346 VOYAGE TO THE 



CH X ^ P - the palms of their hands, but without any disgusting 



**" ^v—' practice. 



182& When they had parted with all they had for sale, 



they quitted the ship, well pleased with their excur- 

 sion, and having pushed off to a little distance, clap- 

 ped their hands, extended their arms, and stroked 

 their bodies repeatedly ; which we afterwards found 

 to be the usual demonstration of friendship among 

 all their tribe. They then pointed to the shore, and 

 with one consent struck the water with their pad- 

 dles, and propelled their baidars with a velocity which 

 we were not prepared to witness. These boats are 

 similar in construction to the oomiaks of Hudson's 

 Bay ; but the model differs in being sharp at both 

 ends. They consist of a frame made of drift wood, 

 covered with the skins of walruses which are strain- 

 ed over it, and are capable of being tightened at any 

 time by a lacing on the inside of the gunwale ; the 

 frame and benches for the rowers are fastened with 

 thongs, by which the boat is rendered both light and 

 pliable ; the skin, when soaked with water, is trans- 

 lucent; and a stranger placing his foot upon the flat 

 yielding surface at the bottom of the boat fancies it 

 a frail security ; but it is very safe and durable, espe- 

 cially when kept well greased. 



In Hudson's Strait the oomiak is principally used 

 by the women and children ; here it is the common 

 conveyance of the men, who, without them, would 

 not be able to collect their store of provisions for 

 the winter. They are always steered by the elderly 

 men, who have also the privilege of sitting in the 

 stern of the boat when unemployed. The starboard 

 paddles of those which we saw were stained with 

 black stripes, and the larboard with red, as were also 

 the frames of some of the baidars. 



