28th. Wind cold and changeable, and towards evening stormy.
29th. Set sail about 6 A.M. with a strong wind at W. and in the evening had reached Kangertluksoak islands.
30th. It blew hard, with snow, and we were obliged to spend the day shut up in our small cabin by lamp-light. The land was covered with snow. We were detained here very unpleasantly for three days, by the violence of the wind and weather.
October 3d. We steered for the promontory of Kaumayok; but the wind dying away, and at length turning to the South, we could not gain any safe harbour, and were obliged to tack about all night in the open sea. The weather, however, was mild, and we had the advantage of moon-light.
4th. At 7 A.M. we succeeded in passing the Northern Ikkerasak near cape Mugford with the tide, and the wind becoming fair, soon brought us among the Okkak islands. About noon we doubled cape Uivak, and perceived Esquimaux on shore, who ran up the hills, shouted for joy, and gave us by signs to understand, that the ship (the brig Jemima, sent annually with provisions to the settlements) was still at Okkak.
We cannot describe the inexpressible pleasure and gratitude to God our Saviour which we felt, when we again beheld the neighbourhood of Okkak, after an absence of fifteen weeks. As soon as the captain descried our boat approaching, he hoisted his colours, and fired some guns to give notice of our arrival. As we were obliged to tack, to gain the entrance to the harbour, he came to meet us in the ship’s boat, and about one o’clock we landed. The Missionaries and the Esquimaux met us with tears of joy and thankfulness, when we all joined in praise to God, who had so wonderfully kept His protecting hand over us during this perilous voyage, and granted us to return home in safety.
Our voyage lasted from the 24th of June to the 4th of October, and we calculated it to be a distance of from 1200 to 1300 miles.
BENJAMIN GOTTLIEB KOHLMEISTER.
GEORGE KMOCH.