22 UPERNIVIK. Chap. II. 



is, however, still valuable as food for our dogs. I am very- 

 anxious to complete my stock of these our native auxiliaries, 

 as without them we cannot hope to explore all the lands 

 which it is the object of our voyage to search. We could 

 only obtain ten at Godhavn, and we require twenty more. 



6th. — By Petersen's intimate knowledge of the coast we 

 were enabled to run close in to the little settlement of 

 Proven during the night, 1 and obtain a few dogs and some 

 dogs' food. This morning we reached the extreme station of 

 Upernivik, the last trace of civilization we shall meet with 

 for some time. It is in lat. 72 J N. Here Petersen resided 

 for twelve of the eighteen years he has spent in Greenland, 

 and his unlooked-for reappearance astonished and delighted 

 the small community, more especially Governor Fliescher 

 and his household, who received us with a most hearty wel- 

 come. On a previous visit to this place I was tempted to 

 measure an Esquimaux's mouth as he stood on the deck, 

 grinning frightfully and offering a couple of speared looms 

 for sale ; it measured four inches and a half across ! Flat- 

 tered by this attention, he begged for rum, and a small 

 wineglassful was given him, — he literally chucked it into 

 this yawning crater, as a dog catches the crumb thrown to 

 him, and, quick as thought, held the glass out for more, 

 which of course he did not get. 



7///. — Yesterday, when we hove to off Upernivik, the 

 weather was very bad and rapidly growing worse, therefore 

 our stay was limited to a couple of hours. The last letters 

 for home were landed, fourteen dogs and a quantity of seal's 

 flesh for them embarked, and the ship's head was turned 

 seaward. 



It was then blowing a southerly gale, with overcast murky 

 sky, and a heavy sea running. When four miles outside the 



1 It is hardly necessary to remind the reader that at this season, and in 

 this high latitude, the daylight is constant. 



