LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
207 
memory, of pictures with brass pans and kettles in them. 
Alexander the First of Russia, was a great collector of animals 
horns, and although he knew them to be very abundant, he never 
could procure a human one—the present princess of Hesse Hom- 
burg, the immaculate daughter of George III, brought her hus¬ 
band as a part of her dowry the most unique collection of teapots, 
which ever adorned a royal mansion; and Dick Suet, the actor, 
considered himself the richest man in Europe, in the collection 
of his wigs. If therefore the genius of a man is to be estimated 
according to the intrinsic value of the article for which he exhi¬ 
bits a particular partiality, it will be allowed that Capt. Ross 
can justly rank himself above royalty, at the same time that he 
can be indisputably classed with the last mentioned personage 
in getting up as good a farce, as ever the enlightened but credu¬ 
lous people of England were called upon to witness. 
On the 26th, the Esquimaux came to the ship, but they were 
not allowed to come on board, and the crew were strictly pro¬ 
hibited from purchasing any of their articles ; with the exception 
of a bow and arrow, the whole were purchased by Capt. Ross; 
but on the following day they returned to the ship, and the offi¬ 
cers being on shore, some of the crew took the advantage of their 
absence, and purchased all the articles which they had brought 
with them. 
On the 27th, the wind blew almost a hurricane from the 
N.N.W., accompanied with such heavy drifts of snow, that the 
eye could not discover any objects at the distance of 50 yards. 
In the midst however of this inclement weather, the Esquimaux 
came to the ship, accompanied by their wives and dogs, but 
notwithstanding their urgent entreaties, they were not allowed 
to come on board. It was a matter of great surprise to the crew, 
to observe the manner in which the Esquimaux found their way 
back to their huts, when from the state of the weather it was 
not possible to see fifty yards before them, even the marks of their 
steps in the snow, had during their stay at the ship, been com¬ 
pletely obliterated, and there was not a single object which 
could indicate to them the track by which they had come. The 
appearance of the Esquimaux in this snow storm was romantic 
