42 THE JEANXETTE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



rowed to a point opposite them, and getting out on the ice 

 we waited for them to approach, which they did with some 

 caution, as if they were not quite sure what our intentions 

 were. However, a few words from our interpreter, Joe, and 

 a present of some tobacco, soon quieted their fears and 

 established friendly relations between us. At first they 

 denied all knowledge of the report in regard to the wrecks, 

 but subsequently, having acknowledged that they had heard 

 of it, they told so many wonderful tales that we were in- 

 clined to doubt them all. 



"After some persuasion and promises of liberal re\vards, 

 two of them consented to accompany us if we would shoot 

 walrus for their families to subsist upon during their absence. 

 This we readily promised, provided we could find the walrus : 

 but as none were in sight, and we could not spare the time 

 to hunt for them, we compromised by giving them a few 

 pounds of tobacco. One of them proved to be such a. great 

 talker that Joe, who was a man of very few words, said, 

 ;ifter listening to him awhile, ' I think its more better we 

 don't take this fellow; too much talk,' and in deference to 

 Joe's wishes the loquacious Tupkan was left behind. The 

 other, a large, quiet, good-natured fellow, accompanied us, 

 and was found useful, although given to romancing. He 

 seemed to think we were in search of information which it 

 was his special province to supply, and some of the flights of 

 imagination he indulged in were truly surprising, consider- 

 ing that he had never received any of the advantages of a 

 civilized education." 



The Corwin now steamed northward through a lane of open 

 water, between the pack and the shore ice, until June 1st, 

 when, in latitude 68 10' north, longitude 176 48' west, the 

 end of the lead was reached. They had run up this lead for 

 over one hundred miles, and it had been foggy or snowing 

 most all of the time since they entered it, so that often they 

 could not see more than the length of the vessel. 



The Corwin now stood to the eastward under sail. No 

 land could be seen, a dense snow-storm prevailed, and a hard 



