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Start of a Sledge Expedition

removing their things to a new centre. children were placed in the boat without On the night of the 7th it broke again, a dry spot, and without so much as a carrying with it the boat and Mr. Meyer. piece of fresh water ice to eat. The For a time it seemed as though all were storm soon abated, however, and the tent lost. The ice kept closing in on them and was pitched once more. they were without hope of saving the The six months of the voyage on the boats or their unfortunate companion. ice were completed April 16th. At that When daylight arrived an attempt was time they were still without any prospect made to rescue them, all the party, except of a rescue, and starvation was staring two, venturing away on the ice. All who them in the face. Seals were in sight all ventured reached the boat in safety, and around them, but none could be caught. Only a few days' provisions were left, and in a straight line south from the point cannibalism was staring them in the face. where they started. Each day passed as On the 18th a small hole was discovered did its predecessor, the sufferers being all in the ice some distance off, from which wet and hungry. Sometimes they came a seal large enough for three days' pro- within sight of land, but were always visions was secured and divided equally driven off again. Meyer seemed to fare among the party. On the 20th a sea struck worst of all, and his chances for surviving the ice, and carried away everything more than a few days longer were conwhich was loose upon it. This was re-sidered slender, although all were in a