M'CLURE'S EXPLORATIONS. 407 



These poor people had never seen white men before : 

 they had no article of European manufacture about their 

 persons, and spent their lives in hunting walruses and 

 seals on these low islands during the summer months, 

 retiring to their warm residences on the mainland during 

 winter. After holding some communication with them, 

 through the medium of the interpreter, Captain M'Clure 

 left them, having first made them a few presents, and, 

 among other things, a boat's ensign, in commemoration 

 of the first man-of-war whose flag has floated over these 

 sterile regions. The magnificence of this latter gift 

 quite astounded them, and caused them to rush tumult- 

 uously to their canoes to carry it off to their women, 

 who were encamped on another island close at hand. 



Some of these primitive people were apparently 

 addicted to stealing. While M'Clure was placing some 

 presents in the right hand of a chief, in token of good 

 will, he felt the fellow's left hand in his pocket. The 

 Esquimaux, however, laughed heartily when they were 

 caught in their thefts ; and so the Englishmen thought 

 best to do the same, and not allow peccadilloes to mar 

 the harmony of their intercourse. 



Coasting along, as they found opportunity, the voy- 

 agers advanced slowly sometimes with much and some- 

 times with little water till the morning of the 13th, 

 when the ice closed round, and hemmed them in com- 

 pletely. In this dilemma, the boats were sent to sound, 

 and shortly returned, reporting a practicable passage in 

 three fathoms water. Unfortunately, they hit on a spot 

 with only two and a half fathoms, and so were soon fast 

 aground. As it turned out, however, the bottom was 

 ga~>dy, so that no damage was done to the ship ; but 

 one of the whale-boats, which contained part of the 

 cargo taken out to lighten the vessel, upset, and eleven 

 casks of salt beef were lost. This was a serious loss at 



