Year: 1873

Thomas Watson, Geo. Fisher, Edward
Linder and Henry Zeck, started for q
point on the Canadian shore, below
Thunder Bay, to cross the lake to ISL
Royal. The ice was supposed to be !:
or feet in thickness, and they felt per
fectly safe in undertaking the journey
Unfortunately, they made little or nc
provision for the trip. each suprosine
that the other had a plentiful supply OF
bread and pork in his pack. They leis-
urely walked along on their course un.
til nearly nightfall, when it was pro-
posed that thev should sup. On open
ing their sacks and spreading their
blankets on the ice, it was discovered
that but three of them had any food
whatever, and these three had but about
fonr pounds of bread and pound and
half of boiled beef between them.
However, they divided up their stock
and made tolerable nseaf, expecting to
reach their destination next morning.
What was left of the repast, consisted
of slice of meat. half an inch thick,
and two small loaves were gathered up.
and the four walked on their journey,
the night being clear and the weather
calm. Towards morning, however, one
of them. Geo. Fisher, gave out, and they
concluded to take rest. So they laid
down, and, after conversing while,
tell asleep. When they awoke the sun
was shining brightly, but there was con-
siderable wind blowing and the air was
piercingly cold. Fisher continuing to
evince signs of illness, they partially re-
solved to retrace their steps, but on
walking northward for about twenty
miles, to their utter astonisf ment and
dismay. they discovered that the ice
cake on which they were was surround
ed by open water on all sides, in fact
that they were on an island of ice, some
ten miles in circumference, as near as
they could judge. Fears Of their safety
now took possession of them, and in
their agony they cried aloud for relief
But no one heard their voices. Night
was fast approaching, and with it came
swifter and colder wind than that
which had been blowing all day.


Penned in. as it were. beyond the pos
sibility Of human aid, their mental suf-
ferings were terrible. for they beheld
death staring them in the face. but ad-
ded to these came the pinching anguish
of hunger.


Fisher, who had once been cast away
on the ocean, and who appeared to be
suffering from a raging fever. was the
only one at this stage of existence who
appeared to realize the necessity OF hus-
banding to the last what little they had
in the way of eatables. He suggested
that, as there was four of them ir a bad
scrape. it would be right and proper
that the bread and meat should be di-
vided into four equal parts, and that
then each man should subdivide his al
lowance into six portions, which, if they
used but one portion day, wonld sus-
tam life for nearly a week. His argu-
ment told on his companions in distress
and they acquiesced. The bread and
meat were therefore cut up into four
parts, and then each one separated his
share into moieties. By mutral consent
they resolved not to eat anything until
next morning; and sorrowfully they laid
blankets on the cold ice and laid down.
Worn out with cold, hunger and fatigue
they soon fell into a sound slumber.
from which they were aroused about
daylight by ,the thuhderlike sound
caused by the cracking sound of the ice.


About s o'clock in the morning, this
being the third day they were out, they
ate their breakfast i'll silence, the meal
consisting Of about a moutlful of bread
and piece of beef about the size of Il
ten cent piece and as thin as a wafer.
Their feelings, as they gazed at each
other. can better be imagined than des-
cribed. They observed on close inspec-
ton, that the mass of ice on which they
we're was moved northwestwardly, and
their hopes revived. 1t was likewise
getting colder, and they began to feel as
sured that the open space between them
and the main body of ice would soon
freeze over. Bnt these hopes were of
short duration, for, during the approach
of night. the wind Yeered around and
blew THEN island westward. They were
strong hearted men, though. and Fisher.
whose fever had left him, cheered them
on and reused them up. Indeed, his
courage was astonishing under the cir
cumstances, and stood in bold contrast
with the others who, without him, would
have laid down and died with sheer
helplessness.


That day and the two following we're
spent in vain lamentations at the hard
ness of their fate and wishes to be on
shore, but no shore was in sight, and
the sun went down and darkness came
upon them.


On the morning of the sixth day,
Fisher. who may be said to be the only
one among them who had ever before
been in real danger. suddenly threw his
cap into the air and astonished them by
yelling Land, hor" rs he pointed to
the northward. They all looked with