On the 14th of August the brig Georgiana, belonging to the same owners as the George Henry, arrived from some other whaling-ground. Thus four vessels were now near each other, the Black Eagle, Georgiana, Rescue, and our own; and a very sociable and agreeable time was spent, during leisure hours, in visiting each other. But none of us were unnecessarily idle. Preparations had to be made for the coming winter, and for whale-fishing while the season yet lasted. The Black Eagle and Georgiana had their own plans, but that of the George Henry was to visit another and smaller bay on the south side of this inlet. Meanwhile Captain Budington had erected a stone and turf house for the benefit of his boats' crews, when, as was intended, some of the men should be stationed there "to fish." The roof was made from timber, with canvas well coated with tar over all.

On the 16th we sailed for Nu-gum-mi-uke, the intended winter quarters of the George Henry and Rescue. As we left the bay —which I have named after my kind friend, Cornelius Grinnell— we passed several prominent places, and among them Sterry's Tower. The following is a sketch of it:

H

at Nu-gum-mi-uke (a bay that I named after Cyrus W. Field, one of the promoters of my expedition). The harbor we entered was hard to find, but it was thought to be perfectly safe. Soon afterward the ship and her crew made ready for whaling; but for myself, I determined upon mixing unreservedly with the natives, and for this purpose tried to secure Ugarng as a guide and companion. I presented him with a beautiful ivory-handled knife, given to me by "Wayne & Son," of Cincinnati, hoping this would lead to good results. He was much pleased with it, and said, in his own tongue, kuoy-en-na-mik (I thank you).

Ugarng's wives were really good-looking, and capital workers, chewing more seal, reindeer, and walrus skins for boots and mittens than any other women of the country. This chewing process will be described at another time; but I may here observe that it is one of the principal modes of making the skins pliable, and changing them into any desired form. It is a labor always performed by females, never by men. The Innuit women also washed clothes, and soon became so proficient that they could do them as well as Americans. One morning I gave my clothes to be washed by a woman called Nukertou, and by the evening she returned the articles to me completed and in good order. Ugarng gave me an excellent pair of native boots, made by one of his wives, and, in return, I presented her with some brass rings, which the women greatly prize for doing up the hair.

Wishing to visit some of the innumerable islands that lay scattered about the bay, and also place my dogs on some place best suited for them, where the remains of a whale were found, I took three Esquimaux boys and little Kimmiloo in the boat with me to pull. I accomplished my errand, and, on the return, much enjoyed the sight of my crew, including the girl (all fresh types of the Iron race of the North), smoking with pipe in their mouth, and, at the same time, pulling heartily at the oars!

On Monday, August 20th, after tea, the captain, myself, Smith, Sterry, Morgan, and Bailey took a boat, and went out a ducking. The wind was blowing fresh from the northwest, therefore we beat to windward. On the way we killed five ducks—a sport that was exciting enough, though not remunerative, five or six shot having to be expended in killing one duck. While tacking, I lost my venerable hat—the one I punctured with a pike when raising it high in the air on top of the first iceberg I visited.

On the 21st of August, at 7 A.M., the Rescue was got under

A CRUISE IN THE RESCUE.

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way for the purpose of taking a party of us over to an inlet on the opposite side of Field Bay. It was intended by the captain to examine this and other places to see their availability for fishing depots, and I gladly took the opportunity of accompanying him.

While heaving up anchor, an incident occurred that served well to illustrate the character of the Innuit Ugarng. His third wife, Kun-ni-u, with the captain and myself, were at the windlass brake, and it was quite an amusing sight to behold us. Presently we had to stop for a moment, and, on commencing again, Kunniu could not quickly lay hold; whereupon her husband, who was standing by, looking on with a sort of dignity, as if he were lord of all he surveyed, at once ordered her to go ahead; and when she grasped the brake, he turned and strutted about the deck in quite an independent manner.

Two boats had to tow us out of the harbor, owing to there being no wind, and we passed through a channel between two small islands that was probably never navigated before. One man went aloft to con the way, and I stood on the bow to watch for rocks under water. Several I saw far down—some at five and ten fathoms deep, and looking white and yawning; but they were harmless, even had they been much nearer the surface, for the Rescue only drew eight feet water.

At 8 A.M. a light breeze filled the sails, and, taking up our boats, away we went across the waters of the bay. A course nearly due south was steered, somewhat westerly of Bear Sound, and in due time we approached the opposite shores, where some wild and rocky, but magnificent scenery was presented to our view. At 2 P.M. we turned into one of three or four entrances that led, by a safe channel, into a long and beautiful bay. On either side of us were towering mountains, one especially of a bold and lofty character, with its peak looking down majestically into the waters below.

from the N.E., and Great was the ex

We were in wa

The breeze had now somewhat freshened was sending us along full five knots an hour. citement; most exhilarating the whole scene. ters quite new to us, and approaching Frobisher Straits—then, at least, so believed by me. Our lady-Esquimaux pilot, Kunniu, guided us safely on, but care was also needed; Morgan, therefore, went aloft to look out, and I again took my place on the bowsprit end. Occasionally a huge white old rock peered up its head, as

if to ask, Who were we that thus disturbed the usual quietude of the place, and unsettled the peace that had reigned during the world's age? But no interruption to our progress was made. We went on and on, creating the most joyous emotions in my breast as we proceeded. My heart leaped within me as the vessel bounded forward.

I had taken my glass in hand and cast my eye to the southwest. There I could see the extent of the bay was limited by a very low coast, but beyond it were the high, bold mountains of Meta Incognita, across the olden "Straits"—so termed—of Martin Frobisher. Though in the blue melting distance, and some fifty miles off, yet they seemed like giants close by. Then, too, the lofty hills of rock on either side of us, with the sun-glade, like a pathway of dazzling gold, ahead, made the picture beautiful and exciting in the extreme. It was my first visit and approach to the scenes of Frobisher's discoveries, and well might I be excused for the joyousness of my heart on the occasion.

At length the schooner carried us to the termination of the bay, and in a few moments more we had safely anchored in a good spot, having four and a half fathoms' depth at low water.

FIRST VISIT TO FROBISHER BAY.

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CHAPTER VI.

First Visit to Frobisher Bay.—"Meta Incognita."—Fossils.—Koo-jesse and his Family.—Old Artarkparu.—The beautiful Kok-er-zhun.—Skinning Ducks.—Esquimaux Food.—Native Mode of Sleeping.—Innuit Head-ornaments.—Return to the Ship.—Excursion on Shore.—White Man's Grave.—Esquimaux Grave.— Chart made by Koojesse.—Innuit Skill in Geography.—Aurora Borealis.—Visited by Numbers of the Natives.—Skill of the Women at Work.—Trial of the Expedition Boat.—Journey on Land.—Annawa.—Ancient Dwellings of the Innuits. —A Mountain Pass.—Old Mother Fe-ta-to.—Puto and the White Child.—Whale captured. An exciting Scene. -Great Feast for the Natives. - Author's first Trial at raw Whale-meat.—Custom and Education alone prevents the Enjoyment of raw Food.—Discovery of a Frobisher Relic.

It was half past four o'clock, August 21st, when we dropped anchor in this beautiful inlet, which I name after Richard H. Chapell, of New London, Connecticut. We then had a hurried tea, and immediately afterward took a boat and went on shore. Our party consisted of the captain, Mates Gardiner and Lamb, Morgan and Bailey, besides myself. Four Esquimaux—two of them being Ugarng and his wife Kun-ni-u—also accompanied us. On getting ashore we found that the neck of land dividing the waters just left from those of Frobisher "Straits" was less than a mile in breadth, and so low that, except in one part where a ridge of rocks occurred, it could not be more than a few feet above the sea, and possibly covered at high tides. Portions of this isthmus were sandy, and the rest full of stones, rocks, and several specimens of shale, many of which I eagerly collected. On one plat of sand we observed some foot-tracks, which Ugarng stated to be of reindeer, though such an opinion seemed to me ridiculous from the appearance before us, and so the event proved on the following day, when we encountered some Esquimaux who had been here.

On arriving at the ridge of rocks, which I call "Morgan's Hill," and which overlooked the whole locality around, I paused a moment to gaze upon the scene before my eye. There, facing me, was the celebrated "Strait"—so called—of Frobisher, and beyond it in the distance Meta Incognita*—thus named by Queen Eliza* “Meta Incognita" embraced both sides of "Frobisher Straits," and, in fact, was meant to include the whole of his discoveries.