NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NORTHWEST PASSAGE. 268 



was not good enough and decided to make the depot where we were, 

 return to the vessel, and wait for wanner weather. 



On March 16 I made another attempt to move this depot some- 

 what farther out. It was on this trip that we first met witli the 

 Nechjilli Eskimo, and accompanied them home to their snow huts, 

 which lay among the pressure ridges in Rae Strait. Our first meet- 

 ing with this tribe was thoroughly friendly and hearty. Their camps 

 consisted of sixteen snow huts, inhabited by about a hundred people. 

 In appearance and dress, they were exactly like our former friends 

 the Ogluli Eskimo. 



When m}" companion and I were about to begin to build our house 

 of snow, they all came and gave us to understand that they wished to 

 help us. AVe gladly left the work to them, and after the lapse of 

 half an hour our hut was completely finished. The following morn- 

 ing occurred a scene which very clearly shows in what respect the 

 Avhites are held among these savages. From our earlier Eskimo 

 friends, the Ogluli Eskimo, we had learned that the word " miki " 

 meant a dog. As all our dogs were young and not up to much work, 

 I asked one of our new friends — a man named Attikleura, who 

 appeared to be the chief of the tribe — to lend me his dogs the next 

 day. He thought a good deal when I asked him to do this, looked 

 at me, and smiled faintly, but made no answer. I, however, did not 

 give in, but repeated my request. lie nodded his head, and we did 

 not mention the matter again, as I now considered it settled. AMien 

 I came out of the hut in the morning, Attikleura's little son was 

 standing near the door. I did not take much notice of him, but went 

 on to his father's hut to ask what had become of the dogs. I natur- 

 ally used the word " miki " which I had learned. He looked at me in 

 g^stonishment, and made me understand that I had got his " miki." 

 As I persistently denied this, he made signs to me that Ave should go 

 out. He went straight over to his little hoj, pointed to him, and 

 said, " ona mikaga," which is to say, " here is my boy." Now every- 

 thing was clear to me. '* Miki " did not mean with this tribe " dog," 

 but " child." So great was then their fear of us that he had without 

 demur given his son away. I let him understand that I had made a 

 mistake ; the whole thing ended by hearty laughter on both sides. 



After two days' march we came across, at Matty Island, a small 

 camp, consisting of six huts. These belonged to some Ichjuachtorvik 

 Eskimo, as they called themselves, who were from the east coast of 

 Boothia Felix, near the place where Eoss wintered in the Victor]/. 

 These people made a very bad impression on me, and I said to my com- 

 panion in the evening that we had better lash everything securely on 

 the sledges, and let the dogs sleep near them. In the morning when 

 it was time to start we missed a saw, an ax, and a knife. I made the 

 Eskimo understand that they must return the stolen articles, but they 



