A WELCOME MEETING. 



213 



to Beechey Island, where Captain Pullen, of H.M.S. North Star was stationed for purposes 

 of relief. At the beginning of April all the preparations for these sledge parties had 

 been made, when an unexpected event occurred, which M'Clure's own words will best describe : 

 While walking near the ship with the first lieutenant " we perceived a figure 

 walking rapidly towards us from the rough ice at the entrance of the bay. From his 

 pace and gestures we both naturally supposed at first that he was some one of our 

 party pursued by a bear; but, as we approached him, doubts arose as to who it could 



CAPTAIN ROBERT LE MESURIER M'CLURE. 



be. He was certainly unlike any of our men ; but, recollecting that it was possible 

 some one might be trying on a new travelling dress preparatory to the departure of 

 our sledges, and certain that no one else was near, we continued to advance. When 

 within about two hundred yards of us, this strange figure threw up his arms, and made 

 gesticulations resembling those used by Esquimaux, besides shouting, at the top of his voice, 

 words which, from the wind and intense excitement of the moment, sounded like a wild 

 screech, and this brought us fairly to a standstill. The stranger came quietly on, and we 

 saw that his face was as black as ebony ; and really at the moment we might be 

 pardoned for wondering whether he was a denizen of this or the other world ; and had 

 he but given us a glimpse of a tail or a cloven hoof, we should assuredly have taken 



