24 Account of the Esquimaux. 



most beautiful and serene weather, so that the whole distance 

 we had hitherto come, we had always occasion to make use of 

 our oars. After refreshing ourselves at our seventh station, we 

 started on our return, with a fine breeze from the southward, 

 and made such progress, that we were enabled to reach our 

 Esquimaux friends the same evening, although it had again 

 fallen calm, and we were obliged to ply our oars for the last 

 seven miles. 



Auo-ust 23. and 24. — These two days were spent with the 

 natives, whom we found to consist of twelve in number, includ- 

 ing women and children. We were well received by them, but 

 our attempts at making ourselves understood were very unsuc- 

 cessful. They are evidently the same race as the Esquimaux 

 in the other parts of Greenland and the northern parts of Ame- 

 rica. Our intercourse was of too short duration to acquire any 

 of their language ; but the descriptions given by Captains Parry 

 and Lyons of the natives at Igluleik, in many particulars re- 

 sembled those of our friends. I observed particularly the same 

 superstitious ceremony of sprinkling water over a seal or walrus 

 before they commence skinning it. 



Their amazement at seeing one of the seamen shoot a seal 

 was quite unbounded. They heard for the first time the report 

 of a musket, and turning round in the direction in which the 

 animal was killed, and floating on the water, one of them was 

 desired to go in his canoe and fetch it. Before landing it he 

 turned it round and round, till he observed where the ball had 

 penetrated, and, putting his finger into the hole, set up a most 

 extraordinary shout of astonishment, dancing and capering in the 

 most absurd manner. He was afterwards desired to skin it, 

 which he did expeditiously and well. 



Wishing to give them farther proofs of our skill in shooting, 

 several muskets were fired at a mark, but without permitting 

 them to sec us load. A pistol was afterwards put into their 

 hands, and one of them fired into the water ; the recoil startled 

 him so much, tht.t he immediately slunk away into his tent. 

 The following morning we found they had all left us, leaving 

 their tents and every thing behind, which I have no doubt was 

 occasioned by their alarm at the firing. 



August 26. — We now pursued our way towards the ship, 



