272 NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NORTHWEST PASSAGE. 



permine River eastward. These Eskimo, like the others mentioned, 

 have no connection with civilization. We, of course, received our 

 bold companions with flags waving on their return, and a feast to 

 commemorate it. 



On June 1 we dismantled the observatory containing the magnetic 

 self-registering instruments. For nineteen full months Wiik had 

 kept this going, and had done work which will, Avithout doubt, be 

 rich in results. 



On August 13, at 3 o'clock in the morning, we continued our way 

 westward, and I am not sure that the little brown-eyed people in 

 there on the beach were quite cheerful that morning. Hardly, for 

 they were losing several rich and great friends. They waved long 

 to us — probably a farewell for life ; and if some traveler many years 

 later pays this place a visit, the numerous tent rings will remind him 

 of the many happy days the Gjoa expedition spent here with their 

 friends the Xechjilli Eskimo. The day afterwards we stopped at a 

 place called by the Eskimo, Kamiglu. Here we took an Eskimo boy 

 named Manni on board. He won us one and all by his openness and 

 honesty, and even the cook, who hated Eskimo, had, I think, a warm 

 feeling somewhere at the bottom of his heart for him. It was my 

 intention to bring him home and show him a little of the world he 

 could never have imagined, and to send him back again, in the event 

 of his wishing it, but he was accidentally drowned at Herschel Island. 

 After passing through narrow and shallow waters, we came out on 

 August 21 in Dolphin and Union straits. Now we could breathe. 

 On the forenoon of August 28 we sighted a sailing ship. It was a 

 proud moment for us all when we hoisted our flag and bore down on 

 the American. 



On September 3 we were stopped by ice at King Point, and soon 

 after that were beset for a third winter. However, we were in high 

 feather all the same. On the shore lay the finest driftwood that could 

 be desired, the sea was full of fish, and not far off there were hares in 

 thousands. On the shore, some fathoms in past us, lay the nipped 

 whaler Bonanza. The first thing we did was to build ourselves a 

 house of drift timber, and after that the observatories were put up. 

 From October 20 to March 12 I was out traveling Avith the Gjda''s 

 mails. Lieutenant Hansen having command on board meanwhile. 

 This winter was exceedingly severe and disagreeable. On my return 

 everything was in the best order, but on March 26 Wiik became ill 

 and had to take to his berth. He died on the 26th. It was a hard 

 blow to lose a comrade so near home. It was not until May that we 

 were able to bury him, the ground up to then being too hard frozen. 

 In the meantime his coffin stood in our dwelling house on shore, 

 which we gave up to it, nailing up the door. Later on we put up a 

 large cross with an inscription on it at the north end of his grave, and 



