Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/64

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returned on board with the most discouraging accounts of the poverty of the settlements in that which was such an essential addition to our equipment. A disease which had prevailed among the teams, during the past year, had diminished the stock to less than half of what was required for the prosperity of the people; and all our offers to purchase, either with money or provisions, were at first flatly refused, and were in the end only partially successful.
 * lage when we lay becalmed off Svarte Huk, and he

Mr. Sonntag had called upon the Assistant Trader immediately after his arrival, and was at once informed by that official of the unfortunate state of affairs. He would, however, personally interest himself in the matter, and advised that we should await the arrival of the Chief Trader, Mr. Hansen, who resided at Upernavik, which is forty miles to the north, and would be in Pröven in a day or so. It was evident that nothing could be done without the aid of this all-powerful public functionary, for whose arrival we had no alternative but to wait. If we went on to Upernavik we ran the hazard of missing him; and, by not seeing him until his return to that settlement from his southern tour, of losing the advantage of his prompt coöperation.

Mr. Hansen arrived the following day, and assured me that he would do what was in his power; but he feared that he should have little success. As an earnest of his good-will, he informed me, with a delicate courtesy which made me for the moment wonder if a lordly son of Castile had not wandered to this land of ice, and disguised himself in a seal-skin coat, that his own teams were at my disposal. Beyond this, however, he could neither advise nor command. There