410 M'CLURE'S EXPLORATIONS. 



could scarcely be restrained when the gaudy gifts ^ ere 

 presented to their longing eyes. Mr. Miertsching, the 

 interpreter, was always of the greatest use on these 

 occasions, and won so much the esteem of one old 

 chief, that, in the fulness of his heart, he prayed him to 

 stay with the tribe forever ; and, by way of inducement 

 to do so, presented him with his daughter, a pretty girl 

 of about fifteen, to be his wife, assuring him, at the 

 same time, that a tent, and all the etceteras of an 

 Esquimaux establishment, should be given to him along 

 with her I They were frequently invited to partake of 

 native hospitality in the shape of roasted whale and 

 venison, besides salmon, blubber, and other Arctic 

 delicacies. 



Great numbers of whales were seen about this time ; 

 also a polar bear on a fragment of ice. On the 5th of 

 September, the hopes of the navigators were suddenly 

 raised, and as speedily cast down again. " The weather, 7 ' 

 eays M'Clure, " which had been squally, accompanied 

 by a thick fog during the early part of the day, cleared 

 towards noon, when a large volume of smoke was 

 observed about twelve miles south-west. ... As 

 divers opinions were in circulation respecting its proba- 

 ble cause, and the ice-mate having positively reported 

 that from the crow's nest he could distinguish several 

 persons moving about, dressed in white shirts, and 

 observed some white tents in the hollow of the cliff, I 

 certainly had every reason to imagine they were a party 

 of Europeans in distress ; for I was convinced that no 

 travellers would remain for so long a period as we had 

 remarked the smoke, for their pleasure ; therefore, to 

 satisfy myself, equally as others, I determined to send a 

 boat on shore, as it was now calm. The first whale- 

 boat, under Lieut. Cresswell, with Dr. Armstrong and 

 Mr. Miertsching, was despatched to examine into the 



