THE WORLD OF ICH. 2389

sonification of imbecility. “If I wos a fly I’d know
wot to do. I’d walk up the side o’ that cliff till I
got to a dry bit, and then Td stick on. But, not
bein’ a fly, in coorse T can’t.”

Buzzby said this in a recklessly facetious tone, and
Tom Green followed it up with a remark to the effect
that “he’d be blowed if he ever wos in sich a fix in
his life ;” intimating his belief, at the same time, that
his “ toes wos freezin’.”

“No fear o’ that,” said the second mate; “ they'll
no freeze as lang as they’re in the water. We'll just
have to stand here till the tide goes doon.”

Saunders said this in a dogged tone, and immediately
put his plan in force by crossing his arms and plant-
ing his feet firmly on the submerged ice and wide
apart. Buzzby and Green, however, adopted the
wiser plan of moving constantly about within a
small circle, and after Saunders had argued for half-
an-hour as to the advantages of his plan, he followed
their example. The tide rose above their knees, but
they had fortunately on boots made by the Esqui-
maux, which were perfectly waterproof; their feet,
therefore, although very cold, were quite dry. In
an hour and three-quarters the ice-belt was again
uncovered, and the half-frozen travellers resumed
their march with the utmost energy.

Two hours later and they came to a wide expanse
of level ground at the foot of the high cliffs, where a
group of Esquimau huts, similar to those they had
left, was descried.