My visit to Mr. Anton had, however, an association of much sadness. A valued member of my party, Mr. Gibson Caruthers, had died during the previous night, and I called to ask the missionary to officiate at the funeral service. His consent was promptly given, and the hour of burial was fixed for the following day.

The burial of a companion, at any time painful, was doubly so to us, isolated as we were from the world. The deceased had endeared himself to all on board by his excellent qualities of head and heart; and the suddenness of his death made the impression upon his late associates all the more keenly felt. He had retired the night before in perfect health, and was found dead in his berth next morning. To the expedition he was a serious loss. Besides Mr. Sonntag, he was the only member of my party who had been in the Arctic seas, and I had counted much upon his knowledge and intelligence. He had served under De Haven in the First Grinnell Expedition of 1850-51, and had brought home an excellent record for fortitude and daring.

AN ARCTIC SEPULCHRE.

The burial-ground at Upernavik is a sad place for human sepulchre. It lies on the hill-side above the town, and is dreary and desolate past description. It is made up of a series of rocky steps, on which lie, covered over with piles of stones, (for there is no earth,) a few rude coffins,—mournful resting-place for those who sleep here their last sleep in the everlasting winter. The body of poor Caruthers lies upon a ledge overlooking the sea, which he loved so well, and the beating surf will sing for him an eternal requiem.

We were detained four days at Upernavik, collecting dogs and accumulating the elements of an Arctic wardrobe. This last consisted of reindeer, seal, and dog skins, a quantity of which had been obtained at Pröven, and placed in the hands of the native women, to be converted into suitable garments. The boots required the longest time to manufacture. They are made of tanned seal-skin, sewed with sinew, and are "crimped" and fitted to the foot in a very ingenious manner. When properly made they are perfectly water-proof. The boot worn by the half-civilized native women is really a pretty as well as serviceable piece of cunning needlework. The tanned seal-skin, by alternate freezing and thawing, and exposure to the sun, becomes perfectly bleached, and in that condition is readily stained with any color which woman's caprice may suggest, or the Chief Trader may happen to have in his store-room. The women of Greenland are not exempt from the graceful vanities of other lands. They are fond of gay colors, and do not disdain admiration. Red boots, or white, trimmed with red, seemed to be most in vogue, though, indeed, there is no more an end to the variety than there is to the strangeness of the fancy which suggests it. It would be difficult to imagine a more ludicrous sight than was presented by the crowd of red and yellow and white and purple and blue legged women who crowded along the beach as we entered the harbor.

POPULATION OF UPERNAVIK.

The population of Upernavik numbers about two hundred souls, comprising about twenty Danes, and a larger number of half-breeds, the remainder being native Greenlanders, that is, Esquimaux. I shall have more to say of them hereafter, my purpose now being to carry the reader as rapidly as possible to the scene of our explorations. He may indeed have as much anxiety to get away from Upernavik as I had.

NEW RECRUITS.

Through the kindness of Mr. Hansen, I obtained here three native hunters, and also an interpreter. This latter had taken passage by the Thialfe for Copenhagen, but he could not withstand the tempting offer which I made him, and he quickly transferred himself from the Danish brig to our crowded cabin. He was a hearty, strong man, had lived in Greenland for ten years; and, being more than usually intelligent, had picked up on board the English whale-ships a sufficient knowledge of the English language to insure his being a very useful member of my party in the event of our falling in with Esquimaux, with whose language he was perfectly familiar. Besides, he was an excellent hunter and dog-driver; and, by joining me, I secured his team of dogs, the finest in all North Greenland. But unfortunately this involved another halt, for they were sixty miles up the coast, at Tessuissak, a small hunting station of which he was Trader at the time of obtaining his leave of absence to go home for the year. I also shipped two Danish sailors, thus increasing my party to twenty souls. As the new recruits will figure frequently in these pages, I give their names:—

Peter Jensen,Interpreter and dog-manager.
Carl Emil Olswig,Sailor.
Carl Christian Petersen,Sailor and Carpenter.
Peter (converted Esquimau),Hunter and dog-driver.
Marcus, " " " "
Jacob, " " " "