men are game for anything in spite of their sad condition."

Thus wrote Gregory at that date. Many weeks later we find him writing
as follows:

"_June 15th_.--Free at last! The ice has been breaking up out at sea
for some time past. It gave way in Refuge Harbour yesterday, and we
warped out in the night. Everything is ready to push north again. We
have been feeding heartily for many weeks on walrus, seals, wild-fowl,
and last, but not least, on some grasses which make bad greens, but they
have put scurvy to flight. All the men are well and strong and fit for
hard work--though nothing like what they were when we first came here.
Could it be otherwise? There are some of us who will carry the marks of
this winter to our graves. The bright beautiful sunshine shines now,
all day and all night, cheering our hearts and inspiring hope.

"_June 16th_.--All is lost! How little we know what a day may bring
forth! Our good little brig is gone, and we are here on the ice without
a thing in the world except the clothes on our backs. I have saved my
note-book, which chanced to be in my breast-pocket when the nip took
place. How awfully sudden it was! We now appreciate the wise
forethought of Captain Harvey in sending the large boat to Forlorn-Hope
Bay. This boat is our last and only hope. We shall have to walk forty
miles before we reach it.

"Our brig went down at three o'clock this afternoon. We had warped out
into the floes to catch a light breeze that was blowing outside. For
some time we held on steadily to the northward, but had not got out of
sight of our winter quarters when a stream of ice set down upon us and
closed in all around. At first we thought nothing of this, having
escaped so many dangers of the kind last autumn, but by degrees the
pressure increased alarmingly. We were jammed against a great ice-field
which was still fast to the shore. In a few moments the sides of our
little vessel began to creak and groan loudly. The men laboured like
tigers at the ice-poles, but in vain. We heard a loud report in the
cabin. No one knows what it was, but I suppose it must have been the
breaking of a large bolt. At any rate it was followed by a series of
crashes and reports that left no doubt in our minds as to what was going
on. The ice was cracking the brig as if she had been a nut-shell.
`Save yourselves, lads!' cried the captain. One or two of the men made
a rush to the hatchway, intending to run