below and save some of their
things. I ran to the cabin-ladder in the hope of saving our log-book
and journals, but we all started back in horror, for the deck at that
moment burst open almost under our feet. I cast one glance down through
the opening into the hold. That glance was sufficient. The massive
timbers and beams were being crushed together, doubled up, split, and
shivered, as if they had been rotten straws! In another moment I was on
the ice, where the whole crew were assembled, looking on at the work of
destruction in solemn silence.

"After bursting in the vessel's sides the ice eased off, and she at once
began to settle down. We could hear the water rushing furiously into
the hold. Ten minutes later she was gone! Thus end our hopes of
farther discovery, and we are now left to fight our way in an open boat
to the settlements on the south coast of Greenland. We have little time
to think. Prompt action must be our watchword now, if we would escape
from this world of ice.

"_July 20th_.--I have not entered a line in this journal since our
vessel was lost. Our work has been so severe, and our sufferings so
great, that I have had no heart for writing. Our walk to the place
where we left the boat was a hard one, but we were cheered by finding
the boat all safe, and the provisions and stores just as we left them.
There was not enough to last out the voyage, but we had guns and powder.
It is in vain to attempt to describe the events of the last few weeks.
Constant, and hard, and cold work--at the oars, with the ice-poles--
warping, hauling, and shoving. Beset by ice; driving before storms;
detained by thick fogs; often wet to the skin; always tired, almost
starving--such has been our fate since that sad day when our brig went
down. And yet I don't think there is one of our party who would not
turn about on the spot and renew our voyage of discovery, if he only got
a chance of going in a well-appointed vessel. As it is, we must push
on. Home! home! is our cry now.

"_August 1st_.--We are now in clover, after having been reduced to think
of roasting our shoes for breakfast. For three days last week we ate
nothing at all. Our powder has been expended for some weeks past. On
Monday we finished our last morsel of the gull that Pepper managed to
bring down with a stone. Tuesday was a terrible day. The agony of
hunger was worse than I had expected it to be. Nevertheless, we tried
hard to cheer eac