"After turning our boat's head round to try and reach safety at Cape Neale, we ran into the wind two points on our port quarter. We threaded our way amongst the ice, often narrowly escaping collision, with the spray breaking over us, and frequently shipping seas over the weather gunwale. We were all of us soon drenched to the skin; and a snow-storm coming on rendered it difficult to see Cape Neale.

"At 10.30 P.M. the wind increased to a fresh gale, and occasionally to a strong gale in the gusts. The now high seas caused her to make so much leeway that weathering Cape Neale looked very improbable. We

could proceed under

sail no longer, and

it out in the open. We made a deep-sea anchor with three oars to which we lashed the ice anchor, and with about twenty fathoms of line attached to it from the bows, brought the boat's head round to the sea. The sea rapidly increased, and huge breakers threatened to swallow us

THE PONY.

up at every moment. Snow and sleet continued throughout the night, and we could not see the land at all. It was bitterly cold, and we were very tired and hungry, but the boat required such constant attention in bailing out seas, etc., and there were such difficulties in the way of getting at food, that eating was out of the question. Thus we rode the night, expecting every moment to go down. Every one was more or less cheerful, although one or two looked very much concerned; but I saw no fear in any one's face, and all obeyed orders promptly and without offering suggestions or advice, which on such occasions, especially when promptitude of decision is essential to safety, would be particularly troublesome. The barometer fell from 29.75 at 6 P.M. to 29.65 at 9 P.M., to 29.60 at 10 P.M.* (At 10 A.M. it stood at 29.85.)

*August 13.-On comparing the aneroid we find it registers six-tenths too high, making 29.60 equal to 29.00."

ters have not improved in the least. It still blows as hard as ever, and a tremendous sea is running, with often very nasty cross-seas, which render it impossible to head them properly. We are, however, still afloat, and the Mary Harmsworth is fighting a tough battle for us, shipping great deal of water frequently, but

a

by incessant bailing we get her clear again. Three or four times we have been rolled nearly over by short breakers and half filled with water, but she still kept up.

"At about 4 P.M. a lump of jagged ice got foul of our sea anchor and cut it adrift. Of course it was quite impossible to recover it, and we had no means of rigging another. The one we lost was a little too light, and the first of the usual three breakers in succession often washed it home on us, leaving the line slack. I put Blomkvist in the bows with an oar out to keep the boat's head straight, and

"During the whole day we only got one or two glimpses of the land through the snow and sleet, which appeared to be growing more and more distant; but what part of the land it was we could not distinguish. We all in turn tried to get a little sleep, but it was out of the question with the seas continually breaking over us, although, strange to say, when especially on duty in directing the boat's course, I experienced the very greatest difficulty in keeping myself awake, and once or twice nearly dropped off in spite of my teeth. We were all drenched to the skin, dog-tired, and very hungry and cold. In this manner we spent another night, the gale still howling around us with unabated fury.

"Barometer at about noon read 29.40, corrected to standard at Cape Flora28.80.

66

Several times during the day I noticed a very remarkable appearance in the sky as the wind brought up the snow-storms. It appeared as if laths of wood were irregularly distributed over the sky, even to the zenith, wherever the nimbus clouds of the snow-storm covered it; and on the northern horizon appeared three poles, exactly resembling three bare masts of a ship with the hull hidden by the high waves. They were white, and at equal distances from each other, quite suggesting a plantom ship. The laths, which were also white, appeared straight, and the edges ran parallel to each other. They all were of a uniform breadth, and entirely suggested inch laths.

"The boat had now become very deficient in buoyancy, owing to everything we had on board being drenched, and as she rolled she lopped over water first

best be spared and were heavy, and so lightened her considerably. The tiller had given way, and Child made another from a harpoon-staff. At 4 P.M. there came a lull in the gale, which was now from the W.S. W., and the horizon partly cleared, showing the nearest land, which we concluded to be Cape Grant, but which was too far away (about forty miles) for us to be at all sure. It lay about N.N.E. (true) of us. Seeing a chance of getting out of our trouble, we set the reefed lug and jib, and determined to try and run down to the cape, although the wind was still very strong, blowing from a moderate gale to a strong breeze.

"After six hours' sailing, fairly racing through the water at fully six knots an hour, we reached the land, which on nearer approach proved to be Cape Grant; and we ran round to the east side, hoping to find it sufficiently protected by the headland to enable us to land without

Owing to their weakened condition, Armitage, the doctor, and Child all got duckings in getting ashore; but this, I think. made little difference, as we were all as wet as we could be already. We at last got everything out of the boat, and hauled her up on to the very narrow beach. We were all of us more or less weak, and had considerable trouble in doing this. Blomkvist and I were the strongest of the party, but we didn't feel any the better for our late little entertainment. Two or three of the party were very groggy, and could hardly walk. We had had no sleep and nothing to eat but a biscuit or two each since leaving Cape Neale, three days ago, except that Child and I had had a raw dovekie each, which was the only thing in the way of food reachable. The others I could not induce to share this roughand-ready repast, but all replied, 'I will have a little just now.' Before the lull in the gale occurred we were speculating

it. His nautical knowledge and experience had been of the utmost service to us. All my fellows have behaved extremely well, and if we had gone to the bottom, would have done so as becomes

kiltwise around his lower person. Another presented himself in a complete suit of oil-skins over very moist under-clothes. A third was in a long oil-skin coat; what he had on underneath is a secret known only to himself. A fourth was without boots, but in a pair of cloth moccasins and in my kid - skin leather coat. All our clothes were more or less wet. Still, a

jollier party never collected in a camp, and our appearance caused great amusement and endless jokes. We slept soundly until noon next day, in spite of our wet clothes and the cold. It was snowing most of the time, and the thermometer hovered about freezing-point; and this, with the damp air and high wind, made it a bit chilly, especially so to people in our circumstances. However, we had the satisfaction of knowing that we had made a very successful journey, which, but for the gale blowing us off the coast, would possibly have been even more so if we could have got through the ice around Cape Mary Harmsworth. I hope yet to have another try, if the weather will allow us and the boat is not too much damaged.

'July 31st, Wednesday.-The gale is blowing very hard again,