222 LANGUAGE OF SIGNS. 



myself started in search of any marks which might 

 have been left by the " Blossom's " boat. We pulled 

 to the southward, and landed to examine a large post, 

 which we had before observed. It was, however, only 

 a piece of driftwood, set up by the natives, many 

 similar to it being about, generally upright. These, 

 as I understood from the Esquimaux, were used as 

 land-marks for their fishing boats. I believe, indeed, 

 that the " Blossom's " boat did not land here, nor 

 leave any mark of their visit. There was certainly 

 none such to be seen. We carefully examined every 

 suspicious object, and dug under several of the posts 

 to a considerable depth. 



Our interpreter did not understand the tribe, and 

 again recourse was had to the imiversal language of 

 signs. We made a rude model of a vessel, and 

 performed sundry antics to signify what we were in 

 search of, but could elicit no information, and so set 

 to work at obtaining observations. We concluded that 

 these people must have been entirely misunderstood. 

 Far from evidencing any disposition to assail or molest 

 us, they were most docile and well-behaved, agreeably 

 disappointing us in their conduct. When we arrived 

 on the hillock, all, big and little, sat down around us, 

 and I amused myself by filling their pipes, becoming 

 a great favom'ite immediately in consequence. 



