ROSS'S SECOND VOYAGE. J97 



the others tossed their knives and spears in the air, 

 repeating the shout, Ajdl and extending their hands to 

 show that they had now no weapons. As they stoo-j 

 still, however, the discoverers approached, and em- 

 braced all those in the front line, stroking their dress, 

 and receiving in their turn this customary greeting. 

 Their gratification was testified by laughing, clamor, and 

 strange gestures. Thus full confidence was at once 

 established between the two parties. 



Next day the discoverers visited this people at their 

 own village, which consisted of twelve snow huts, con- 

 structed in the same manner as those observed by 

 Parry. This tribe were thought, on the whole, to be 

 cleaner and better dressed than those more to the north- 

 ward ; besides, they kept a store of seal and reindeer 

 buried in the snow a precaution not before noticed 

 among any Esquimaux. 



While the British remained on these shores, they 

 held frequent intercourse with this and other parties of 

 natives. Some of the places about Repulse Bay being 

 named and described, they showed an intimate acquaint- 

 ance with them, stating that they had recently journeyed 

 from that quarter. Two of them, Tulluahiu and Ikmal- 

 iik, drew a sketch of the line of coast by which they had 

 travelled, and this was amended by a learned lady, Tir- 

 iksiu. The general result proved to be, that between 

 the present station and Repulse Bay there intervened a 

 very extensive gulf, of which the limits were Melville 

 Peninsula on the east, the American coast on the south, 

 and the country in which they now were, on the west. 



The grand question, whether there was any navigable 

 opening further westward, could not be then ascertained, 

 though they had reason to believe that, if there was, it 

 must be very narrow. The strongest interest, however, 

 was excited by the accounts given by another party of 



