56 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



Taking the " cussed" bill from his pocket and handing it to 

 Sampson, Smith said, " No good ; too little money for four pounds 

 tobacco." Sampson, with honest face, looked Smith in the eye, 

 and replied, " He be good ;" which really was true — good for its 

 face, sex skilling, equivalent to about three cents federal coin. 

 But Sterry, who had joined, now insisted, in as good "Husky" 

 (Esquimaux) language as he could command, that "too little 

 money for good deal tobacco," and he held up his finger of one 

 hand, a thumb and all his ringers of the other. Sampson now 

 understood, and woefully but honestly said, " I go get tobacco 

 and bring it back." Smith handed him the bill, but Sampson at 

 once told him to keep it until he should return. "No," said 

 Smith, "take it along with you. I'll trust you. I see you're hon- 

 est, and wish to do what is right. It's Sterry 's fault," he added, 

 afterward, " or I should not have been caught so. But, if I never 

 get my tobacco again, I don't care. I've learned a good lesson, 

 and that is, not to deal in ' Husky' bank-stock. I'm now a Jack- 

 son man. D — n all banks except that of Newfoundland, where I 

 hope yet to catch more cod on my way to and from these parts." 



Need I say that the Esquimaux had to return on shore very 

 crestfallen with their disappointment? Who would not have been, 

 especially after investing in stocks, as many of them had done ? 



To finish the history of this affair, I may as well add here that, 

 in a few days after this, " Sampson," with all his family and his 

 friends, left Holsteinborg for some other place. Smith therefore 

 became minus four pounds of tobacco, and the " sex skilling" be- 

 sides ! Thus the Esquimaux completely outwitted two of our 

 smart Yankees, and, what is more, did it without the smallest in- 

 tention of dishonesty at the time. Sterry always declared that he 

 thought the " sex skilling" bill was six Yankee shillings, and both 

 he and Smith acknowledged they were anxious to get some Green- 

 land money to " splice the main brace." Ever afterward they had 

 frequent reminders from our ship's company of the joke. 



Thursday, July 10th, was a most interesting day to me, on ac- 

 count of a visit paid by Captain Budington and myself to Gov- 

 ernor Elberg. Leaving the ship, which was anchored half a mile 

 from the landing, we were taken on shore by an Esquimaux boat 

 rowed by natives, and arrived at Government House about 4 

 P.M. We found him busily engaged with his clerk in preparing 

 an Annual Eeport for the King of Denmark ; but he kindly wel- 

 comed us, and, putting aside his labors, escorted us into a private 



