56 THE NATIVES OF 



1824. request he jumped into our boat, and taking 

 Aug-ust. his skins in tow, we rowed for the beach ; Init 

 our neAv acquaintance was not a very quiet 

 passenger, for he stood up repeatedly to wave 

 and shout to those on shore, assuring them of 

 his safety, and that I had given him three 

 needles. He was about twenty years of age, 

 very small and brown, with a most agreeable 

 cast of countenance, tie called himself Nee- 

 a-kood4oo, and as we made for the beach I 

 found, that although he understood me a little, 

 and used a few words with which I was ac- 

 quainted, yet he spoke a language differing 

 very materially from that of any other Esqui- 

 maux whom we had seen. He chattered and 

 chuckled rapidly and delightedly to himself, 

 and always with downcast eyes. At a long 

 shoal point we jumped on shore to his six 

 countrymen, Avho appeared to have neither 

 word nor gesture of salutation, and each, as I 

 approached him, presented me with two half- 

 dried salmon, evidently intended as a peace- 

 offering ; for the donors drew back on my ac- 

 cepting the fish, as if they expected no equiva- 

 lent. Observing a dirty-looking bone in each 

 man's hand, I asked what they were, and the 

 poor creatures told me they were their " Fau- 

 nas" or knives ; which on examination I found 



