North-Pole Voyages: Embracing Sketches of the Important Facts and Incidents in the Latest American Efforts to Reach the North Pole, from the Second Grinnell Expedition to That of the PolarisMudge, Zachariah Atwell
History
North-Pole Voyages: Embracing Sketches of the Important Facts and Incidents in the Latest American Efforts to Reach the North Pole, from the Second Grinnell Expedition to That of the Polaris
Mudge, Zachariah Atwell
Arctic regions; Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration -- American; Discoveries in geography -- American
The "George Henry" and her tender, the "Rescue," sailed north, along the
Greenland coast, as far as Holsteinberg, where Mr. Hall purchased six
Esquimo dogs. The vessel then stood southwest across Davis Strait and
made, August eighth, a snug harbor, which Mr. Hall called Grinnell Bay,
a little north of what is known as Frobisher Strait. Here Mr. Hall was
to land and commence his Esquimo life, alone and far away from a
Christian home, while the vessel went about its business capturing
whales. His feelings on the voyage are indicated by the following
extract from his diary:
"A good run with a fair breeze yesterday. Approaching the north axis of
the earth! Aye, nearing the goal of my fondest wishes. Every thing
relating to the arctic zone is deeply interesting to me. I love the
snows, the ices, the icebergs, the fauna and the flora of the North. I
love the circling sun, the long day, _the arctic night, when the soul
can commune with God in silent and reverential awe_! I am on a mission
of love. I feel to be in the performance of a duty I owe to mankind,
myself, and God! Thus feeling I am strong at heart, full of faith, ready
to do or die in the cause I have espoused." How he felt when actually
engaged in his "mission of love," we shall see.
We must not, however, think of Mr. Hall in a region comparable to that
which included the winter-quarters of Kane and Hayes in the expeditions
we have just described. They were at least twelve degrees farther north,
Mr. Hall being south of the arctic circle, so that his winter nights
were shorter and milder. His present field of operation was on a coast
visited by the whale-ships, and where they at times wintered. Besides,
natives had been for many years in contact with white men, and were in
_some_ respect more agreeable companions. He will therefore, as we
follow him, lead us into new scenes of peculiar interest, and show us
novel features in the character of the Esquimo.
The whale-ship "Black Eagle," Captain Allen, lay in Grinnell Bay on the
arrival of our voyagers, and the captain soon appeared on the deck of
the "George Henry," with several Esquimo. One of these natives, named
Ugarng, especially attracted Mr. Hall's attention. He was intelligent,
possessing strong lines of character, and a marked physical development.
He had spent a year on a visit to the United States. Speaking of New
York, he said with a sailor's emphasis: "No good! too much horse! too
much house! too much white people! Women? Ah! women great many--good!"
Ugarng will become a familiar acquaintance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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