322 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



minutes sufficed to find us slowly working along the badly-brok- 

 en shore-ice on that side, the bay itself being wholly free, except 

 a few bergs. Occasionally the dogs went pell-mell down, and over 

 the steep broken ice ; then the sledge would butt against a per- 

 pendicular hummock, sending us forward, very much like a stone 

 out of a sling ; but we got along without serious mishap, and ar- 

 rived at Cape True at half past two in the morning. 



As my eye first caught sight of the whale depot I was quite as- 

 tonished. I had formed no conception of its being such a busy- 

 looking place. There were numerous and thickly-crowded habi- 

 tations, white men and Innuit tents, mills (toy wind-mills), and a 

 liberty-pole, holding high to the breeze an extemporized emblem 

 of our country! People were already up and about, and every 

 pinnacled rock had some person upon it to witness our approach. 

 The dogs soon landed us on the rocks which formed the "public 

 square" of the town, and quickly, from one and all, I received a 

 hearty welcome. It seemed almost like home again to behold so 

 many friendly and familiar faces. Several Innuits were here, 

 most of whom I well knew, and they were delighted to see me. 



Immediately on my arrival I was invited by the captain and 

 officers into their quarters, and had an excellent breakfast put be- 

 fore me. Of course one of the first inquiries was about my trip 

 to and return from the " dreaded land." This I soon answered 

 by giving an account of what I had done, and then, my morning 

 meal ended, I took a walk along the beach. Every where I found 

 fragments of limestone in abundance, and my pockets were soon 

 filled with specimens, which I brought home. 



One object of my visit to the whale depot was to see about pre- 

 paring for my departure to King William's Land, and to consult 



Captain B respecting it. The boat promised me had to be 



made ready, and therefore I at once entered upon the subject with 

 him. The following is an extract from the entry made in my 

 journal at the time (Saturday, June 22d, 1861) : 



" Captain B says that he has been out in this bay (Frobish- 



er) several times since coming over, and that he has been much 

 impressed with the subject of my making my trip or voyage this 

 summer, as expected, in a whale-boat. He thought it his duty 

 to open the matter to me at once, announcing the conclusion he 

 had come to, painful to him and' to me. The boat which I had 

 made in the States, specially designed and made for my expedi- 

 tion to King William's Land, was a suitable one for me, but a 



