ME. MIEETSCHING. 
275 
Chap. XVII.—B. P.] 
panied the last Arctic Expedition in search of Sir 
John Franklin, and served on board H.M.S. In¬ 
vestigator as Esquimaux interpreter; but of Mr. 
Miertsching it is not too much to say that he was the 
most useful man on board, for not only did he set an 
excellent moral example to those around him, but, by 
his knowledge of mechanical arts, he proved of the 
greatest value to his shipmates, especially as a boot¬ 
maker, and besides taught both officers and men other 
useful Arctic accomplishments, without which they 
would have indeed fared badly. 
Having so favourable a recollection of this gentle¬ 
man, and a pleasing impression generally from what I 
had heard about the Moravians, as perhaps the most 
hardworking, unselfish, and practically useful mission¬ 
aries in the world, I was naturally anxious to see them 
engaged in their benevolent work, so as to judge for 
myself what progress they were really making with the 
Mosquito Indians, a people so widely different from 
the Esquimaux, amongst whom their great reputation 
as missionaries had been acquired. 
A few words to the above effect, and some of my 
shipmates wavered a little; but when I pointed to a 
dusky Indian squatting in a most uncomfortable and 
awkward position on the deck, and said that he was 
waiting to pilot the boat to the landing-place, and 
that we could reach it from the ship in less than an 
hour, there was no lack of applicants to accompany me 
to the Moravian church. 
Speaking of this Indian, every one was much struck 
with his behaviour when he crawled up the ship’s side 
t 2 
