The good creature readily did so, and by her means (as Bruce admitted) he was enabled to reach the vessel in safety.
Another circumstance occurred, which, though not very serious in results, might have proved so, had it not been for my dog Barbekark.
On the 28th of March Mate Rogers started for the whaling dépôt in Frobisher Bay. He had with him sundry articles required for spring operations, and a sledge and dogs, driven by Koojesse. Among the dogs was my Greenlander, Barbekark.
They left at 6 a.m. the weather then moderate; but at noon it was blowing a hard gale from the north-east, with thick-falling snow, which continued during the day.
At half-past nine in the evening one of the ship's officers, Mr. Lamb, going upon deck, heard the cry of dogs, and soon found that Mr. Rogers was returning. In a few moments, to our astonishment, for the gale was severe, he and Koojesse, with the sledge, arrived alongside, and soon afterward the mate was down in the cabin, but so completely overpowered by exhaustion that he could hardly speak. His face was the only spot, in appearance, human about him, and even this was covered with snow-wreaths pelted at him by the ruthless storm.
After sufficient time for restoration, he related the incidents of the past fifteen hours. It appears that, as they passed from Chapell Inlet to Field Bay, at about 1 o'clock p.m. it blew quite a gale, and the air was so filled with snow that they could hardly see the dogs before them. Here Koojesse advised that they should build an igloo, and remain in it until the end of the gale, but Mr. Rogers thought it better they should return home to Rescue Harbour, after resting a few minutes and refreshing themselves with some snow-water. This, with some difficulty, they obtained, and at two they started back for the vessel.
At first they got on pretty well as far as Parker's Bay, keeping the ridge of mountains running south-east and north-west on their left, and within sight. On reaching Parker's Bay, they then struck across the ice toward the ship. This
