Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/57

36 carefully as to time—the hour, minute, and second when the sun would arrive at its lowest meridian. This was necessary, that I might determine, as well as the circumstances would admit, the variation of the needle.

"Twelve o'clock, low meridian, midnight—I use this in distinction of high meridian, midday—was approaching. Every man, captain, and the ship's officers and crew, save the portion of watch off duty below and asleep, stood around me awaiting the anxious moment when the sun would cease its downward and commence its upward course.

"The George Henry was sweeping gently along, beating up northerly and easterly against the wind. From the larboard side we peered out upon the glorious scene. With my azimuth compass resting upon the bulwarks, my eye every other moment on it and the watch (the latter had just been placed in correspondence with the ship's chronometer below), I at length announced the wished-for moment—12 o'clock. Cheer—cheer upon cheer followed from the ship's company. Time passed on; the sun was slowly on its upward track. At first its motion was imperceptible; nevertheless, it was rising.

"I continued to watch the upward and onward progress of the sun. Its northern declination is now growing less and less, therefore the sun's presence here is less and less prolonged. Soon the arctic night will take the place of the arctic day, which is now fast clothing the mountains in green and flowers.

"Before we finally entered Holsteinborg Harbour, the George Henry beat up against the wind by tacking ship four or five times. At last the hour came when the position of the ship was pronounced by the Danish Esquimaux pilot—Lars Kleijt by name—to be good—very good. The morning was all that a high-bounding spirit could wish. I had turned in about two o'clock and was now greatly refreshed from a short sleep. When I arose the vessel was bending her beak toward the long-wished-for haven. Every one was on tiptoe with the joyousness of the present. An inquiry had passed back and forth why the natives did not come to meet us, as