204 INFORMATION FROM ESQUIMAUX. Chap. XII. 



them, and all were soon in motion again ; but another hour 

 brought sunset, and we learned that their village of eight 

 snow huts was still a long way off, so we hired them, at the 

 rate of a needle for each Esquimaux, to build us a hut, 

 which they completed in an hour ; it was 8 feet in diameter, 

 5^ feet high, and in it we all passed the night. Perhaps 

 the records of architecture do not furnish another instance 

 of a dwelling-house so cheaply constructed ! 



We gave them to understand that we were anxious to 

 barter with them, and very cautiously approached the real 

 object of our visit. A naval button upon one of their 

 dresses afforded the opportunity; it came, they said, from 

 some white people who were starved upon an island where 

 there are salmon (that is, in a river) ; and that the iron of 

 which their knives were made came from the same place. 

 One of these men said he had been to the island to obtain 

 wood and iron, but none of them had seen the white men. 

 Another man had been to " Ei-wil-lik " (Repulse Bay), and 

 counted on his fingers seven individuals of Dr. Rae's party 

 whom he remembered having seen. 



These Esquimaux had nothing to eat, and no other 

 clothing than their ordinary double dresses of fur; they 

 would not eat our biscuit or salt pork, but took a small 

 quantity of bear's blubber and some water. They slept in a 

 sitting posture, with their heads leaning forward on their 

 breasts. Next morning we travelled about 10 miles farther, 

 by which time we were close to Cape Victoria ; beyond this 

 I would not go, much as they wished to lead us on ; we 

 therefore landed, and they built us a commodious snow hut 

 in half an hour; this done, we displayed to them our 

 articles for barter — knives, hies, needles, scissors, beads, &c. 

 — expressed our desire to trade with them, and promised to 

 purchase everything which belonged to the starved white 

 men, if they would come to us on the morrow. Notwith- 

 standing that the weather was now stormy and bitterly cold, 



