GOOD CHARACTER OF THE GREENL ANDERS. 



79 



I had purchased for my future sledge traveling. These together 

 presented a remarkably stirring picture, while the howling of the 

 dogs, the sailors singing in chorus as they pulled on the ropes, 

 with the varied voices of Americans, Esquimaux, French, Dan- 

 ish, and Dutch, made a confusion of tongues somewhat akin to 

 Babel. 



By noon all attempts to get the anchor, now the windlass was 

 defective, proved vain. It was therefore decided to call upon the 

 governor and ask him for his blacksmith to aid our Sterry in re- 

 pairing the gear. Permission was instantly granted, but the in- 

 jury done was of such a nature as to require days to make it 

 good. The following day, however, we succeeded in hoisting up 

 our faithful anchor, and it was then determined, as soon as the 

 windlass was ready, to sail for the west or opposite side of Davis's 

 Straits. 



While pulling on the ropes side by side with Esquimaux, I was 

 strongly reminded of the opinion many civilized persons have of 

 their savage and cruel nature. Why, instead of that, they are 

 glorious good fellows. As for eating a man up, they would soon- 

 er let a hungry man eat them out of all, without saying a word, 

 unless it was "Welcome, stranger! as long as I have, you shall 

 share with me." This is just their nature. The time I was at 

 Holsteinborg I saw much of the inhabitants, and my opinion as 

 to their honesty, good-nature, good-will, and genuine hospitality 

 is strong and unmixed. They possess these virtues to an em- 

 inent degree. The vices so prominent and prevalent in more civ- 

 ilized communities are all but unknown here. The test they were 

 put to on. board the George Henry was enough to satisfy any man 

 that they are honest. Numbers of Esquimaux, of all ages and of 

 both sexes, were almost constantly on board, yet not the slightest 

 thing was missed by any of us. We never thought it necessary 

 to " keep an eye" on this or that, though their desire for any of 

 our trinkets was ever so great. Wherever we placed an article, 

 there we found it. 



Among other incidents well remembered of my stay at Hol- 

 steinborg, I must not forget the garden attached to Governor El- 

 berg's house. He was very proud of this garden, though there 

 was but little in it. One evening he took me there. The radish- 

 es and turnips looked flourishing, but they were diminutive in the 

 extreme. Those I tasted were good. I relished them exceeding- 

 ly, tops and all. 



