LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
889 
Whilst Commander Ross was pursuing 1 his scientific researches, 
Capt. Ross was comfortably located in the cabin of the Victory, 
receiving the visits of the Esquimaux, who were looked for 
regularly every day, but who, so far from bringing any commo¬ 
dities to sell, were reduced almost to a state of positive starva¬ 
tion, particularly the individuals, who had established themselves 
in the immediate vicinity of the Victory. The subsistence of 
these people depended entirely upon their success in the seal 
fishery, but, for some time, they had not been able to catch a 
single seal, and were therefore obliged to apply on board the 
Victory for their present maintenance. Notwithstanding on the 
5th, that it blew a most tremendous gale, accompanied with 
snow, the poor hungry creatures came to the ship, imploring the 
gift of some seal, as they, and their children were starving: 
this circumstance being reported to Capt. Ross, he ordered a 
seal to be thawed and skinned, for it must be observed that the 
seals in two hours after their capture become as hard as an anvil, 
from the severity of the frost, and cannot be applied to any pur¬ 
pose until having undergone the process of thawing. The 
steward was instructed to tell the Esquimaux to wait until the 
seal could be got ready for them, but they most probably did 
not understand him, and with the most dejected countenances 
directed their steps towards their huts. When the seal was 
ready, the steward repaired on deck to distribute the food to the 
natives, but to his great surprise found they had departed. He 
was however immediately despatched by Capt. Ross to bring the 
natives back again, and, with great thankfulness, they returned 
and made a hearty meal, taking back with them a sufficiency to 
supply them for the morrow’s sustenance. During the season of 
want, one of the women came to the ship, crying for food, bring¬ 
ing her grandson, with her and she remained a length of time 
imploring with the most pitiful countenance some relief for her¬ 
self, and her infant charge. It was, however, not until a lapse of 
some time, that Capt. Ross would give permission for the seal 
to be put before the fire for the purpose of thawing it, but in the 
afternoon another woman came and brought four children with 
her, when their cries for food were so distressing that they 
