The other four,
who had now returned (of whom two were already much debilitated),
determined to make for the flagstaff. When they had walked some
distance and were enabled to ascertain what it was, one of them
endeavoured to overtake Mr. Fife, but was too much fatigued, and
returned to his comrades. They halted during a part of the night,
made a sort of hut of stones and turf to shelter them from the
weather, and kindled a little fire with gunpowder and moss to warm
their feet; they had never been in actual want of food, having
lived upon raw grouse, of which they were enabled to obtain a
quantity sufficient for their subsistence. In the morning they
once more set forward towards the flagstaff, which they reached
within three or four hours after Lieutenant Beechey had left some
provisions on the spot; having eaten some bread, and drunk a
little rum and water, a mixture which they described as perfectly
tasteless and clammy, they renewed their journey towards the
ships, and had not proceeded far, when, notwithstanding the snow
which was constantly falling, they met with footsteps which
directed them to Mr. Nias and his party, by whom they were
conducted to the ships.
The account they gave us of Mr. Fife and his two companions led us
to believe that we should find them, if still living, at a
considerable distance to the westward; and some parties were just
about to set out in that direction, when the trouble and anxiety
which this mistake would have occasioned us were prevented by the
arrival of another of the searching parties, with the information
that Mr.
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