December, 1864.] TJic Natives Visit tilt WkaUrs. 107 



and silvery lines. The day througLout was the coldest of the season, as the ther- 

 mometer showed, bnt not the eoldcst as far as its effect npon the human system 

 is concerned. The average of three sets of observations on eight thermometers 

 gave 65° below freezing-point as the average of the day. I have tried some 

 experiments, i)erhaps too simple to require record. I put one of my fingers in 

 contact with the brass plate of one of the thermometers; instantly I felt a shaq) 

 running sensation ; in a few seconds that part of my flesh exjiosed to the brass 

 plate was white as snow and frozen solid. A smart rubbing with my other hand 

 soon took the frost ont, and the finger was as well as ever. I placed another 

 finger for thirty seconds in exposed mercury ; the smarting at first was severe, in 

 fact, felt as though the finger was in a fire, but before the thirty seconds expired 

 the smarting ceased, and I felt noways disagreeable. On taking my finger out 

 of the mercury, it was frozen solid as a rock; a smart 

 persevering rubbing again took the frost out. I tried 

 several times during the day the experiment of keeping 

 my hands unmittened, walking around thus for half an 

 hour without their feeling very cold, and could have con- 

 tinued with my hands thus exjiosed for a longer time 

 had I been on a smart walk, as when traveling on a jour- ^ 

 ney. When there is no moisture in the air, as to-day, no dog-skin jottens. 

 one would suppose the temperature as cold as the thermometers indicate. I have 

 felt colder in the States with the thermometer 32° than here in my walks to-day 

 with hands and face exposed and having no other coat on but my civilization 

 (Brevoort) one. 



The letter of the most interest sent by the natives to the whalers 



reads as follows : 



Winter Quarters, in Igloo, 



Noo-WooK, West end Eowe's Welcome, 

 Lat. 640 40' N., Long. 87° 20' W., Friday, December 10, 1864. 

 Dfar Friend Chapel: In this letter I have some deeply interesting intelli- 

 gence to communicate to you. Since falling in with the natives I have not been 

 idle. Nothing in Parry's narrative of second voyage for the discovery of the North- 

 west Passage relating to the Eskimos of Winter Island and Igloolik but these 

 natives are perfectly posted up in. Indeed, I find through my superior inteii>re- 

 ter, Too-koo-li-too, that many deeply interesting incidents occurred at both-named 

 places that never found their place in Parry's or Lyon's works. But the great work 

 already done by me is the gaining little by little from these natives, through Too- 

 koo-li-too and Ebierbing, news relating to Sir John Franklin's Expedition. This, 



