Arrangements were made by the head man of the settlement to provide for all the company as they should come along, in small parties, from time to time.
Here, also, we were provided with some new native clothes, such as coats and pants, moccasons and caps.
[CHAPTER X.]
East Cape, a Point of Observation.—The greater Part of our Men gathered here.—The Kanaka.—Weather softening.—Ice still firm.—Arctic Scenes.—Icequakes.—Migratory Fowl.—A Whale discovered.—Gala Time among the Natives.—The Natives thorough Drinkers.—A drunken "Spree."—Cruise into the Country.—Birds-egging.—Incidents.—Native Manner of killing Fowl.—Amusements of the Natives.—Vegetation.—Face of the Country.—Fish.—Fowl.—The Ochotsk Sea and Country.
We had now reached nearly or quite the end of our journey; at least we had attained one of the great objects of our desires and exertions. It was from this place as a point of observation, that most, if not all, the ships passing into the Arctic Ocean on the breaking up of the ice could be seen; and hence this place was the most suitable locality, from which we could be easily taken off.
While the greater part of our company remained at this place, one party of our number, consisting of six or seven, passed down the coast some considerable distance, perhaps twenty miles or more; and another party of four took up their abode at a less distance. Our purpose, and, indeed, the chief one we had in view, was that, in thus distributing ourselves along on the coast, we should be more likely to see and notify any ship or ships that might by chance be early upon the coast, as to the locality and condition of the Citizen's officers and crew.
At this time, which was the first of April, all of the ship's company that had survived the horrors of an arctic winter were at East Cape, and at places just south of it, except one poor Kanaka, who, in consequence of frozen feet, was unable to travel with the rest of us, and was therefore left behind about one hundred miles among the natives.
The weather was now softening very perceptibly, though there appeared to be but little diminution of ice and snow. The ocean was not yet broken up, but presented one immovable body of granite ice.