Chap. VI. CAPTAIN PARRY'S SECOND VOYAGE. 157 



to the westward. They fell in with a small tribe of 

 Esquimaux, whose habitations were visited, and the 

 inmates found to be u a good-humoured and decent 

 sort of people." One lad in particular is described 

 as " uncommonly quick and clever in comprehend- 

 ing our meaning, and seemed to possess a degree 

 of good humour and docility which, on our short 

 acquaintance, made him a great favourite among 

 us. 



In some of the bays and inlets the ice remained 

 fixed and unbroken and, as far as could be seen, 

 grounded along the coast. Still they proceeded, 

 passing by no creek or inlet without landing or 

 boating to examine it thoroughly. On the 1st of 

 October some rain fell, and immediately freezing 

 made the decks and ropes as smooth and slippery 

 as glass. For several days before, the thermometer 

 had permanently fallen below the freezing point ; 

 and the rapid formation of young ice near the 

 shores gave pretty evident notice of the approach 

 of winter. On the 6th of October, Parry says, 

 " There being now only an hours daylight remain- 

 ing, the young ice fast increasing, and a strong tide 

 running in the offing, I was obliged to relinquish 

 the idea of moving till the morning/ ' On the 8th 

 the thermometer was down to zero, and the sea was 

 covered with young ice, of which we have the fol- 

 lowing description : — 



" The formation of young ice upon the surface of the 



