ere brought to them, and were
well bolted. The caulking-irons were put in requisition as soon as a
streak was on, the whole work advancing, as it might be, _pari passu_.
Planks for the decks were much wanted, for, in the terrible strait for
fuel which had caused the original assault on the schooner, this portion
of the vessel had been the first burned, as of the most combustible
materials. The quarter-deck of the Vineyard craft, luckily, was entire,
and its planks so far answered an excellent purpose. They served to make a
new quarter-deck for the repairs, but the whole of the main-deck and
forecastle remained to be provided for. Materials were gleaned from
different parts of the two vessels, until a reasonably convenient, and a
perfectly safe deck was laid over the whole craft, the coamings for the
hatches being taken from Daggett's schooner, which had not been broken up
in those parts. It is scarcely necessary to say that the ice had early
melted from the rocks of the coast. The caverns all disappeared within
the first week of the thaw, the attitudes into which the cakes had been
thrown greatly favouring the melting process, by exposing so much surface
to the joint action of wind, rain, and sun. What was viewed as a
favourable augury, the seals began to reappear. There was a remote portion
of the coast, from which the ice had been driven by the winds around the
north-west cape, that was already alive with them. Alas! these animals no
longer awakened cupidity in the breasts of the sealers. The last no longer
thought of gain, but simply of saving their lives, and of restoring
themselves to the humble places they had held in the world, previously to
having come on this ill-fated voyage.

This re-appearance of the seals produced a deep impression on Roswell
Gardiner. His mind had been much inclined of late to dwell more and more
on religious subjects, and his conversations with Stephen were still more
frequent than formerly. Not that the boat-steerer could enlighten him on
the great subject, by any learned lore, for in this Stimson was quite
deficient; but his officer found encouragement in the depth and heartiness
of his companion's faith, which seemed to be raised above all doubts and
misgivings whatever. During the gloomiest moments of that fearful winter,
Stephen had been uniformly confiding and cheerful. Not once had he been
seen to waver, though all around him were desponding and anticipating the
worst. His heart was