OF THE POLAR SEA. 



7 



The brig Harmony, belonging to the Moravian Missionary Society, 

 and bound to their settlement at Nain, on the coast of Labrador, 

 was lying at anchor. With the view of collecting some Esquimaux 

 words and sentences, or gaining any information respecting the 

 manners and habits of that people, Doctor Kichardson and myself 

 paid her a visit. We found the passengers, who were going out as 

 Missionaries, extremely disposed to communicate ; but as they only 

 spoke the German and Esquimaux languages, of which we were 

 ignorant, our conversation was necessarily much confined : by the 

 aid, however, of an Esquimaux and German Dictionary, some few 

 words were collected, which we considered might be useful. There 

 were on board a very interesting girl, and a young man, who were 

 natives of Disco, in Old Greenland ; both of them had fair com- 

 plexions, rather handsome features, and a lively manner ; the former 

 was going to be married to a resident Missionary, and the latter to 

 officiate in that character. The commander of the vessel gave me 

 a translation of the Gospel of St. John in the Esquimaux language, 

 printed by the Moravian Society in London. 



June 16. — The wind being unfavourable for sailing, I went on 

 shore with Dr. Richardson, and took several lunar observations 



at the place of our former residence. The result obtained was 



latitude 58° 56' 56'' N., longitude 3° 28' 28" W., variation 27° 50' W. ; 

 dip of the magnetic needle, 74° 33' 20". In the afternoon the 

 wind changed in a squall some points towards the north, and 

 the Prince of Wales made the preparatory signal for sea. At 



three P.M. the ships weighed, an hour too early for the tide 



as soon as this served we entered into the passage between Hoy 

 and Pomona, and had to beat through against a very heavy swell, 

 which the meeting of a weather tide and a strong breeze had 

 occasioned. 



Some dangerous rocks He near the Pomona shore, and on this side 

 also the tide appeared to run with the greatest strength. On clearing 



