OF THE POLAR SEA. 317 
natives ; and by way of enforcing the latter point 
more strongly, I assured him that a forfeiture of 
all the advantages which might be anticipated 
from the Expedition would be a certain conse- 
quence, if any quarrel.arose between his party 
and the Esquimaux. I also communicated to him 
that owing to the distance we had travelled, we 
had now few more stores than was ‘necessary 
for the use of our own party, a part of these, how- 
ever, should be forthwith presented to him; on his 
return he and his party should be remunerated 
with cloth, ammunition, tobacco, and some use- 
ful iron materials, besides having” mepeb ies to 
the North-West Company 
The chief, whose name is. Akaitcho or Big: a. 
replied by a renewal of his assurances, that he 
and his party would attend us to the end of our 
journey, and that they would do their utmost to 
provide us with the means of subsi: He 
admitted that his tribe had made war upon the 
Esquimaux, but said they were now desirous of 
peace, and unanimous in their opinion as to the 
necessity of all who accompanied us abstaining 
from every act of enmity against that nation. He 
added, however, that the Esquimaux were very 
treacherous, and therefore recommended that we 
should advance towards them with caution. 
The communications which the chief and the 
