﻿266 ESKIMOS August, 



either on Baillie's Islands or on the main shore, 

 owing to the flatness of the coasts, and were com- 

 pelled to anchor the boats nearly a mile from the 

 beach. The men waded ashore to collect drift- 

 wood and cook supper, after which we all em- 

 barked to sleep in the boats. We had scarcely 

 completed our arrangements for passing the night, 

 when we became aware of a fleet of kaiyaks with 

 three umiaks coming down upon us in a crescentic 

 line, looming formidably in the faint twilight. As 

 I did not wish the men's rest to be interrupted by 

 visiters, a ball was fired across their path to arrest 

 their progress, on which they assembled in a group 

 evidently in consultation. Albert now hailed them 

 by my direction, and said that we were going to 

 sleep, and that the sentinels would fire on any one 

 who came near the boats by night, but that we 

 should be glad to trade with them in the morning. 

 When they fully understood our wishes, after 

 a little further parley, they retired and did not 

 afterwards trouble us. 



At 2 o'clock A.M., on the 11th, we weighed 

 anchor, and nine Eskimos, with their kaiyaks, and 

 three umiaks, containing the women, having come 

 ofl^, they led us by a sufliciently deep channel to 

 the westward of a dry bank or sandy island, over 

 a bar on which we found from four to five fathoms 

 of water. On crossing this we passed suddenly 



