Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/99

 horizon, and the bold, dark-sided cape itself was, after a while, seen "advancing in the bosom of the sea."

We did not meet any field-ice until near noon of the 25th. I had been aloft in anxious watching during almost all of the whole preceding day and night; but when I had made up my mind that we should clear Melville Bay without a single brush with the enemy, a line of whiteness revealed itself in the distance. We were not long in reaching it, and, selecting the most conspicuous opening, forced our way through. It proved to be only a loose "pack" about fifteen miles wide, and, under a full pressure of canvas, we experienced little difficulty in "boring" it.

And now we were in the "North Water." We had passed Melville Bay in fifty-five hours.

Standing close in under Cape York, I kept a careful lookout for natives. The readers of the narrative of Dr. Kane may remember that that navigator took with him from one of the southern settlements of Greenland a native hunter, who, after adhering to the fortunes of the expedition through nearly two years, abandoned it, (as reported,) for a native bride, to live with the wild Esquimaux who inhabit the shores of the headwaters of Baffin Bay. This boy was named Hans. Anticipating that, growing tired of his self-imposed banishment, he would take up his residence at Cape York, with the hope of being picked up by some friendly ship, I ran in to seek him. Passing along the coast at rifle-shot I soon discovered a group of human beings making signs to attract attention. Heaving the vessel to, I went ashore in a boat, and there, sure enough, was the object of my search. He quickly recognized Sonntag and myself, and called us by name.