454 EXPLORATIONS IN GREENLAND. 



and birds. Fishes were rare ; we could only get two kinds in sufficient 

 numbers to use as food — Cottus scorpius and Sabno solar. Other species 

 were collected, but very few specimens. Did not get out of Cumberland 

 Gulf till the 19th of July. We then took the pack-ice oft' Cape Mercy, 

 and with strong east winds worked through 250 miles of it. Eeached 

 Godhavn Harbor on the last day of July. We had expected to meet 

 the government expedition here, and had fifteen Eskimo, thirty dogs, 

 clothing, and a vast amount of material requisite for a Polar exjjedition. 

 We waited here till the 22d of August, and then set sail to return the 

 Eskimo to their native place. During our stay in Godhavn we were 

 greatly aided in our researches by Governor E. Fincker and Inspector 

 K. Smitz, who did all in their power to make our stay pleasant, besides 

 giving us much valuable information and many specimens. The ice in 

 Baffin's Bay was the heaviest ever known to the Danish traders. No 

 vessels, even the large Dundee steam- whalers, were able to get out of 

 the Waigal Straits, nor could the Danes get to the Upernavik settle- 

 ments. While returning to Cumberland we experienced a tremendous 

 southeast gale which lasted nearly four days. When it abated we found 

 our ship in the mouth of Exeter Sound, on the opposite shore of Davis' 

 Straits, from where we had started. 



During these four days we drifted at the mercy of the winds and waves 

 among hundreds of icebergs, but received no damage to speak of. The 

 Eskimo were landed and given some presents on the last of August. 

 On the 12th of September we set sail for home, arriving at St. John's, 

 Newfoundland, on the 2Gth, after a very stormy passage. On the 11th 

 of October we sailed from St. John's. From this time till we reached 

 Provincetown, Mass., we rode out six heavy gales of wind. The ship 

 sprung a leak off Sable Island, and gave us much work and anxiet^\,'. Oui 

 provisions also became rather short, so we were put on allowance, and 

 a very small allowance at that. I must not forget to mention that 1 

 used only a Remington breech -loading shot-gun, and that it did not fail 

 me on a single occasion, though subjected to every kind of iU-treatmeut 



