could look forward with hope to the future, trusting to that
God of love and mercy whom they had hitherto only known as a stern and
severe judge.

When morning broke all hands set to work to clear away the snow, which
had covered up the boat and everything left outside the tents. The
wind, however, had ceased, and they were able to go on with their
labours, and by the evening the sledges were completed and the boat
prepared and placed on runners. They were then loaded, that the party
might be ready to start the following morning on their journey. Twice
during the day, Andrew with several of the other men had gone over to
the old encampment to ascertain if any of those who had deserted them
had come back. They cast their eyes in vain over the wide snow-covered
plain,--not a trace of a human being could be seen. It was too probable
that all had perished. More than half the ship's company had thus been
lost.

The night was passed in comparative comfort. They had well-formed
tents, abundance of bedding, and ample fires. All knew that in future
the case would be very different. The sledges were chiefly loaded with
provisions. They were obliged to reduce their tents to the smallest
possible size, and they could carry but a limited supply of fuel. There
were five sledges in all, each drawn by four men, while six men were
harnessed to the boat, in which the old captain, who was unable to walk,
was placed. Andrew joined the latter party, and Archy, on account of
his youth, was excused from dragging a sledge,--he, however, carried his
blankets and some provisions on his back, each man being also loaded in
the same way. The snow having partially melted under the still hot rays
of the sun, had again frozen, and had filled up all inequalities in the
ice. This enabled the party to drag the sledges along during the first
day without difficulty. They had, however, to make frequent circuits to
avoid the hummocks, which in some places were very numerous. They
calculated by nightfall that they had advanced nearly twelve miles on
their journey towards the coast. The uneven appearance of the ice
beyond them, interspersed in many places with huge icebergs, warned them
that in future they could not hope to advance so rapidly.

Hitherto they had not suffered much from cold, but that night, as they
lay in their tents with the small fires which their limited supply of
fuel allowed them to keep up, they were nearly frozen. And