to the moment when she broke adrift, we find her situation thus described by her commander:-" We were in a critical condition, without boats, anchors, or hawsers, but there was no time for reflection, as the water was gaining fast, and would soon reach the furnace fires; and the ice around us would not bear the weight of a man. The water in the boiler was hot, and by pouring several bucketsful down the pumps we thawed them sufficiently to enable us to keep the water from gaining, and never did men use their strength with more energy than on that occasion. Fortunately the engineer reported steam up, by which additional aid we were enabled to keep her afloat. On the morning of the 16th we found our position a few miles north of Littleton Island, in Smith Sound. We had drifted abreast of Sunderland Island, at the head of Baffin Bay, during the night. The gale had subsided, and it was shortly afterwards quite calm. We looked from the masthead for our companions on the floe, but could see nothing of them. The current must have taken them in a different direction from the course the wind took us. About noon a

breeze sprung up from the north, and we began drifting out of the sound again. By aid of steam and sail, I ran the vessel as near shore as the ice would admit, and made her fast with lines to heavy grounded hummocks, in Kane Cove, in latitude 78° 23', longitude 73° 21' w.

"We kept an anxious look-out all the time for signs of the other party, but the sharpest eyes aboard failed to see aught of them. On the 17th I surveyed the ship, and found the stern entirely broken off below the six-foot mark. I therefore considered her lost, and immediately made preparation for leaving her, and wintering on shore. We were assisted by the Esquimaux, who came to us the day after we got ashore. We put up a house, those not engaged in building being

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occupied in getting provisions and fuel, which they did with great difficulty, as they had to leap from one detached piece of ice to another all the way to the shore." The friendly Esquimaux left them on the 24th, being rewarded with knives and harpoons for their services; but parties of them continued to visit the ice-bound mariners at intervals throughout the winter.

"We spent the winter," says Captain Buddington," in getting ice for melting, supplying galley and house-stove with coal, and keeping passages to and from the house free from snow. A great many foxes were shot. We were visited continually by the natives, who were suffering a great deal from cold and hunger. Several families made their residence with us during most of the winter, building snow-huts for themselves. We supplied them with a share of the provisions we had, but still they had to kill a great many of their dogs to give their children fresh meat. Some of our people had slight attacks of scurvy, principally in the gums, but in general the health of our party remained good.

"February brought us daylight. On the 15th the sun was seen for the first time since its disappearance on the 16th of November. We had now to consume the masts and yards for fuel. The only material for building boats was the ceiling of the alley-ways and after-cabin, the deck-house being used for fuel. The following months were occupied in building boats for our journey. Shooting-parties went out occasionally, but, with the exception of a few hares, generally returned unsuccessful. There was one deer killed, but a great many were seen. Although the natives had left us some time for their respective settlements and hunting-grounds, they still continued to visit us, and as if to remind us of our former kindness to them, which they appeared to have appreciated,

kept bringing to us quantities of walrus liver, which made a great improvement in the health of our party."

By the 28th of May, all their preparations were made. Captain Buddington had intended to start on the 1st of June, but that day being Sunday, he postponed their departure until the following day. It was then blowing hard, so that they did not leave till the 3rd. Meeting with but little obstruction from the ice, they reached Haskenzo Island on the following evening; but were detained there four days by a gale, which packed the ice. They then reached Northumberland Island, where the ice again impeded their progress until the evening of the 10th. A channel was then found in the desired direction, and they entered it, but were met by a heavy body of packed ice, which completely closed them in. Hastily hauling their boats upon the ice to save them from being crushed, they drifted with the ice all that night, and next morning found themselves about four miles from the shore. With great exertions they succeeded in hauling their boats over the ice, and landing at the place they had left the evening before. On the 12th, there was a good opening in the ice, and they started again with a favourable breeze.

Bad weather and drift-ice continued to impede their progress, and in some places they had again to haul the boats over the ice to reach open water; but at length they entered Melville Bay, and on the 23rd, while on the ice, about twenty-five miles south-east of Cape York, their eyes were gladdened by the sight of a steamer, beset by ice, about ten miles to the southward. Two of the party immediately started off across the ice to the welcome vessel, and were met on the way by a party from the latter, whose crew had seen them, and supposed them to be the crew of a wrecked whaler. With the aid of these men, they got all their effects aboard the steamer, which proved to

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be a whaler belonging to Kirkcaldy, before night, abandoning their boats, one of which had been stove by the ice. As the whaler had not yet filled her hold with oil, the rescued men were transferred in Davis Strait to another, in which they reached Dundee on the 19th of September, 1873.

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Here, then, our record of discoveries and explorations within the Arctic Circle, the boundary line of the Ice King's realm, reaches its end; though there can be no doubt that explorers whose names are not yet written in the muster-roll of fame will some day enable geographers to carry forward the unfinished coast-lines upon the map of the Arctic Regions, even to the North Pole of the earth. The extent of North Polar sea and land yet unexplored varies considerably in different parts of the region within the Arctic Circle. The eightieth parallel of north latitude has been passed in two places, by Kane and Hall in Smith Sound, and by Parry and Koldewey in the ocean northward of Spitzbergen. The greatest extent of unexplored area lies between Banks Land and New Siberia, and the proportion in which it consists of land and water is an interesting problem, to be solved only by future voyagers. The northward limits of Greenland are as yet unknown, and Gillis Land and Wrangell Land may be either islands or the southern extremities of an unknown Arctic continent. It is the opinion of Sir George Back, Admiral Collinson, Captain Osborne, and other eminent explorers of the Arctic seas, founded upon the immense accumulation of ice off the northern shores of America west of Banks Land, from the smallness of the tides, and the direction of the ice-bearing currents, that there must be a large tract of land extending from Smith Sound towards Behring Strait, and probably across the North Pole. The record of what has been accomplished forbids us to doubt that this problem will some day be solved.

PIOUS SEAMEN-PARRY, FRANKLIN, HANS EGEDE-THE MORAVIAN MISSIONARIES-RELIGIOUS LITERATURE-CIVILISING EFFECT OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN THE REALM OF THE ICE KING.

ROM the scanty information we possess of the personal character of early Arctic explorers, we gather that many of them were men of decidedly religious character. Of those of later date, as Parry, Franklin and Scoresby, we have ample testimony to their devoted piety and entire consecration to the service of Christ. We dwell on the fact with much satisfaction that the command of the crews engaged in the perilous voyages to the north was intrusted to those who united great nautical skill and physical courage with earnest piety and a sense of religious responsibility.

We give an instance of Captain Parry's confidence in God and coolness in the hour of danger. It was Sunday afternoon, and, with the exception of a small watch on deck, the ship's company were mustered below for Divine service. The prayers had been devoutly read by the captain, and he had nearly concluded the sermon, when the quarter-master came hastily down the hatchway, and whispered a few hurried words in his ear; Parry, without exhibiting any signs of emotion, asked some questions in a low tone, and bade him retire to his post.

He then re-opened his book, and continued the sermon as