M'CLURE'S EXPLORATIONS. 405 



off Point Drew, I sent Mr. Court (second master) on shore 

 to erect a cairn, and bury a notice of our having passed. 

 Upon landing, we were met by three natives, who at 

 first were very timid ; but, upon exchanging signs of 

 friendship, which consisted of raising the arms three 

 times over the head, they approached the boat, and, 

 after the pleasant salutation of rubbing noses, became 

 very communicative ; when, by the assistance of oui 

 valuable interpreter, Mr. Miertsching, we found the 

 tribe consisted of ten tents (this being the only approach 

 to their numbers he could obtain) ; that they had arrived 

 only three days previously, and that they hold commu- 

 nication with a party inland, who trade with the Russian 

 Fur Company. 7 ' They had observed us the evening 

 before, and had thought our masts were trees in motion, 

 and wondered at the sight. 



The natives seen here had spent their lives between 

 the Coppermine River and Point Barrow ; and, from the 

 circumstances of their not having met with any of 

 Franklin's party, M'Clure concludes that the latter 

 could not have been lost on these shores. " The coast," 

 says he, " is inhabited throughout, and the natives are, 

 to all appearance, a kind and merry race ; and, when 

 we gave them presents, through the medium of the 

 interpreter, we told them that we were looking for our 

 lost brothers, and if they saw any white men in distress 

 they were to be very kind ; to which they assented by 

 saying that they would, and would give them ' plenty 

 of deer's flesh. 7 



So narrow was the passage of open water between 

 the ice and the shore, along which the Investigator had 

 to pass, that she had great difficulty sometimes in tack- 

 ing, - -requiring to do so, in some places, nearly every 

 ten minutes ; and, on one occasion, they actually took 

 the ground while " in stays. 73 Fortunately the bottom 



