"Sir," said he, pouting his lip, as he was wont to do when agitated, "I wished to kill the bear, that I might carry the skin to my father." A party were now sent to an island, about twelve miles off (named Walden's Island in the charts, from the midshipman who was intrusted with this service), to see where the open water lay.

They came back with information that the ice, though close all about them, was open to the westward, round the point by which they came in.

They said also, that upon the island they had had a fresh east wind.

This intelligence considerably abated the hopes of the crew; for where they lay it had been almost calm, and their main dependence had been upon the effect of an easterly wind in clearing the bay.

There was but one alternative: either to wait the event of the weather upon the ships, or to betake themselves to the boats.