154 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



Akaitcho and the guides propored that two of the 

 hunters should be despatched on this service, who 

 had extremely quick sight, and were accustomed 

 to act as scouts, an office which required equal 

 caution and circumspection. A strong objection, 

 however, lay against this plan in the probability 

 of their being discovered by a straggling hunter, 

 wliich would be destructive to every hope of ac- 

 commodation. It was therefore determined to 

 send Augustus and Junius, who w^ere very desir- 

 ous to undertake the service. These adventurous 

 men proposed to go armed only with pistols con- 

 cealed in their dress, and furnished with beads, 

 looking-glasses, and other articles, that they might 

 conciliate their countrymen by presents. We 

 could not divest our minds of the apprehension, 

 that it might be a service of much hazard if the 

 Esquimaux were as hostile to strangers as the 

 Copper Indians have invariably represented them 

 to be ; and we felt great reluctance in exposing 

 our two little interpreters, who had rendered them- 

 selves dear to the whole party, to the most dis- 

 tant chance of receiving injury ; but this course 

 of proceeding appeared in their opinion and our 

 own to offer the only chance of gaining an inter- 

 view. Though not insensible to the danger, they 

 cheerfully prepared for their mission, and clothed 

 themselves in Esquimaux dresses, which had been 



