blocks of ice, which were solidly frozen together by a few buckets
full of sea water thrown over them.

"The dogs were glad to get on the ice again, and scampered about
totally oblivious of the fact that the supply of pork was getting very
low, and unless they got some fresh meat very soon they would be
obliged to feed on each other.

"They remained a fortnight in their Arctic abode exercising themselves
by cutting a passage in the ice. During this time four of the sailors
died. Finally the remainder, packing everything into the boat, yoked
the dogs thereto, and started in anything but hopeful spirits on their
arduous journey.

"It was found that Walker had to be carried along, but he did not long
continue a burden to his associates, for on the fourth day of the
march he died, and was buried in the snow. It was a toilsome journey.
Almost every foot of the way required to be hewn out of ice as hard as
adamant.

"The dogs suffered greatly from insufficient food and tireless
exertion. Several died from complete exhaustion, and were greedily
devoured by their fellows.

"After desperate exertions, Dunbar and his company, now reduced to
seven souls, gained the crest of the ice range and had the
satisfaction of seeing open water not twenty miles away. It took some
time to discover the best route for a descent, but at last they
reached the level of the ice-foot beyond, and struck for open sea. A
fortunate capture of several seals re-enforced their almost exhausted
supply of provisions.

"Dunbar cared nothing about latitude or longitude or scientific
information in such a desperate fight for life. It was a joyful moment
when he and his companions launched their boat safe into the sea again
after the incredible toil of dragging it forty miles across the
splintered ice peaks and the terrible ice-foot north and south of the
paleocrystic mountains.

"Dunbar hoisted his sail, abandoning the few dogs who yet remained
alive, and with his unhappy companions steered for Behring Strait,
first making for the coast of Alaska that faces the desolation of the
Arctic seas.

"It would be impossible to describe the horrors of that lonely voyage.
The terrible struggle with five hundred miles of ice-floes, with
snow-storms that piled the snow high upon the voyagers, and the
ferocious cold, proved too much for five of the seven sailors, and one
by one the poor fellows died, and were thrown overboard.

"Only two men--Dunbar and a sailo