1 50 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VI. 



however, in the entrance only of Hudson's Strait, 

 which, being exposed to the swell of the main 

 ocean, and completely open to the influence of the 

 whole Atlantic, has always been considered, by the 

 ships of the Hudson's Bay Company, a most dan- 

 gerous and difficult position : three of these were 

 seen here in a similar predicament with the dis- 

 covery ships. In proceeding up the strait, several 

 Esquimaux canoes, or kayaks, made their appear- 

 ance, offering seal and whale oil, spears, skins of 

 the seal, bear, fox, &c, for sale. After them came 

 a large oomiak, or woman's boat ; their filthy cus- 

 toms, however, disgusted the seamen, who gave 

 them no sort of encouragement. 



" On the whole," says Parry, " it was impossible 

 for us not to receive a very unfavourable impression 

 of the general behaviour and moral character of the 

 natives of this part of Hudson's Strait, who seem to 

 have acquired, b}^ an annual intercourse with our 

 ships for nearly a hundred years, many of the vices 

 which unhappily attend a first intercourse with the 

 civilized world, without having imbibed any of the 

 virtues or refinements which adorn and render it 

 happy." 



Having reached Southampton Island, near its 

 northern extremity, where the continuity of the 

 land appeared to be dissolved, Parry concluded 

 they were not far from the eastern entrance of the 

 Frozen Strait, which had occasioned so much 

 angry discussion a hundred years ago, as to whether 



