Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-09-30

huts of these people are. COMPARE
lively clean and comfortable; they
possess great many Of the Euro
pean comforts Of life; and among the
things that excited our establishment
was. their having. in almost every
hut, a musical instrument, called a
mondoIin, very much like a guitar,
on which the Esquimaux women play
very teierably. The Governors wife
is from Copenhagen, and Judging by
her appearance. the climate agrees
well with her for Der fat ruddy cheeks
bespeaks robust health. With any o.
Their man for a husband she would
seem monstroas large woman; but
as the Governor happens to be six
feet, and stout lin proportion. they
are tolerabIy paired. They have a
Missionary residing about eighteen
miles from this, who, during the sum-
mer months is continually going "a
bout visiting the different islands to
admenlsh and instruct, and to per-
form the Christian ceremonies OF
baptism and marriage, &c. What
devotion to the cause Of religion is
here exercised The privations and
difficulties they must have had to en-
counter are incalcuIable; and it is
quite delightful to see in this little
place. that the blessed fruit of their
iabors is making its appearance a
mong them.-I have had some pleas
ing proofs of the improved state of
their moral character. Some years
ago I had a Labrador translation Of
the Gospel given me, and | had now
the satisfaction of receiving the SIM
cere thanks of a poor fellow for it,
to whom l hope it will prove a bless
ing; he could read it very well, and
told me that bis daughter, a girl II
years of age. would also be able read
it. The transIations which they pos
sess here were made by the celebrat-
ed Otto Fabricius, and they have al
so the Church Catechism, land Book
of Hymns in their own language
We are to have the Governor and
his wife, aud a little girl, not their
daughter, but a child they adopted
ard brought from Denmark about e.
isven years ago, to dine with US to-
day; the latter is, / think, very
pretty little girl; of good manners,
and able to play very sweetIy OR the
mandolin, and accompany it with a
soft and pleasing voice; & it is scarce
ly possible to look at her and her ST
tuation, and not regret that she is to
grow bigger and to become older
poor little thing! she will be much
delighted to-day, as we shall have an
abundant supply of beads, &c. to
give her. The settlement to which
Captains Parry and Hoppner, &c.
are going tomorrow, is the princi-
Pal one that the Danes have in this
country, and We understand that
there are several gentlemen.like, in
teHigent men there; among them are
two Danish officers, who are employ
ed in a survey of all the coasts in
possession of their country in this
neighborhood, and one of them is
son to the first Minister in Copenha.
gen.
POLAR SEAS.
The theory that there are open
seas round the Earth's poles. has
received strong confederation within
the last few months. We have now
on our table letter from naval Of
fcer at Drontheim. who notices the
fact, that Capt. Sabine had good
weather, and reached 80 deg. 81 min.
north latitude, without obstruction
from the ice, so that the expedition
might easily have proceeded farther,
had its object so required. And we
have also had tho pleasure to meet
recently with British officer, who,
with two vessels under his command,
last season, penetrated to - deg. Is
min. south latitude in the antarctic
circle, which is above three degrees
beyond Cooks utmost limit. Here
he found the sea perfectly clear of
ice, and might have prosecuted his
voyage towards the Pole, if other
considerations had permitted. There
was no field Of ice in sight towards
the south; and the water was inhabit.
ed by many fnned and humpbacked
,,k l.. rTLo ioon:fnJo .,oa hatu,oan