OF THE POLAR SEA. 165 



made for the purpose at Fort Enterprise. Au- 

 gustus was desired to make his presents, and to 

 tell the Esquimaux that the white men had come 

 to make peace between them and all their ene- 

 mies, and also to discover a passage by which 

 every article of which they stood in need might 

 be brought in large ships. He was not to men- 

 tion that we were accompanied by the Indians, 

 but to endeavour to prevail on some of the Esqui- 

 maux to return with him. He was directed to 

 come back immediately if there were no lodges at 

 the rapid. 



The Indians were not suffered to move out of 

 our sight, but in the evening we permitted two of 

 them to cross the river in pursuit of a musk-ox, 

 which they killed on the beach, and returned im- 

 mediately. The officers prompted by an anxious 

 sohcitude for Augustus and Junius crawled up 

 frequently to the summit of the mountain, to watch 

 their return. The view, however, was not ex- 

 tensive, being bounded at the distance of eight 

 miles by a range of hills similar to the Copper 

 Mountains, but not so lofty. The night came 

 without bringing any intelligence of our messen- 

 gers, and our fears for their safety increased with 

 the length of their absence. 



As every one had been interested in the wel- 

 fare of these men through their vivacity and good- 



