Sakæus came from western Greenland and in his eagerness to see the wider world stowed away on a whaling ship. Arriving in Edinburgh’s home port of Leith in August 1816, his demonstrations of prowess as a kayaker and harpoon-thrower attracted huge crowds of spectators. This engraving of Sakæus was based on a drawing made by Amelia Anderson shortly after his arrival. During a second visit to Edinburgh in 1817-18, Sakæus was invited to join Sir John Ross’s Arctic expedition as a draughtsman and interpreter. He was much fêted on his return but fell ill with typhus and died only a few months later.