Although doubtful as to the prospect ahead, I was determined not to quit the field without making another attempt to reach the west coast and endeavor to obtain some further information that might be of service to me in the future. I had still a vague hope that, even with my crippled vessel, some such good prospect might open before me as would justify me in remaining. Accordingly, as soon as the wind came, we cast off from the friendly berg, and held once more for Cape Isabella. The wind rose to a fresh breeze as we crawled away from the land, and the schooner, as if rejoiced at her newly acquired freedom, bounded over the waters with her old swiftness. But, unhappily, a heavy pack lay in our course, through which, had the schooner been strong, a passage might have been forced; but as it could not be done without frequent collisions with the ice, the intention was not entertained. The pack was not more than ten miles from the Greenland shore, and I therefore put back to Littleton Island, and from that point watched the movements of the ice. [Sidenote: AT LITTLETON ISLAND.] We found a convenient anchorage between Littleton and McGary Islands, and we reached it just in time; for a severe gale, with thick snow, set in from the northward as I had anticipated from the appearance of the sky, and held for several days. Meanwhile the people amused themselves with hunting. A herd of deer was discovered on Littleton Island, and the walrus were very numerous. Four of the latter were captured,--this time, however, not from a boat, but by Hans, in the true Esquimau style. They came along the shore in great numbers, lying upon the beach in the sun, where Hans approached them stealthily, and got fast to them one by one with his harpoon. The line being secured to a rock, the animals were held until they were exhausted, and then drawn in, when they soon became a prey to the rifles. Wishing to obtain a young one for a specimen, I joined the hunters; and, selecting from the herd which lay upon the rocks one to suit my purposes, I fired upon and killed it. The others plunged quickly into the water. The mother of the dead calf was the last to leave the rock, and seemed to do so very reluctantly. In a few moments she came to the surface, and, wheeling around, discovered the young one still lying upon the rock. Finding that it did not answer to her cries, she rushed frantically into the face of danger, and in full view of the cause of her woes, (for I had approached very near the spot,) the unhappy creature, intent only upon rescuing her offspring, drew herself out of the water, crying piteously all the while, and, crawling around it, pushed it before her into the sea. I endeavored first to frighten her off, and then tried to arrest her, and save my specimen, with a fresh bullet; but all to no effect. Although badly wounded, she succeeded in her purpose, and, falling upon the dead calf with her breast, carried it down with her, and I saw them no more.