Aug. 1859. LETTEKS FEOM ENGLAND. 343 



indeed was our disappointment at finding only 

 a very few letters and two or three papers, and 

 these for the officers only ! It appears that on 

 the arrival of the whalers in early spring, the 

 ice prevented their usual communication with 

 .the settlement, therefore the letters on board 

 of them were unavoidably carried northward. 

 Some few, however, which came out in the 

 ' Truelove,' were landed at the neighbouring 

 settlement of Noursoak, and from thence were 

 sent back to Godhavn. 



It is rather a nervous thing opening the first 



letters after a lapse of more than two years. 



We received them in our beds at three o'clock 



in the morning ; and when we met at breakfast 



were able, thank God ! to congratulate each 



other upon the receipt of cheering home news. 



Lady Franklin and Miss Cracroft wrote to me 



from Bournemouth in March last. They have 



travelled more than we have, I think, having 



visited almost all the countries bordering the 



Mediterranean and Black Seas, posted through 



the Crimea, and steamed up the Danube ! I 



am much gratified to learn that I have been 



elected a member of the Eoyal Yacht Squadron 



during my absence. 



Yesterday morning I called upon the in- 

 spector, Mr. Olrik, who has been home to Den- 



