46 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



we bent ourselves to their habits, — when we looked to 

 them to procure us fresh meat, and they found at our 

 poor Oomiak-soak shelter and protection during their 

 wild bear-hunts, — then we were so blended in our interests 

 as well as modes of life that every trace of enmity wore 

 away. God knows that since they professed friendship, 

 albeit the imaginary powers of the angekok-soak and the 

 marvellous six-shooter which attested them may have had 

 their influence, never have friends been more true. 

 Although, since Ohlsen's death, numberless articles of 

 inestimable value to them have been scattered upon the 

 ice unwatched, they have not stolen a nail. It was only 

 yesterday that Metek, upon my alluding to the manner 

 in which property of all sorts was exposed without 

 pilfering, explained through Petersen, in these two short 

 sentences, the argument of their morality : — 



" ' You have done us good. We are not hungry ; we 

 will not take, (steal) — You have done us good ; we want 

 to help you : we are friends.' " 



Kane and his men were delayed by a gale till 19th 

 June, when they embarked in three boats. Of the 

 original nineteen men, three had died. Another, Hans 

 Christian the Esquimaux, had fallen in love, and remained 

 behind. The party now, therefore, consisted of fifteen. 

 They made first for Hakluyt Island, where the boats had 

 to undergo further repairs. In the morning of 22nd 

 June, they pushed forward through a snowstorm for 

 Northumberland Island, where a number of auks were 

 secured. Murchison Channel was crossed on 23rd June, 

 and they encamped for the night near the base of Cape 

 Parry. Soon after leaving here they encountered a gale 

 from the north-west, and had great difficulty in escaping 

 from the drifting ice. By good luck, however, they 

 landed at the breeding-grounds of a large number of 

 eider ducks, and were able to gather 1200 eggs a day. 



