_March 2._ To-day, by repeated questioning of our captive, we came to the knowledge of many particulars in regard to the island of the massacre, its inhabitants, and customs--but with these how can I _now_ detain the reader? I may say, however, that we learned there were eight islands in the group--that they were governed by a common king, named _Tsalemon_ or _Psalemoun_, who resided in one of the smallest of the islands--that the black skins forming the dress of the warriors came from an animal of huge size to be found only in a valley near the court of the king--that the inhabitants of the group fabricated no other boats than the flat-bottomed rafts; the four canoes being all of the kind in their possession, and these having been obtained, by mere accident, from some large island to the southwest--that his own name was Nu-Nu--that he had no knowledge of Bennet's Islet--and that the appellation of the island we had left was _Tsalal_. The commencement of the words _Tsalemon_ and _Tsalal_ was given with a prolonged hissing sound, which we found it impossible to imitate, even after repeated endeavours, and which was precisely the same with the note of the black bittern we had eaten upon the summit of the hill. _March 3._ The heat of the water was now truly remarkable, and its colour was undergoing a rapid change, being no longer transparent, but of a milky consistency and hue. In our immediate vicinity it was usually smooth, never so rough as to endanger the canoe--but we were frequently surprised at perceiving, to our right and left, at different distances, sudden and extensive agitations of the surface--these, we at length noticed, were always preceded by wild flickerings in the region of vapour to the southward. _March 4._ To-day, with the view of widening our sail, the breeze from the northward dying away perceptibly, I took from my coat-pocket a white handkerchief. Nu-Nu was seated at my elbow, and the linen accidentally flaring in his face, he became violently affected with convulsions. These were succeeded by drowsiness and stupor, and low murmurings of Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li! _March 5._ The wind had entirely ceased, but it was evident that we were still hurrying on to the southward, under the influence of a powerful current. And now, indeed, it would seem reasonable that we should experience some alarm at the turn events were taking--but we felt none. The countenance of Peters indicated nothing of this nature, although it wore at times an expression I could not fathom. The Polar winter appeared to be coming on--but coming without its terrors. I felt a _numbness_ of body and mind--a dreaminess of sensation--but this was all.