THE AVALANCHE.

The colonists were then at last approaching the more frequented latitudes of

Behring Sea. There was no longer any danger that they would be drifted to the

north, and all they had to do was to watch the displacement of the island, and

to estimate the speed of its motion, which would probably be very unequal, on

account of the obstacles in its path. Hobson most carefully noted every

incident, taking alternately solar and stellar altitudes, and the next day,

April 16th, after ascertaining the bearings, he calculated that if its present

speed were maintained, Victoria Island would reach the Arctic Circle, from which

it was now separated at the most by four degrees of latitude, towards the

beginning of May.

It was probable that, when the island reached the narrowest portion of the

strait, it would remain stationary until the thaw broke it up, the boat would

then be launched, and the colonists would set sail for the American

continent.

Everything was ready for an immediate embarkation, and the inhabitants of the

island waited with greater patience and confidence than ever. They felt, poor

things, that the end of their trials was surely near at last, and that nothing

could prevent their landing on one side or the other of the strait in a few

days.

This prospect cheered them up wonderfully, and the gaiety natural to them

all, which they had lost in the terrible anxiety they had so long endured, was

restored. The common meals were quite festal, as there was no need for

economising the stores under present circumstances. The influence of the spring

became more and more sensibly felt, and every one enjoyed the balmy air, and

breathed more freely than before.

During the next few days, several excursions were made to the interior of the

island and along the coast. Everywhere the furred animals, &c., still

abounded, for even now they could not cross to the continent, the connection

between it and the ice-field being broken, and their continued presence was a

fresh proof that the island was no longer stationary.

No change had taken place on the island at Cape Esquimaux, Cape Michael,

along the coast, or on the wooded heights of the interior, and the banks of the

lagoon. The large gulf which had opened near Cape Michael during the storm had

closed in the winter, and there was no other fissure on the surface of the

soil.

During these excursions, bands of wolves were seen scudding across parts of

the island. Of all the animals these fierce carnivorous beasts were the only

ones which the feeling of a common danger had not tamed.

Kalumah's preserver was seen several times. This worthy bear paced to and fro

on the deserted plains in melancholy mood, pausing in his walk as the explorers

passed, and sometimes following them to the fort, knowing well that he had

nothing to fear from them.

On the 20th April Lieutenant Hobson ascertained that the wandering island was

still drifting to the south. All that remained of the ice-wall, that is to say,

the southern portion of the icebergs, followed it, but as there were no bench

marks, the changes of position could only be estimated by astronomical

observations.

Hobson took several soundings in different parts of the ground, especially at

the foot of Cape Bathurst, and on the shores of the lagoon. He was anxious to

ascertain the thickness of the layer of ice supporting the earth and sand, and

found that it had not increased during the winter, and that the general level of

the island did not appear to have risen higher above that of the sea. The

conclusion he drew from these facts was, that no time should be lost in getting

away from the fragile island, which would rapidly break up and dissolve in the

warmer waters of the Pacific.

About the 25th April the bearing of the island was again changed, the whole

ice-field had moved round from east to west twelve points, so that Cape Bathurst

pointed to the north-west. The last remains of the ice-wall now shut in the

northern horizon, so that there could be no doubt that the ice-field was moving

freely in the strait, and that it nowhere touched any land.

The fatal moment was approaching. Diurnal or nocturnal observations gave the

exact position of the island, and consequently of the ice-field. On the 30th of

April, both were together drifting across Kotzebue Sound, a large triangular

gulf running some distance inland on the American coast, and bounded on the

south by Cape Prince of Wales, which might, perhaps, arrest the course of the

island if it should deviate in the very least from the middle of the narrow

pass.

The weather was now pretty fine, and the column of mercury often marked 50?

Fahrenheit. The colonists had left off their winter garments some weeks before,

and held themselves in constant readiness to leave the island. Thomas Black had

already transported his instruments and books into the boat, which was waiting

on the beach. A good many provisions had also been embarked and some of the most

valuable furs.

On the 2d of May a very carefully taken observation showed that Victoria

Island had a tendency to drift towards the east, and consequently to reach the

American continent. This was fortunate, as they were now out of danger of being

taken any farther by the Kamtchatka Current, which, as is well known, runs along

the coast of Asia. At last the tide was turning in favour of the colonists!

"I think our bad fortune is at last at an end," observed Sergeant Long to Mrs

Barnett, "and that our misfortunes are really over; I don't suppose there are

any more dangers to be feared now."

"I quite agree with you," replied Mrs Barnett, "and it is very fortunate that

we had to give up our journey across the ice-field a few months ago; we ought to

be very thankful that it was impassible!"

Mrs Barnett was certainly justified in speaking as she did, for what fearful

fatigues and sufferings they would all have had to undergo in crossing five

hundred miles of ice in the darkness of the Polar night!

On the 5th May, Hobson announced that Victoria Island had just crossed the

Arctic Circle. It had at last re-entered that zone of the terrestrial sphere in

which at one period of the year the sun does not set. The poor people all felt

that they were returning to the inhabited globe.

The event of crossing the Arctic Circle was celebrated in much the same way

as crossing the Equator for the first time would be on board ship, and many a

glass of spirits was drank in honour of the event.

There was now nothing left to do but to wait till the broken and half-melted

ice should allow of the passage of the boat, which was to bear the whole colony

to the land.

During the 7th May the island turned round to the extent of another quarter

of its circumference. Cape Bathurst now pointed due north, and those masses of

the old chain of icebergs which still remained standing were now above it, so

that it occupied much the same position as that assigned to it in maps when it

was united to the American continent. The island had gradually turned completely

round, and the sun had risen successively on every point of its shores.

The observations of the 8th May showed that the island had become stationary

near the middle of the passage, at least forty miles from Cape Prince of Wales,

so that land was now at a comparatively short distance from it, and the safety

of all seemed to be secured.

In the evening a good supper was served in the large room, and the healths of

Mrs Barnett and of Lieutenant Hobson were proposed.

The same night the Lieutenant determined to go and see if any changes had

taken place in the ice-field on the south, hoping that a practicable passage

might have been opened.

Mrs Barnett was anxious to accompany him, but he persuaded her to rest a

little instead, and started off, accompanied only by Sergeant Long.

Mrs Barnett, Madge, and Kalumah returned to the principal house after seeing

them off, and the soldiers and women had already gone to bed in the different

apartments assigned to them.

It was a fine night, there was no moon, but the stars shone very brightly,

and as the ice-field vividly reflected their light, it was possible to see for a

considerable distance.

It was nine o'clock when the two explorers left the fort and turned towards

that part of the coast between Port Barnett and Cape Michael. They followed the

beach for about two miles, and found the ice-field in a state of positive chaos.

The sea was one vast aggregation of crystals of every size, it looked as if it

had been petrified suddenly when tossing in a tempest, and, alas, there was even

now no free passage between the ice-masses-it would be impossible for a boat to

pass yet.

Hobson and Long remained on the ice-field talking and looking about them

until midnight, and then seeing that there was still nothing to do but to wait,

they decided to go back to Fort Hope and rest for a few hours.

They had gone some hundred paces, and had reached the dried-up bed of Paulina

River, when an unexpected noise arrested them. It was a distant rumbling from

the northern part of the ice-field, and it became louder and louder until it was

almost deafening. Something dreadful was going on in the quarter from which it

came, and Hobson fancied he felt the ice beneath his feet trembling, which was

certainly far from reassuring.

"The noise comes from the chain of icebergs," exclaimed Long, "what can be

going on there?"

Hobson did not answer, but feeling dreadfully anxious he rushed towards the

fort dragging his companion after him.

"To the fort! to the fort." he cried at last, "the ice may have opened, we

may be able to launch our boat on the sea!"

And the two ran as fast as ever they could towards Fort Hope by the shortest

way.

A thousand conjectures crowded upon them. From what new phenomenon did the

unexpected noise proceed? Did the sleeping inhabitants of the fort know what was

going on? They must certainly have heard the noise, for, in vulgar language, it

was loud enough to wake the dead.

Hobson and Long crossed the two miles between them and Fort Hope in twenty

minutes, but before they reached the enceinte they saw the men and women they

had left asleep hurrying away in terrified disorder, uttering cries of

despair.

The carpenter Mac-Nab, seeing the Lieutenant, ran towards him with his little

boy in his arms.

"Look, sir, look!" he cried, drawing his master towards a little hill which

rose a few yards behind the fort.

Hobson obeyed, and saw that part of the ice-wall, which, when he left, was

two or three miles off in the offing, had fallen upon the coast of the island.

Cape Bathurst no longer existed, the mass of earth and sand of which it was

composed had been swept away by the icebergs and scattered over the palisades.

The principal house and all the buildings connected with it on the north were

buried beneath the avalanche. Masses of ice were crowding upon each other and

tumbling over with an awful crash, crushing everything beneath them. It was like

an army of icebergs taking possession of the island.

The boat which had been built at the foot of the cape was completely

destroyed. The last hope of the unfortunate colonists was gone!

As they stood watching the awful scene, the buildings, formerly occupied by

the soldiers and women, and from which they had escaped in time, gave way

beneath an immense block of ice which fell upon them. A cry of despair burst

from the lips of the houseless outcasts.

"And the others, where are they?" cried the Lieutenant in heart-rending

tones.

"There!" replied Mac-Nab, pointing to the heap of sand, earth, and ice,

beneath which the principal house had entirely disappeared.

Yes, the illustrious lady traveller, Madge, Kalumah, and Thomas Black, were

buried beneath the avalanche which had surprised them in their sleep!