Alexis Himkof had just taken an affectionate leave of his wife, and stood looking after her, on the deck of the vessel to which he had been appointed mate, and which had been fitted up for the whale-fishery near Spitzbergen, by a merchant of the name of Jeremiah Oxladmkof, of Mesen, a town in the province of Jesovia, in the government of Archangel.  She sailed in 1743 on her first voyage.  We can conceive how lonely the home of Alexis must have been without him.  We may be sure that his wife’s last prayer at night was offered up for his safety.  We constantly hear it said, in stormy weather:  ’God help those who are at sea!’ ‘God help those who have friends at sea!’ might be added to the petition; for there are hearts which quail at every gust of wind—­there are thick-coming fancies, which can conjure up tempest-tossed vessels, sweeping gales, and raging billows; and yet the ship may at that very moment be in calm waters, or sailing with a prosperous breeze.

The time came that there might be some account of Himkof—­then, that the vessel might be back; but no news or vessel came.  Month after month passed on, and still it came not; and then years went by, and still there was no ship:  whenever a sail was seen in the distance, the poor wife would hasten to the shore; but still the ship she looked for never came.  With a sinking heart, she would retrace her steps homewards; but still she came again and again, so true it is that affection and hope are the last earthly companions that part company.  The neighbours would look at her as she passed along, and shake their heads in pity.

The vessel, which had fourteen hands on board, had sailed on with a fair wind for eight days.  On the ninth it veered, and instead of reaching the west of Spitzbergen, the place of rendezvous for the vessels employed annually in the whale-fishery, it was driven eastward of those islands.  A few days brought her near one of them, known as East Spitzbergen.  When within about two English miles, she was hemmed in by ice, and in extreme danger.  In this dreadful emergency, the crew consulted on what was best to be done.  Himkof mentioned that he had been told, some time before, that some men from Mesen, having decided on wintering on the island, had provided themselves with timber for building a hut, which they accordingly erected at some distance from the shore.  Being quite aware, that if they remained in their present situation, they must inevitably perish, they determined to search for the hut, and to winter there, if so fortunate as to find it.  Himkof, with three others, were selected to make the search.  They were provided with a musket, twelve charges of powder, a dozen balls, an axe, a small kettle, a knife, a tinder-box and tinder, a wooden pipe for each, some tobacco, and a bag with twenty pounds of flour.  This was as much as they could carry with safety, as they had to make their way for two miles over loose ridges of ice, which would be still more difficult and dangerous