FAREWELL TO ESQUIMAUX. 363 



followed to witness our final departure on the morning 

 of the 15th, were interesting and indicative of the 

 two races and their relative positions. Presents were 

 appointed to each of the natives, and we explained 

 to them, as well as we could, our gratification at the 

 reception we had met with, and the good nature 

 and amicable bearing they had displayed. A long 

 oration, gesticulatory emphatic, was delivered in reply 

 by one of the women : it was clearly valedictory, as 

 well as eulogistic of the departing Kabloonan, whose 

 general designation figured largely in the discourse, 

 together with frequent allusions to particular indivi- 

 duals of both parties, and to the sun, skies, sea, 

 whales, and other objects. They asked us when we 

 should return, and we named ten moons as the period 

 which must elapse ere a new visit could be made. 



It would be waste of time to enter upon the details 

 of our return-journey, which, like the outward trip, 

 was a series of discomfort and toil. Gales, rain, snow, 

 shallow water, heavy ice, a freezing temperature and 

 wretched food — these tell our tale comprehensively. 



A few small whales were seen (I never saw large 

 ones nor met with their bones upon the coast) and near 

 Point M'Kinley we found an Esquimaux family, of 

 which the father was as expert in theft as one of om* 

 own dear swell-mob : he abstracted a knife, inch by 



