﻿1848. 



VISIT OF ESKIMOS. 251 



level of the sea, lay a ring of large drift-timber, 

 showing that, in certain states of the wind, the sea 

 rises so as to inundate all the low lands. Nothing 

 that we observed in the whole course of our 

 voyage led us to think that the spring tides rise 

 more than three feet on any part of this coast, and 

 their rise was more generally only about twenty 

 inches. 



Rein-deer frequent these flat lands at this season 

 to feed on bents and grasses, and the ponds are 

 full of geese and ducks. Many red-throated divers 

 {Colymbus septentrionalis) also resort thither, and 

 utter a most mournful cry when any one invades 

 their retirement ; the Lapland finch (^Plectrophanes 

 lapponicus) and horned lark (Phileremos cornutus) 

 make a breeding station of this coast, and "\ve 

 observed the young birds runniijg in numbers over 

 the ground. 



While Mr. Rae was out hunting, the crews were 

 cooking supper on shore, and I remained with two 

 boat-keepers at the boats, 1 received a visit from 

 two middle-aged Eskimos and their wives ; the 

 latter being fat, jolly-looking dames, and consider- 

 ably younger than their husbands. Albert was 

 absent, so that I could not profit by the inter- 

 view to ask as many questions as I desired to do, 

 but I made out that if we kept in shore of the 

 sand-banks, we should have Avater enough for our 



