OF THE POLAR SEA. jsi 



deer and musk oxen at some distance from the 

 coast. Their weapon is the bow and arrow, and 

 they get sufficiently near to the deer, either by 

 crawling, or by leading these animals by ranges 

 of turf towards a spot where the archer can con- 

 ceal himself. Their bows are formed of three 

 pieces of fir, the centre piece alone bent, the 

 other two lying in the same straight line with the 

 bowstring ; the pieces are neatly tied together 

 with sinew. Their canoes are similar to those 

 we saw in Hudson's Straits, but smaller. They 

 get fish constantly in the rivers, and in the sea 

 as soon as the ice breaks up. This tribe does 

 not make use of nets, but they are tolerably suc- 

 cessful with the hook and line. Their cooking 

 utensils are made of pot-stone, and they form very 

 neat dishes of fir, the sides being made of thin 

 deal bent into an oval form, secured at the ends 

 by sewing, and fitted so nicely to the bottom as 

 to be perfectly water tight. They have also large 

 spoons made of the horns of the musk oxen. 



Akaitcho and the Indians arrived at our tents 

 in the evening, and we learned that they had seen 

 the Esquimaux the day before, and endeavoured, 

 without success, to open a communication with 

 them. They exhibited no hostile intention, but 

 were afraid to come near. Akaitcho, keeping 

 out of their sight, followed them at a distance, 



