During the continuance of the storm the sailors shared the food and lodging of these Esquimaux. They were a fat, oily, hospitable, dirty race, and vied with each other in showing kindness to those who had been thus thrown into their society. As Davie Summers expressed it, "they were regular trumps;" and according to Buzzby's opinion, "they wos the jolliest set o' human walruses wot he had ever comed across in all his travels; and he ought to know, for he had always kep' his weather-eye open, he had, and wouldn't give in on that p'int, he wouldn't, to no man livin'." CHAPTER XIX. _The northern party--A narrow escape, and a great discovery--Esquimaux again, and a joyful surprise._ It is interesting to meditate, sometimes, on the deviousness of the paths by which men are led in earthly affairs--even when the starting-point and the object of pursuit are the same. The two parties which left the _Dolphin_ had for their object the procuring of fresh food. The one went south and the other north; but their field was the same--the surface of the frozen sea and the margin of the ice-girt shore. Yet how different their experiences and results were the sequel will show. As we have already said, the northern party was in command of Bolton, the first mate, and consisted of ten men, among whom were our hero, Fred, Peter Grim, O'Riley, and Meetuck, with the whole team of dogs and the large sledge. Being fine weather when they set out, they travelled rapidly, making twenty miles, as near as they could calculate, in the first six hours. The dogs pulled famously, and the men stepped out well at first, being cheered and invigorated mentally by the prospect of an adventurous excursion and fresh meat. At the end of the second day they buried part of their stock of provisions at the foot of a conspicuous cliff, intending to pick it up on their return; and thus lightened, they advanced more rapidly, keeping farther out on the floes, in hopes of falling in with walruses or seals. Their hopes, however, were doomed to disappointment. They got only one seal, and that was a small one--scarcely sufficient to afford a couple of meals to the dogs. They were "misfortunate entirely," as O'Riley remarked; and to add to their misfortunes, the floe-ice became so rugged that they could scarcely advance at all. "Things grow worse and worse," remarked Grim, as the sledge, for the twentieth time that day, plunged into a crack in the ice, and had to be unloaded ere it could be got out. "The sledge won't stand much o' sich work, and if it breaks--good-bye to it, for it won't mend without wood, and there's none here."