264, THE WORLD OF ICE.

“TI got into Baffin’s Bay and made a good fishing of
it the first year, but was beset in the ice, and com-
pelled to spend two winters in these regions, The
third year we were liberated, and had almost got
fairly on our homeward voyage when a storm blew us
to the north and carried us up here. Then our good
brig was nipped and went to the bottom, and all the
crew were lost except myself and one man. We
succeeded in leaping from one piece of loose ice to
another until we reached the solid floe and gained the
land, where we were kindly received by the Hsqui-
maux. But poor Wilson did not survive long. His
constitution had never been robust, and he died of
consumption a week after we landed. The Esquimaux
buried him after their own fashion, and, as I after-
wards found, had buried a plate and a spoon along
with him. These, with several other articles, had
been washed ashore from the wreck. Since then I
have been living the life cf an Esquimau, awaiting
an opportunity of escape either by a ship making its
appearance or a tribe of natives travelling south. I
soon picked up their language, and was living in
comparative comfort, when, during a sharp fight I
chanced to have with a Polar bear, I fell and broke
my leg. I have lain here for many months, and have
suffered much, Fred; but, thank God, Iam now almost
well, and ean walk a little, though not yet without
pain.”

“Dear father,” said Fred, “how terribly you must
have felt the want of kind hands to nurse you during