FURTHER STAY IN FRIEDRICHSTHAL. 191 



with, and that, if we liked, we might satisfy ourselves that 

 such was the case. They also related how that they had 

 seen the Germania at full steam near Cape Farewell; 

 they had begged them to pilot them to Friedrichsthal, or 

 anywhere to land ; but they had not listened to them, and 

 the steamer had at once sailed from the coast north- 

 wards. Strange it always seemed to us ; but the mis- 

 sionaries assured us that they certainly expected to see 

 some one from the German expedition. Shortly before our 

 arrival they had said, " Now they must soon come." 

 They had mentioned it to the natives, and when they saw 

 us and prepared to fly, Starick composed them by the 

 words, " They are our countrymen, who we told you 

 would come." They had also rightly concluded that, 

 from the condition of the ice around Friedrichsthal, we 

 should have much difficulty in reaching the coast. As 

 during the summer months but little ice had shown itself 

 at Cape Farewell, all the more must have remained above. 

 At the same time, it was so thick at the end of September, 

 that the missionaries were obliged to give up their official 

 journey. This setting of the ice southward we not long 

 afterwards traced to the accelerated speed of the drift. 



In the afternoon Jonathan's brother, Esra, came to 

 visit his friends. We had just retreated to the school- 

 room, when he peeped curiously in at the window, and 

 we signed to him to come in. He did not wait to be 

 asked twice. How just seemed his claim to a gift ! A 

 handful of tobacco went straight to the mouth, but his 

 sharp eye had lit upon another dainty morsel, the worth 

 of which we certainly underrated. In the fireplace lay 

 the end of a cigar ; Esra picked it up, and asked if he 

 might have it. We then found several pieces for him 



