136 THE CHIEF AWAHLAH. Chap. IX. 



better-looking, cleaner, and more robust than I expected to 

 find them. 



A-wah-lah has been to Igloolik ; one of his wives, for each 

 chief has two, has a brother living there. I spread a large 

 roll of paper upon a rock, and got him to draw the route 

 overland, and also round by the coast to it ; this novel pro- 

 ceeding attracted the whole population about us ; A-wah-lah 

 constantly referred to others when his memory failed him ; 

 at length it was completed to the satisfaction of all parties. 

 When I gave him the knife I had promised as his reward, 

 and added another for his wives, he sprang up on the rock, 

 flourished the knives in his hands, shouted, and danced with 

 extravagant demonstrations of joy. He is a very fine speci- 

 men of his race, powerful, impulsive, full of energy and animal 

 spirits, and moreover an admirable mimic. The men were 

 all about the same height, 5 feet 5 in. ; they eagerly answered 

 our questions, and imparted to us all their geographical 

 knowledge, although at first they hesitated when we asked 

 them about Navy Board Inlet, in consequence of the depot 

 placed there having been plundered ; but we soon found that 

 they were easily tired under cross-examination, and often said 

 they knew no more ; it was necessary to humour them. 



According to their account the depot was discovered and 

 robbed by people living farther west. This is probably 

 true, as so few relics were to be seen here, which would not 

 be the case if such active fellows as A-wah-lah and Noo-luk 

 had received the first information of its proximity. These 

 people of Kaparoktolik are the only inhabitants of the land 

 lying eastward of Navy Board Inlet, and live entirely upon 

 its southern shore. In a similar manner, it is only the 

 southern coast of the land to the west of Navy Board Inlet 

 that is inhabited. After distributing presents to all the 

 women and children, and making a few trifling purchases 

 from the men, we returned next day to the ship. 



