494 DR. KANE'S EXPEDITION. 



danger, but their gratitude is very touching. Pray 

 God that they may live ! ' 



The first appearance of the Esquimaux is thus de- 

 scribed : 



" We were watching, in the morning, at Baker's 

 death-bed, when one of our deck-watch, who had been 

 cutting ice for the melter, came hurrying down to the 

 cabin with the report, ' People hollaing ashore ! ' I 

 went up, followed by as many as could mount the gang- 

 way ; and there they were, on all sides of our rocky 

 harbor, dotting the snow-shores, and emerging from the 

 blackness of the cliffs wild and uncouth, but evi- 

 dently human beings 



" As we gathered on the deck, they rose upon the 

 more elevated fragments of the land-ice, standing singly 

 and conspicuously, like the figures in a tableau of the 

 opera, and distributing themselves around almost in a 

 half-circle. They were vo'ciferating as if to attract our 

 attention, or, perhaps, only to give vent to their sur- 

 prise ; but I could make nothing out of their cries, 

 except l Hoah, ha, ha ! ; and ' Ka, kaah ! ka, kaah ! ' 

 repeated over and over again. 



" There was light enough for me to see that they 

 brandished no weapons, and were only tossing their 

 heads and arms about in violent gesticulations. A more 

 unexcited inspection showed us, too, that their numbers 

 were not as great, nor their size as Patagonian, as some 

 of us had been disposed to fancy at first. In a word, I 

 was satisfied that they were natives of the country ; 

 and, calling Petersen from his bunk to be my interpreter, 

 I proceeded, unarmed, and waving my open hands, 

 toward a stout figure, who made himself conspicuous, 

 and seemed to have a greater number near him than 

 the rest. He evidently understood the movement ; for 



