ARRIVAL OF TES-SU-WIN. 



135 



poised upon the edge of a precipitous rock, fixed in deep water, 

 with furious surf around it ! I felt alarmed, more perhaps for my 

 instruments than myself, for the former would be lost, while I 

 might readily be saved. All of the boat's crew were anxiously 

 bending their eyes upon me as I kept slipping, and for a moment 

 unable to help myself. But, thanks to my Esquimaux boots, 

 which had been well " chewed" by the native women, I was able, 

 by a great effort, to press my feet and toes upon the ice-covered 

 rock, until Keeney, the "boat-header," managed to spring on shore 

 to my assistance, and in another moment I was in the boat. Thus 

 I was saved on this occasion simply by the flexibility of Esqui- 

 maux boots ! 



One Sunday after dinner I took the dingey, a small boat be- 

 longing to the ship, and, accompanied by four Esquimaux boys, 

 directed it to the foot of the mountains north of our harbor. The 

 mountains are God's temples ; to them I like to bend my steps on 

 Sundays. 



" God, that made the world and all things therein, seeing that 

 he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made 

 with hands." 



I used, therefore, to say, " To what place shall I go where I 

 can better worship my God than on the mountains ? How can I 

 so well learn His power as looking upon and contemplating His 

 almighty works?" 



After leaving the boat in a safe little harbor, we began our up- 

 ward tramp, and I was much interested in a pile of rock which 

 seemed nearly undermined by old Father Time. The remaining 

 stone was feldspar ; that which had been eaten out — a stratum of 

 five feet thick — was composed of mica and a small proportion of 

 quartz. The distance excavated in some places could not have 

 been less than three or four fathoms ! At first it seemed decidedly 

 venturesome to go under this rock shed ; but, on witnessing the 

 firmness of the feldspar, its immense height, length, and breadth, 

 it restored my confidence. 



I greatly enjoyed my walk, and returned on board without 

 mishap by the evening. 



On the 10th of September we were visited by some new-comers 

 — an Esquimaux called Tes-su-win, and his family and boat's crew. 

 They had left Ookoolear — Cornelius Grinnell Bay — on the pre- 

 vious day, bringing a letter from Captain Allen, of the Black Eagle, 

 which vessel was still where we had left her on the 16th of Au- 



