266 THE WORLD OF ICE.

ing the next few days, while they remained together
in the Esquimau village. To tell of the dangers, the
adventures, and the hair-breadth escapes that the crew
of the Pole Star went through before the vessel finally
went down, would require a whole volume. We must
pass it all over, and also the account of the few days
that followed, during which sundry walruses were cap-
tured, and return to the Dolphin, to which Captain
Ellice had been conveyed on the sledge, carefully
wrapped up in deer-skins, and tended by Fred.

A party of the Esquimanx accompanied them, and
as a number of the natives from the other village had
returned with Saunders and his men to the ship, the
scene she presented, when all parties were united, was
exceedingly curious and animated.

The Esquimaux soon built quite a little town of
snow-huts all round the Dolphin, and the noise of
traffic and intercourse was peculiarly refreshing to the
ears of those who had long been accustomed to the
death-like stillness of an Arctie winter. The bene-
ficial effect of the change on men and dogs was
instantaneous. Their spirits rose at once, and this,
with the ample supply of fresh meat that had been
procured, soon began to drive scurvy away.

There was one dark spot, however, in this otherwise
pleasant scene—one impending event that east a gloom
over all. In his narrow berth in the cabin Joseph
West lay dying. Scurvy had acted more rapidly on
his delicate frame than had been expected. Despite

ry

fom Singleton’s utmost efforts and skill, the fell disease