Year: 1869

nOTtnWaTd OF the AleuLlan, OF FOA Is
lands, on the ground commonly known
as Bristol Bay, and had been quite sue
cessfuI. Fogs, which shut down very
suddenly, as in this instance, had only
proved our geratest drawback.


We knew that we were in danger. It
is beyond the power of the most expert
ence cruiser in these seas to predict how
long these fogs may continue. No Oth-
ertship had been in sight of lis during
that day, and our only chance lay in
the finding of our own, For this we
had no other guide than the direction Of
the wind to take which was light and
tickle. It might at any moment veer
around into another direction, or, what
. seemed still more probable, die away to
a dead calm.


Only those who have been similarly
situated, can appreciate the peril we
were in, or understand our feelings as
in silence we piled our oars.


For a full hour we toiIed at them,
when, as if to render our insulation still
more complete, darkness settled down
over the sea, and the gloom that shut
. us in seemed actually tangible. Only
one in such a situation can comprehend
how bewildering, how completely sub
versive of all estimate and calculation,
/ it is to be surrounded by a dense fog,
. even in broad daylight.


! "Heave up and rest, boys" said Mr..
! Ransom. 'TIl get the lantern out and
strike light, SO that we may see the
compass. We shall have to depend on
it. 1t will be fiat calm in half an hour
more. Keep all your ears open for
gun; and make sure the direction of the
sound.U


The keg containing the lantern and
materials for making a light, are part of
the inventory Of every whale boat
This was soon opened, and the light
flashing at our feet showed that the
wind had proved a treacherous guide
We were making a course several points
astray from that upon which we had
started.


''That won't do, said our leader, we
must run by the compass now, as near
as we can. The ship ought to bear from
us about west-nor'west, so near as I can
Judge, Pull ahead"


In silence, and with anxious hearts
we resumed our oars; andafterthe lapse
of a half an hour, Mr.. Ransom Judged
we had passed over two-thirds of the
distance to the ship. But the great diff
ficulty was to know how far we had de-
waited from our direct course.


As we rested on our oars for the second
time, the boom of a gun was heard. Tt
fell upon our ears with q dull muffied
sound, as if coming from behind wall.
1t was not ahead of us neither. Some
thought it was astern; but the greater
part agreed that it was nearly abeam to
the northwest.


We turned in that direction, again
vigorously applied our oars, and made
all speed toward the quarter whence the
sound seemed to have come.


But steering with any degree of ac-
curacy was impossible; and when, after
the lapse Of fifteen minutes, we heard
the gun again, the boom seemed abeam
of us; and the boats head was once
more swung around.


As a matter of course, a few such races
completely bewiIdered US, more especi-
ally when the sound, instead of COM
ing nearer to us, appeared as if reced-
ing at each successive repetition.


"There, peak your oars" was the or
der from MI Ransom. We've been
flying around like a spin button till
hardly know which is the head and
which is the stern of the boat; and yet
We don't gain on the gun. Judging by
theIast report, itcan't be less than three
miles off"


Listening intently, and taking the
opinions of the majority as to the direc-
ton, we made several more attempts,
| but with the most disheartening results.
The more nervous and excited we be-
came the less our judgment was worth;
and the reports gradually died out in the
distance, leaving us utterly alone on
the ocean, enwTapped in amorphou8
darkness.


We had estimated our distance from
the ship when cutting from the whale,
to be fully eight miles. With no true
magnetic bearings, and nothing to guide
I Use eye, a ship on the waste of waters is
a very small thing to steer for. The
reader needs not to be nautically inform
ell and educated to understand that
very slight DETECTION from the true
course, would in running that distance,
carry us entirely wide of the mark
while the deceptive character of 4 sound
at sea, under such circumstances, must
be understood by every one


In despair Of reaching the ship, we at
length ceased our exertions, peaked !
the oars and prepared to make ourselves
as comfortable as possible for the night. |
Luckily, we had our jackets with us, and !
at that season of the year the weather
even in the latitude of ffty-six degrees,
is mild enOugh-when the wind chances
to be light. We had about four gallons |
of water in the boat, with the stock of
hard bread which is usually carried in
tarpulin bag; but, as anxiety had blunt
ed our appetites, we decided to make no
attack on the provisions that night, but
husband them for time of need, which .
we had good reason to anticipate with
fear.


We stretched ourselves across the
thwarts and tried to sleep, setting one of
our number as IoOkout-if such he could |
be called. Listener would be the proper
term, for he might as well have essay
ed to look through a stone wall as to
look through the impervious mist that
on all sides enveIoped us.


Little sleep came to our eyelids dur
ing the night; we were up and down by |
fits and starts, the boat being left to drift |
wherever she might. Mr.. Ransom an
nounccd TO us, however, that if the fog |
still continued into the next day, it was
his intention to make to the southwark |
trusting to his chance of landing on |
one Of the Aleutian Islands, or falling
in with some ship that might bc upon
the cruising ground south ofus.


Luckily fine summer Oiphfs rr, short