OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 423 



taken in the manner before explained, the Esquimaux also caught a great ^^?^. 

 number of young ones by fastening a hook to the end of a staff, and hook- 



ing them up from the seal-hole after the mother had been killed. Our large 

 fish-hooks were useful to them for this purpose, and the beautiful silvery skins 

 of these young animals Avcre occasionally brought to the ships as articles of 

 barter: those of the foetus of the neitie/c are more yellow than the others, 

 and indeed both in colour and texture very much resemble raw silk. 



We could at this season just make out that a stone was here and there Tues. 8. 

 more perceptible on shore than during the winter, owing to the tops of them 

 being uncovered by the sun's rays ; but this was the only change that could 

 be observed. We had frequent occasion to notice about this time that a 

 copious deposit of snow-crystals, of a large size, and of a beautiful arbo- 

 rescent form, took place every night, as soon as the temperature of the atmo- 

 sphere fell some degrees below that of the day, just as the dew falls in tem- 

 perate climates. On the ISth a grouse was observed upon the rubbish-heap Sun. 13. 

 alongside the Hecla. 



It is now once more my painful duty to record an afflicting visitation of Pro- Tues. IJ. 

 vidence which took place among us on the morning of the 1.5th, in the death 

 of Mr. Alexander Elder, Greenland mate of the Hecla. He had complained, 

 on several different occasions in the course of this and the preceding winter, 

 of pulmonary affections, to which perhaps a full habit of body may in some 

 degree have contributed. His disease was now, however, a confirmed dropsy, 

 which having attacked the region of the heart, rapidly terminated his exist- 

 ence. Mr. Elder had served in the three successive Expeditions employed 

 for the discovery of a North-West Passage, and as a reward for his good 

 conduct, had been raised from the situation of leading-man to that of mate, 

 in which last capacity he sened both in the Griper and the Hecla. He died 

 much regretted by many of the officers and men, who had known him 

 several years, and by none more deeply than by myself. Most sincerely 

 indeed do I lament the occasion which demands from mc this tribute, due 

 to the memory of an active and valuable seaman, as well as an honest and 

 upright man. His remains were committed to the ground near the Observa- 

 tory, with all the solemnity that the occasion demanded, and a tomb of Tliur. 17. 

 stones, w ith a handsome tomb-stone, raised over the grave. 



The first ducks noticed by the Esquimaux were mentioned to us on the 

 IGth, and a few days afterwards immense flocks appeared, all of the king- 



3 I 



