nd in May, 1631, to attempt
the discovery of the long-desired North-West Passage. After terrible
storms and disasters, the ship being fast-locked in ice the adventurers
were compelled to winter in the Arctic regions; and, as the journal
relates, proceeded to make preparations for passing the long months on
an uninhabited island near to the ship. The extracts from the diary tell
the story of those months, speaking in words which need no comment, of
high hope, of constant courage, and of a sincere and true-hearted
dependence on God. Throughout all the disappointments and perils of his
expedition, Captain James seems ever to have kept alive trust in God,
and a sure belief that all that could befall him and his, would be
directed by an All-wise hand; thus his heart did not fail even in the
midst of overwhelming perils and disasters.

These brave men were not ashamed to own their entire dependence on God's
help, and we find here, as elsewhere, that it is ever the strongest who
best know their own weakness--that the noblest are ever the most humble,
the most ready to acknowledge the Divine Source of all their courage.

And the heroes whom English boys love to remember, and desire to
imitate, have, in proportion as they were true heroes, unselfish,
generous, brave, been also the most true and faithful servants of that
God who is the source of all strength, all love, all tenderness and
truth.

"Oct. 7.--It snowed all day, so that we had to clear it off the decks
with shovels, and it blew a very storm withal. The sun did shine very
clear, and we tore the topsails out of the tops, which were hard frozen
in them into a lump, the sun not having power to thaw one drop of them.
Seeing therefore that we could no longer make use of our sails, it
raised many doubts in our minds that here we must stay and winter. The
sick men desired that some little house or hovel might be built ashore,
whereby they might be the better sheltered. I took the carpenter, and
choosing out a place, they went immediately to work upon it, while I
myself wandered up and down in the woods to see if we could discover any
signs of savages, but we found no appearance of any on this island.

Oct. 12.--We took our mainsail, which was hard frozen, and carried it
ashore to cover our house, first thawing it by a great fire; by night
they had covered it, and had almost hedged it about, and our six
builders desired they might travel up into the country to see what they