16 



THE VOYAGE OF THE JEAXXETTE. 



had set in bad, blowing fresh from the southwest, with a thick 

 fog, and I deemed it prudent to wait until morning, or until 

 there was some chance of working through the fog with safety. 

 " Tessi-Ussak is a small place of some half dozen Esquimau 

 huts, besides the house in which the chief trader, Jensen, re- 

 sides. Jensen is the Dane who accompanied Dr. Hayes on 

 his several expeditions, as a dog driver and hunter, and is ap- 



parently an excellent man, speaking English well, and willing 

 and anxious to be of service to Americans, of whom he speaks 

 in the most enthusiastic terms. At his hands we received a 

 warm welcome, and such hospitalities as his recent arrival and 

 consequent unsettled condition would permit. 



" Tessi-Ussak has a small harbor, but it is nearly always full of 

 icebergs, and we were forced to anchor among them, too close 

 for comfortable contemplation, and with the chance of any 

 one of them turning over upon us. The night being rainy 

 and comparatively warm (45°) many icebergs broke up, and 

 the cracking and breaking and turning over and over con- 

 tinued during our entire stay. 



