30 SCARCITY OF DOGS. 



lage wlien we lay becalmed off Svarte Huk, and be 

 returned on board with the most discouraging ac- 

 counts of the poverty of the settlements in that 

 which was such an essential addition to our equip- 

 ment. A disease which had prevailed among the 

 teams, during the past year, had diminished the stock 

 to less than half of what was required for the pros- 

 perity of the people ; and all our offers to purchase, 

 either with money or provisions, were at first flatly 

 refused, and were in the end only partially successful. 



Mr. Sonntag had called upon the Assistant Trader 

 immediately after his arrival, and was at once informed 

 by that official of the unfortunate state of affairs. He 

 would, however, personally interest himself in the 

 matter, and advised that we should await the arrival 

 of the Chief Trader, Mr. Hansen, who resided at 

 Upernavik, which is forty miles to the north, and 

 would be in Proven in a day or so. It was evident 

 that nothing could be done without the aid of this 

 all-powerful public functionary, for whose arrival we 

 had no alternative but to wait. If we went on to 

 Upernavik we ran the hazard of missing him ; and, 

 by not seeing him until his return to that settlement 

 from his southern tour, of losing the advantage of his 

 prompt cooperation. 



Mr. Hansen arrived the following day, and assured 

 me that he would do what was in his power ; but he 

 feared that he should have little success. As an ear- 

 nest of his good-will, he informed me, with a delicate 

 courtesy which made me for the moment wonder if a 

 lordly son of Castile had not wandered to this land of 

 ice, and disguised himself in a seal-skin coat, that his 

 own teams were at my disposal. Beyond this, how- 

 ever, he could neither advise nor command. There 



