60 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



me that the whole of Greenland belongs to the King of Denmark 

 as his royal prerogative, and is the only dependency that is con- 

 trolled exclusively by him. Much fault is found with this by the 

 people of Denmark — much written in the papers. Those who 

 are for the king retaining this right contend that otherwise the 

 poor Esquimaux would at once become debased, and lose all the 

 great influences that are now at work for their benefit. Throw- 

 ing open the ports of Greenland would be followed by vessels of 

 every country visiting the natives, and purchasing their skins, oil, 

 and bone for liquor ! The Esquimaux of Greenland will dispose 

 of their all to obtain spirituous drinks, and the governor said that 

 not for any thing would he sell them a glass of liquor. 



After bidding the party a cordial good-night, we returned to 

 the beach at half past ten, and found one of our boats ready to 

 take us off. It contained Sterry (red as a beet), Smith, Kogers, 

 and five or six others of the crew, who had been at a dance given 

 by the mother-in-law of the lieutenant governor. They had all 

 enjoyed themselves amazingly. 



The following day, Wednesday, July 11th, fogs prevailed. 

 Hardly a musquito had been seen since Sunday ; and to me it 

 was a singular fact, that a warm sunny day will bring myriads 

 around you within the arctic circle, when, if it be at all foggy, 

 none are to be seen. The bites of these annoying little insects 

 remained for days, and my whole body was covered with the, 

 merciless wounds inflicted by them. 



In the afternoon an "oomiak," or woman 1 s boat, came along- 

 side, rowed by Esquimaux girls. There were in the boat two 

 mothers, with their babies, and ten young women. They had 

 been out gathering fuel,* and called upon us on their way back. 



The accompanying illustration of an Esquimaux woman and 

 child is a fac-simile of a wood-cut drawn and engraved by a Green- 

 lander named Aaron, living near Godhaab, who has received no 

 better education than the generality of his countrymen. 



About 2 P.M. of this day our consort, the Rescue, hove in, sight, 

 and, as the wind was almost gone, boats were sent to help her in. 

 I went in one of the boats, pulling an oar, and, after rowing a dis- 

 tance of some miles, got on board of the schooner. By that time 

 it was calm, and the stillness of evening had approached. Another 

 boat, containing Smith, and the noble, good-hearted Esquimaux 

 pilot, called Lars Kleijt, had joined us, and there we were, in real 

 * A dwarf shrub — Andromeda tetragona. 



