66 



VISIT TO A 



1824. the north- west, at two miles from the shore, in 

 August, thirteen fathoms. The night was calm, with 

 incessant drizzling rain. From our having 

 carried a south-westerly tide with us for above 

 twelve hours, I have reason to suppose that 

 the tides meet at Carey's Swan's Nest, and 

 that the flood runs thence to the eastward. 



At four A.M., on the 29th, the wind be- 

 ing light and contrary, with continued rain, 

 I landed with two boats to procure water 

 abreast of the ship, on a flat lime-stone beach, 

 lying in long irregular ridges to seaward ; and 

 the tide having ebbed a little, the small rip- 

 pling sea marked the position of the shoals by 

 breaking on them. Near our landing-place 

 were the remains of a large Esquimaux esta- 

 blishment, and had it not been for the state 

 in which we found some stored provisions, I 

 should have imagined that no person had been 

 there for some years. These hoards were 

 carefully deposited in small buildings, such as 

 I have before described, and consisted of the 

 bodies of skinned birds, suspended by the 

 legs, pieces of walrus, carcasses of seals, bags 

 of blubber, and one leathern sack fall of king- 

 ducks, uncased, and with all their feathers yet 

 on, smelling most offensively. On a high pile 

 of stones, near the beach, were placed a 



