HUNTING STILL. 
145 
ciated very sensibly at the time, that, seeing me suffer, 
he took his kapetah from his back and placed it around 
my feet. 
The next day I tried again to make my friends steer 
to the northward. But the bears were most numerous 
upon the Greenland side; and they determined to 
push on toward the glacier. They were sure, they 
said, of finding the game among the broken icebergs 
at the base ol it. All my remonstrances and urgent 
entreaties were unavailing to make them resume their 
promised route. They said that to cross so high up as 
we then were was impossible, and I felt the truth of 
this when I remembered the fate of poor Baker and 
Schubert at this very passage. Kalutunah added, sig¬ 
nificantly, that the bear-meat was absolutely necessary 
for the support of their families, and that Nalegak had 
no right to prevent him from providing for his house¬ 
hold. It was a strong argument, and withal the argu¬ 
ment of the strong. 
I found now that my projected survey of the north¬ 
ern coast must be abandoned, at least for the time. 
My next wish was to get back to the brig, and’ to 
negotiate with Metek for a purchase or loan of his 
dogs as my last chance. But even this was not 
readily gratified. All of Saturday was spent in bear¬ 
hunting. The natives, as indomitable as their dogs, 
made the entire circuit of Dallas Bay, and finally 
halted again under one of the islands which group 
themselves between the headlands of Advance Bay 
and at the base of the glacier. 
Vol. II.—10 
