206 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



in- 



much penetration and intelligence during the whole of this conver- 

 sation, which gave us a favourable opinion of his intellectual powers. 

 He made many inquiries respecting the Discovery ships, under the 

 command of Captain Parry, which had been mentioned to him, and 

 asked why a passage had not been discovered long ago, if one existed. 

 It may be stated that we gave a faithful explanation to all his 

 quiries, which policy would have prompted us to do if a love of truth 

 had not ; for whenever these northern nations detect a falsehood in 

 the dealings of the traders, they make it an unceasing subject of 

 reproach, and their confidence is irrecoverably lost. 



We presented to the chief, the two guides, and the seven hun- 

 ters, who had engaged to accompany us, some cloth, blankets, to- 

 bacco, knives, daggers, besides other useful iron materials, and a 

 gun to each ; also a keg of very weak spirits and water, which they 

 kept until the evening, as they had to try their guns before dark, 

 and make the necessary preparations for commencing the journey 

 on the following day. The Indians, however, did not leave us 

 on the next day, as the chief was desirous of being present, with 

 his party, at the dance, which was given in the evening to our Ca- 

 nadian voyagers. They were highly entertained by the vivacity and 

 agility displayed by our companions in their singing and dancing : 

 and especially by their imitating the gestures of a Canadian, who 

 placed himself in the most ludicrous postures ; and, whenever this 

 was done, the gravity of the chief gave way to violent bursts of 

 laughter. In return for the gratification Akaitcho had enjoyed, he 

 desired his young men to exhibit the Dog-Rib Indian dance ; and 

 immediately they ranged themselves in a circle, and, keeping their 

 legs widely separated, began to j ump simultaneously sideways ; their 

 bodies were bent, their hands placed on their hips, and they uttered 

 forcibly the interjection tsa at each jump. Devoid as were their 

 attitudes of grace, and their music of harmony, we were much 

 amused by the novelty of the exhibition. 



