If not perfectly tight, the boats proved
themselves excellent sailors and remarka
bly easy to row, and on the first-day the
voyagers reached Soutag Bay. After re
maing there a short time to regain their
strength, the party made for Hakluyt
Island, where t he expedition was brought
to a stand-still by a tremendous gale which
blew for three iall dais, with continuous
fall ofsnow for that time. Flocks of auks,
a bird of the pe guin species, were encoun
tered here, ho ever, and as the men could
easily take up their guns and kill ten of
them at a shot,. there was a plentiful sup
ply of fresh provisions, which were very
thankfully received. Occasionally their
tiny crafts were sadly beset, and it was
feared they would come to grief, but they
were among ice, and there was nothing
to be done but force a, passage southward
at all hazards. After enduriuguienauy pri
vations, and encountering perils from
which their escape seemed almost miracu
lous, they succeeded at last, through great
exertions, in reaching Cape Perry.
A few miles below the cape, at Fitz
Clarissa Rock. an encampment was made
every night. When the labors of the day
were over the boats were hauled up on a
floe, and eve -king taken out and the only
hot meal of day was prepared. The
implements e ployed in cooking were of
the most pri aitive character. Each boat
erried a qua tity of the rigging of the
Polaris and a can of oil; with these a fire
was made in the bottom of an old bucket;
tea was the only thing that could be made
with such apparatus. They state that the
privations they sufiered were not serious.
