Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/495

 Being on my way home, I had little occasion to avail myself of this gracious act of the Danish Government; but I informed the Inspector of my future purposes and signified to him my desire to avail myself of its privileges next year. I am glad of an opportunity publicly to express my admiration of the conduct of the Danish Government toward the Arctic expeditions of whatever nationality; and in my own case it was the more personally gratifying, and the more highly appreciated, that I had no "Department" orders wherewith to back up my claims to consideration.

From the Chief Trader, Mr. Anderson, as well as from the Inspector, I had much kindly assistance in perfecting my collections and in completing my series of photographic views, and I found myself so agreeably as well as profitably occupied that I was truly loath to quit the good harbor; but it was necessary for me to be hastening home, as the nights were growing dark, and I did not wish to be caught among the icebergs without some sunlight to guide me; so, when the first fine wind came, I huddled my collections aboard, bade good-by, saluted the Danish ensign for the last time, and—well, we did over again what we had done a dozen times before—dove into a villainous fog-bank, out of which came a rush of wind that sent us homeward a little faster than we cared to go.

It was a regular equinoctial storm, and, from the time of leaving Disco until we had passed Newfoundland, it scarcely once relaxed its grip of us. We were blown out through Davis Strait even more fiercely than we had been blown in. At one time we were beset with a perfect hurricane, and how the