258 SURROUNDED BY ESQUIMAUX. 



had probably obtained her by undue, and, possibly, 

 violent means : this doubt was, however, speedily 

 cleared up by our signs and representations, and, 

 more than all, the display and distribution of beads, 

 tobacco, and knives, with which also we purchased 

 fish, which they had in plenty. Our visitants 

 gradually increased to a considerable number ; and as 

 they encroached upon the defined boundaries of our 

 camp, two rockets were sent up, ostensibly to divert, 

 but really in the hope of frightening the natives off* to 

 a less dangerous proximity. Hugely astonished and 

 dehghted they were ; and expressed their sensations 

 in a rapid flow of speech, grimace, and gesticulation ; 

 but they did not draw off to a distance, notwith- 

 standing ; and unwilling to display the natural 

 anxiety attendant on the encircling of our slender 

 band by so large a number of strangers, whose 

 intentions we were quite ignorant of, the precaution 

 was taken, instead, of doubling the sentinels, and 

 impressing upon them the necessity of great vigilance. 

 These Esquimaux made some signs which, coupled 

 with the frequent use of the word "mah-no-lah" 

 (white man), led us to conjecture that they saw the 

 expedition of Dease and Simpson, but of this we 

 could not be confident. 



The next morning (21st) we proceeded on our 



