January, J 863.] Amitscmeuis 0)1 Bom'd the Whalers. 139 



In this harbor, a little more than a mile west of Depot Island, four 

 whalers besides the Monticello were anchored within rifle-shot of each 

 other ; these were the George and Mary of New London ; the lilack 

 Eagle and the Antelope of New Bedford ; and the Concordia of Fair- 

 haven, Mass. Each was banked up Avith snow six or eight feet thick 

 and nearly up to the gunwale, the upper deck being well housed. On 

 board the Monticello, although but little coal was used, the tempera- 

 ture was kept above 32° throughout the vessel. Five other whalers, 

 including the Ansell Gibbs and the Tender, Helen F., were anchored 

 in a commodious harbor completely land-locked on the northwest side 

 of Marble Island, an islet about 15 miles in length, lying 12 miles 

 off the coast. 



On board all of these vessels the amusements usually gotten up by 

 Arctic voyagers for maintaining the cheerfulness and health of their crews 

 were at this time in full play, and were generally of a theatrical charac- 

 ter, varied by masked balls and by several forms of the dance. Among 

 the exercises of speaking and singing, the memory of Franklin and the 

 fate of his expedition were not forgotten. The new-comers were par- 

 ticularly pleased with the farces, while Too-koo-li-too, in her turn, 

 gave the ships' companies great satisfaction by her skill in a Green- 

 land dance. 



Hall experienced a full share of the hospitalities frequently recip- 

 rocated between the vessels at the two islands. The meat which his 

 party had brought down with the design of dividing it among the five 

 ships at Depot Island had been pounced upon by one crew. But the 

 supply of fresh meats was plentiful on all the ships, and the condition 

 of the musk-ox meat previously obtained, and of the hogs brought out 

 from home, was a good indication of the care taken by the wlialers 



