126 KINDNESS OF THE WHALEES. Chap. YII. 



winter has been mild ; there has been but little 

 wind, and that chiefly from the southward. 



Ath June. — We have received much kindness 

 from our friends Captains Parker and J. Simp- 

 son, as well as from others of the whaling fleet ; 

 the former has generously supplied us with 

 many things we were rather short of, not only 

 in ship's stores, but provisions and coals, and in 

 return I have of course furnished him with a 

 receipt for his owners. Captain Simpson has 

 most handsomely presented the ' Fox ' with a 

 sail and yards, which, after some slight alter- 

 ations, will enable us to add a main topsail to 

 our spread of canvas. For the two days we lay 

 at the iceberg, alongside of the ' Emma,' I made 

 furious attacks upon Captain Parker's beef- 

 steaks and porter ; we amply availed ourselves 

 of his hearty welcome. By the arrival of the 

 fine steam whaler ' Tay,' from Scotland, we 

 have received papers up to 17th April. 



This morning we slowly steamed away from 

 Upernivik, threading our way betwixt islands, 

 and ice, for about 30 miles, and now await fur- 

 ther ice movement before it will be possible to 

 proceed. These are called the Woman Islands, 

 so named by the celebrated Arctic explorer John 

 Davis, who visited them in Queen Elizabeth's 

 reign; he found here only a few old women. 



