444 THE FRANKLIN SEARCH— 1848-51. 



replaced by others as they tired. The motions of the men were vigorous 

 and energetic, commencing slowly, accompanied by the voice, quickening as 

 they got on, with shouting and jumping, as if imitating the chase and 

 encounters with the monsters of the deep ; whereas that of the women was 

 a slow stepping motion, accompanied by movements of head and hand, 

 which, in some of the young damsels, were not ungraceful. The music pro- 

 duced was from an instrument made by stretching the intestines of a seal 

 over a circular frame, so as somewhat to resemble a large battledore. It 

 was beaten with a stick, and when accompanied with the voice in a low 

 monotonous chant, did not sound inharmoniously in the distance. The first 

 time we heard it was on the evening of the 31st, as we were running along 

 the coast, and, at the distance we were from them, the sound was really 

 pleasing. 



" On our return we were stopped by a few people, among whom was a 

 man, one of whose hands had been severely wounded while he was engaged 

 in hunting. He was very desirous I should do something for it, and followed 

 us on to the boat, where I gave it a good washing with warm water, and 

 did whatever my small experience to alleviate his suJBferings suggested, 

 and finally boimd it up; this relieved him at all events, for before he 

 seemed suffering much pain, but when he left us it was with a gratified 

 air, 



"The weather was now perfectly calm, with still the same heavy im- 

 penetrable fog hanging round us, when, shortly after getting on board, 

 we heard the report of a heavy gun to the southward, which we answered 

 with a light three-pounder which we had mounted in the ' Owen.' I was 

 in hopes it might be either the ' Herald ' or ' Plover,' but after pulling 

 about a mile in the direction, saw the schooner ' Nancy Dawson ' loom- 

 ing through the fog, having just anchored. I went on board, and 

 Mr Sheddon said it was his determination to follow us on as far as 

 possible, in spite of all difficulty. At eleven p.m. the wind sprang up 

 from south-east, and at midnight the ice was driving northward. At 

 two A.M. a large floe came athwart the schooner's hawse, and drove her 

 close in to the shore, but as it hung by a projecting point south of her, 

 she did not take the ground. I returned to the boats and found our 

 obstructions on the move, breaking up with heavy crashes, and driving 

 to the northward with a current of at least one knot and a half an hour. 

 At 5.30 A.M. it so cleared, and the fog so well dispersed by the increasing 

 breeze, that we cast off and made sail, threading our way through the 

 loose masses, receiving occasional bumps, till at seven a.m. on the morning 

 of the 2d we rounded Point Barrow, and anchored in two fathoms water, 

 one hundred feet off shore, with mingled feelings of delight and gratitude 

 to the merciful Providence which had conducted us thus far in safety; 



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