402 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap, sleeves to apprise us of the approaching cold. I 

 ^r^ thanked him for his advice, and making them each 

 ^K, 1 ' a parting present we took our leave. The next 

 morning they embarked every thing, and paddled 

 over to Escholtz Bay. After they were gone, we 

 found some of our flour where the tents had stood, 

 and a quantity of it secreted in a bush near the place ; 

 so that their cautious behaviour with regard to our 

 approaching their tents the first day was no doubt 

 occasioned by fear of this discovery ; and they after- 

 wards secreted their plunder in a manner probably 

 not likely to meet detection. 



Among this party there was a man so crippled 

 that he went upon all fours ; how it occurred we 

 could not learn, but it was probably in some hunting 

 excursion, as several of his companions had deep 

 scars which they intimated had been inflicted by 

 walrusses, which in the following year we found in 

 great numbers off the coast. In this party we de- 

 tected a difference of dialect from what we had heard 

 in general, which made their objection to our writ- 

 ing in our books the more provoking, as it prevent- 

 ed us recording any of the variations, except in 

 regard to the negative particle no, which with other 

 parties was naga, and with these, aun-ga. The fe- 

 males were provided with broad iron bracelets, which 

 we had not seen before ; and by their having four 

 or five of them upon each wrist, it appeared that 

 this metal, so precious with the tribes to the north- 

 ward, was with them less rare : nevertheless it is 

 very probable that they intended to appropriate to 

 this purpose the iron hoops they had stolen from us. 

 I have said nothing of the dress or features of 

 these people, as, with the exception of two of them, 



