Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/268

Rh written, a few lines preceding this, the words, 'the almost obliterated footprints of the lost one.' By reference to my journal (MS. journal) of last night, I see that I there noted the following phenomenon, viz., 'Showers of snow while the heavens are clear. Stars shining brightly.' At midnight, the time of my last visit to the deck, I wrote this, though a previous record had been made of the same phenomenon taking place as early as 9 "Twelve, midnight, stars shining; all clear over the whole expanse, yet snowing! Thermometer — 12°.' "This accounted for the filling up of the tracks. Besides, the light wind of this morning had swept the beautiful fine snow-crystals into them.

"We followed on hopefully, some of our number even saying, 'It may be we shall find John has arrived at the vessel ahead of us.' Oh that it had proved so! "The course of Brown was so near ours outward that those who had fallen behind had but to turn a little southward to reach it. Hence those who were last became first in the search. The upper part of Field Bay is studded with islets. To one of these his footprints were directed. At length they turned around its southwestern side, where he met with hummocks that obstructed his course. Still farther south he bent his steps to get around them. Each of these turns had a tendency to throw him out of the true course to the ship, which at first he evidently had in mind. "One of the men, finding a place among the ice to which Brown had turned in, actually exclaimed, 'Here he is!' But his outward steps were soon traced, so that this gleam was soon overshadowed.

"Getting out again in full view of the bay. Brown nearly regained his original course. Following this awhile, he again deviates. Now our hearts are cheered again, for he takes a proper course; another minute and we are sad—he diverges. After having taken a wrong course, which overwhelmed all with sorrow as we followed it for seven minutes, he suddenly turned northerly toward a magnificently-pinnacled iceberg that