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16 1861 + [[Sunday]] Mar 17 compact with which to quench his thirst. (Our frequent call for "John" by [[underlined]] loud shouting) [[/underlined]] At 4 O'Clock, while following the tracks wh. were then leading Westward I thought I heard the cry of dogs. I threw back my hood which is attached to the jacket in the Innuit way, & listened. I asked Johnston if he had heard anything? He answered Nay, adding he thought it only my imagination. I saw that my companion was getting exhausted. Here we were far from the vessel - the Sun growing lower & lower & the cold increasing. Somehow I felt that on the return of the three who left us a little after two, Capt. Budington would send out a native with Kummiti (sledge) & dogs suitably provided to co-operate with me in keeping up the search. I regretted indeed that I had not sent word by Morgan for the Capt. to do this. The finding us would be an easy matter as the tracks of the three would lead to ours where we could be traced. 15 minutes after 4 P.M. the tracks of John turned South. Johnston had said he would continue with me till we reached the Coast on the West side Rescue Bay if Johns tracks should continue there. Now they turned from the vessel - South. Here for the 1st time I solicited that he should go as far as a point of land toward wh. we were headed. He acquiesced. Passing 2 miles South, a magnificent mountain of Ice - an iceberg - stood a little way to the left. As we were in line with it the Berg bearing East, squarely turned the foot-prints of John [[end page]] [[start page]] 17 1861 + [[Sunday]] Mar 17 toward it. At any other time, how I could have enjoyed the sight before me! A pile of alabaster pinnacled as no [[underlined]] human [[/underlined]] mind could conceive & execute - here & there a covering of cream color - the side facing the descending Sun reflecting dazzelling prismatic colors. To this in the darkness of night John had directed his steps. As we arrived to its base, we found that this Berg evidently was grounded, the ice between it & the Sea-ice being in fragments from the rise & fall of the tides. We feared we might find that poor John had lost his life about this berg for his tracks showed that he had ventured where no man by day light would dare put his feet. One place had palpable evidence where he had followed around to the South side & there fallen in. But from this he had extricated himself & continued around to the East side where he again ventures. From appearances, I thought John in search of some place where he could be protected from the wind & cold - [[underlined]] where he could sleep. [[/underlined]] He passed across the dangerous broken ice, floating mid sea water, on to a tongue of the Berg. He walked along a little cove that was roofed by overhanging ice. He finds no safe place there - but where are his outward steps? For a while we thought it certain that John was either in some of the recesses of this vast Berg or had made a false step & gone down into the deep. Passing Northerly I finally descried returning tracks -
