"On the 25th of September, 1852, in the Arctic Ocean, in lat. 68 deg. 10' N., the ship Citizen was wrecked, and five men were lost; himself and the balance of the crew reached the shore, without any thing but the clothes they stood in. It was very cold, and they kept alive by burning casks of oil that had floated ashore from the wreck; that they lived near the wreck until October 3, when the whale ship Citizen, of Nantucket, Captain Bailey, hove in sight; they immediately hoisted a flag upon a pole thirty feet high, and made every signal they could of distress; that the ship at first stood in as though she saw them, then hauled up and shivered in the wind, and afterwards filled away and left them. She was so close at one time that those on shore could see her davits. The feelings with which they saw the vessel leave them are indescribable, as no hope was left them but to endure the rigors of a winter's residence in that cold, bleak, and desolate region, if they should escape the tomahawk of the savage. That their signals were seen by Captain Bailey there can be no doubt, as Captain B. reported seeing his signals last fall. The mate of Captain Bailey's vessel reported to Captain B. that he could see sailors on shore, and requested a boat to go to their relief, which Captain B. refused. "Through the inhumanity of Captain Bailey, we were compelled to remain _nine months_ in that barren region, destitute of clothing and food, other than the natives could supply us from their scanty stores of blubber and furs. During this time, two of the crew perished from cold, and left their bones to bleach among the snows of the north, as a monument of 'man's inhumanity to man.' "The natives were humane, kind, and hospitable to us, though wretchedly poor. THOMAS H. NORTON." [Illustration: HUNTING THE POLAR BEAR.] CHAPTER VI. Our sad and desolate Feelings after the Departure of the Ship. --What we should soon witness of Arctic Winter.--The Wreck visited from Time to Time.--Provisions transported to the Settlement.--The Weather.--Whales near Shore.-- Severe Gale of Wind.--Fall of Snow.--Ocean frozen over. --Sudden Introduction of Winter, and its Dreariness.--Not to be described.--The Sun falling, Nights lengthening.-- Disappearance of the Sun.--Long Night.--How we passed our Time.--Confined to the Huts.--Singing.--Neither Book nor Chart, nor Writing Materials, except Pieces of Copper.--Hope of Liberation another Year.--Captain Norton's Method of keeping Time.--The Razor.--Our Clothing.--Provisions getting low. --Natives both eating and stealing ours.--A new Chapter.-- Commenced living on Blubber with the Natives.--Native Stock diminishing.--Winters in the Arctic vary.--The native Manner of capturing the Whale.--Preparing their Food.--Native Bread. --Description of their Huts.--Their peculiar Locality.-- Their Method of lighting and warming them.--The Filthiness of the Natives.