418 VOYAGE TO THE 



C xii P ' maux > which have been already described. The 

 ^— v-*' country here was covered with a thick peat, which 

 Narrative retame( i ^he water and made it very swampy and 

 Barge ' almost impassable. Upon the beach there was 

 found an abundance of coal and drift-wood. Work- 

 ing to the north-eastward from this village, they 

 discovered a shoal with only eight feet water upon 

 it lying about 150 yards from the beach, which 

 having deep water within it, offered a security 

 against the ice in the event of its closing the shore, 

 and they did not fail to bear in mind the advantage 

 it might afford in a moment of necessity. About 

 midnight they were visited by four baidars contain- 

 ing about sixty persons, from whom they expected 

 to obtain a supply of venison, as this kind of provi- 

 sion is, generally speaking, abundant to the north- 

 ward of Cape Lisburn; but being disappointed, 

 they continued their progress along the land. On 

 the morning of the 20th there was a fall of snow, 

 and the weather turned very cold. They found 

 themselves off a village, and were visited by several 

 baidars, the crews of which were very anxious to 

 get alongside the barge, and in so doing one of the 

 baidars was upset. An Esquimaux dress is very ill 

 adapted to aquatic exercises, and persons acquainted 

 with it would think there was considerable danger in 

 being plunged into the sea thus habited ; but the 

 natives in the other baidars did not seem to reflect 

 upon these consequences, and laughed most immo- 

 derately at the accident : they, however, went to 

 the assistance of their friends, and rescued them 

 all. It must have been a cold dip for these people, 

 as the rigging and masts were partially covered 

 with ice. 



