390 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
penetrated the heart of Capt. Ross, and he issued his orders to 
Buck (who became afterwards totally blind,) to skin a seal and 
to put it before the fire to thaw ; but so great was the hunger 
of the poor wretches, that they took the knife out of Buck’s 
hand, cut the seal open, and proceeded to carve up the 
animal according to their own fashion, giving their children 
every now and then a slice to eat, reserving to themselves the 
congealed blood, that was found in the interior of the carcass, 
and which was frozen quite hard. The weight of the seal 
previously to being skinned was ISOtbs ; making the allowance 
of 401bs for the skin, the carcass on being stripped was I40tbs, 
but after the women and their children had satisfied their appe¬ 
tite, the weight was only 112lbs, which gives the scarcely 
credible quantity of five pounds to each person, a mass, which 
it would be hardly imagined, that the most elastic stomach 
could contain. The little urchins had so over-gorged themselves 
that their respiration seemed nearly to be stopped, and they 
waddled along, as if they were scarcely able to carry the load 
that was within them. The only return, however, which Capt. 
Ross received for this act of kindness, was the consciousness in 
his own breast, that he had performed an act of humanity in 
alleviating the wants of his suffering fellow r creatures ; for so 
far from making any attempt to testify their gratitude, they 
took their departure with the utmost coolness, giving the crew 
to understand that after a senik, they should return to partake of 
the remainder of the seal, which they in some degree considered 
to be their own property ; for after having satiated their appetite, 
they did not wait for the steward or Buck to dispose of the 
remainder, but one of the women lifted it from the ground, and 
throwing it into a corner, placed her broad arrow upon it, as if 
it was not to be touched again until her return. 
The hurricane continued during the whole of the 6th, and as 
it was attended with a heavy fall of snow, drifting in every di¬ 
rection, some apprehensions began to be entertained for Com¬ 
mander Ross, who was by necessity exposed to the full violence 
of the storm, without perhaps the possibility of finding a shelter. 
It was agreed upon, on the departure of Commander Ross, that a 
