ized spars
to make them from. We found a good supply of rope on board the ship,
from which we fitted our running rigging. At last we had a vessel of
some twenty to five-and-twenty tons, in all appearance ready for sea.

The last and not the least important task was to select the stores and
provisions we should require, and to make the casks to hold the water
tight. Had we had carpenter or blacksmith among us, much of our labour
might have been spared; but it must be remembered that we had only a few
tools, to the use of which none of us were accustomed, and that nearly
every nail we employed we had to draw from the planks and to straighten.

By the end of August our task was accomplished, and it was with no
little satisfaction that we walked round and round our vessel to survey
our work.

The next thing to be done was to move her over the ice to the centre of
the bay, where about two miles off there was open water. When once we
could get the cradle on which she rested on the ice, we thought our task
would be easy; but to set it going was the difficulty. We tried every
means we could think of, but the heavy mass would not move.

An ordinary-built vessel of fifteen tons could not have weighed a third
of what ours did. At last we bethought ourselves of cutting away the
ground under the cradle, and of placing slips of ice for it to run on.
With infinite trouble and no little risk we succeeded in doing this. We
gave a shout of joy as we saw our craft moving towards the ice. She
glided slowly at first, but her speed increased. She dashed on; and
before she reached the ice, while yet on the beach, the cradle gave way,
and with a loud crash she fell over on her side. We were in despair,
and some gave vent to their feelings in expressions of bitter complaint.

We might shore her up, and afterwards cut a channel for her through the
ice, if she had escaped injury; but it would be a work of time, and the
season for proceeding to the south might be lost.

Most of the Esquimaux had gone away to catch salmon, and on hunting
expeditions, but a few remained; and though they expressed great regret
at our misfortune, they seemed glad that we had less chance of leaving
them.

Andrew was the only one among us who was calm. "Come, my lads," he
said, "there's no use looking at what's happened without trying to set
matters to rights again. If we stand here all day without putting our
hand to the work, we shall not get the cr