STORY OF A FUR COUNTRY NORTH OF CANADA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1862, 29 July 1887, Page 33

STORY OF A FUR COUNTRY NORTH OF CANADA.

By One of Our Little Folks.

The actual breaking up of the ice did not take place until the 7th April. The ice- wall had separated almost in the middle. The largest piece seemed to be going north. At the time of the breaking up a dense mist, known as frost rime, enveloped the Arctic regions. When it disappeared Victoria Island was in the grasp of the Behring current. On the 25th the bearing of the island was changed— Cape Bathurst pointed to the N.W. On the 2nd May Victoria Island drifted toward the American Continent, and three days afterwards crossed the Arctic circle. On the Bth May Hobson and Long went to see if a passage could be found to the continent. Finding no passage they were returning to the fort when a terrible noise stopped them. Hobson, thinking the icefield ha<\ broken, ran to the fort, Longfollowing him. They found the men and women they had left running away. M'Nab ran towards them, and drawing Hobson to a small hill a few yards from the fort showed him that Cape Bathurst had been knocked down by the ice-wall falling on the shore. The earth and sand of which it was composed was strewn over the fort. Masses of ice rolled over the beach, and the boat was completely destroyed. While -they were watching the buildings they gave way under the pressure of a block of ice. Madge, Mrs Barnctt, Kalumah, and Thomas Black not having escaped from the house were buried alive. Hobson shouted to the others to get pickaxes and dig them out. But, on accouu of the rolling blocks of ice, they could no go near the fort till daybreak. All at once began to work to sink a shaft in the ice to reach the house, which was buried but not crushed. At the end cf the second clay the earth and sand was nearly reached. At 3 o'clock next morning one of the men's picks hit something hard. M'Nab flung himself to the bottom of tho shaft and soon made a large hole in the roof, and Hobson, > lotting himself down through the opening, found the water up to his waist.

(To be concluded next week. )