132 ESQUIMAUX. 
ing opportunity had gone by. In all of these cases a 
steamer would have been of incalculable advantage. 
August 15. The Rescue, which has proved herself 
a dull sailer, had lagged astern of us, when our master, 
Mr. Murdaugh, observed the signal of 'men ashore' 
flying from her peak. "We were now as far north as 
latitude 75° 58', and the idea of human life somehow 
or other involuntarily connected itself with disaster. 
A boat was hastily stocked with provisions and dis- 
patched for the shore. Two men were there upon 
the land ice, gesticulating in grotesque and not very 
decent pantomime — genuine, unmitigated Esquimaux. 
Verging on 76° is a far northern limit for human life; 
yet these poor animals were as fat as the bears which 
we killed a few days ago. Their hair, mane-like, 
flowed over their oily cheeks, and their countenances 
had the true prognathous character seen so rarely 
among the adulterated breeds of the Danish settle- 
ments. They were jolly, laughing fellows, full of so- 
cial feeling. Their dress consisted of a bear-skin pair 
of breeches, considerably the worse for wear ; a seal- 
skin jacket, hooded, but not pointed at its skirt ; and 
a pair of coarsely-stitched seal-hide boots. They were 
armed with a lance, harpoon, and air-bladder, for spear- 
ing seals upon the land floe. The kaiaok, with its 
host of resources, they seemed unacquainted with. 
"When questioned by Mr. Murdaugh, to whom I 
owe these details, they indicated five huts, or fam- 
ilies, or individuals, toward a sort of valley between 
two hills. They were ignorant of the use of bread, 
and rejected salt beef; but they appeared familiar 
with ships, and would have gladly invited themselves 
to visit us, if the officer had not inhospitably declined 
the honor." 
