan. I had great
confidence in Andrew's discretion, and I knew both him and David to be
experienced seamen, but neither of them knew anything about navigation--
indeed David could neither read nor write; and though we might possibly
be able to find our way through the ice, when once we got clear we might
lose it, and be wrecked on a worse coast than the one we were desirous
of quitting. How also could such a vessel as we had the means of
building be expected to withstand the slightest pressure of the ice?
and, from the experience we had had, I did not think it likely we should
be able to get to the south without encountering some of those fearful
contests in which we had seen other vessels destroyed.

However, day after day we talked about it; and at least it served to
beguile the time, though nothing definite was determined on. We had
unfortunately no books, for those we found in the ship we could not
read. I had, however, a small note-book in my pocket, and with my
pencil, which I used very carefully, I kept a sort of journal across the
leaves of the foreign books, thus turning them to some account.

Had it not been for Andrew, I am afraid that few of us would have shown
any attention to our religious duties; but he by degrees drew the minds
even of the most thoughtless to the subject of religion, till all
acknowledged its importance and beauty. He explained to us, to the best
of his power, the truths of Christianity, of which most of us had before
a very slight and imperfect knowledge. He also proposed that we should
unitedly offer up our prayers to Heaven every morning and evening; and
from that time we never failed in that important duty.

As I think over the prayers used by that good man, although the words
and sentences might have been somewhat unpolished, I feel that the
sentiments could not have been surpassed by the most highly educated
clergyman--for this reason, that they came from an enlightened mind with
an earnest spirit. No words, indeed, could be more appropriate to our
condition than those he used.

Early in February the sun again made his appearance, and the day,
including twilight, might be said to last from eight o'clock to four, so
that we had not a very much shorter day than people in London. The
weather, however, was colder than ever, and we were less abl