34 Jtt'Keevor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 



eat a portion of it, and, when done, lick their fingers and lips, 

 as if they had been feeding on the fragments of some sump- 

 tuous banquet. 



In consequence of the great number of canoes that were 

 alongside the ship (no less than forty), they frequently tilted 

 against each other; when this happened, they did not appear at 

 all irritated, but rowed aside with the greatest good-humour. 

 A few of them made off without giving any thing in return 

 for the articles they had got from us ; the rest did not appear 

 to notice it, nor did they at all interfere.* After paddling 

 away a few yards from the ship, they generally turned about 

 and laughed very heartily at those whom they had thus tricked. 

 When disappointed in any article which they expected to get, 

 they appeared very much irritated. 



I recollect seeing on the canoe of one of the men an appa- 

 rently very nice skin ; I immediately held up a file to the 

 Indian, and then pointed to the skin, thus intimating that I 

 wished to exchange with him. On close examination, how- 

 ever, I found that it was completely rotten, and all over in 

 holes, and signified to him that I did not think it sufficient 

 value for the file. He immediately took up his paddle, and 

 winding it round his head, made a desperate blow at me, the 

 full benefit of which I should have received, but for the cele- 

 rity with which I made up the gang-way. 



Several of the men had bows and arrows ; they could not, 

 however, be induced to part with them, owing, as the captain 

 supposed, to their being then at war with some neighbouring 

 tribe of Indians. 



During the first day, we were not visited by any of the 

 women ; the following morning, however, about ten o'clock, 

 a large boatful came alongside, and in about an hour after- 

 wards several others. The women's boat, or umiak, as they 

 term it, differs very much in form from that of the men, being 

 entirely open at top, and so large as to be capable of carrying 

 thirty or forty persons. They are made of the same materials 

 as those of the men. In the first boat that arrived there were 

 about twenty women, and the same number of children. At 

 the stern of it I observed an aged infirm old woman, with a 

 thoughtful melancholy countenance; there was also some- 

 thing wild and unsettled in her looks. A highly-polished 

 plate of brass surrounded her forehead, somewhat like a co- 

 ronet ; her hair was collected into small bobs, by means of 

 the sinews of animals, and from each was suspended the tooth 



* This, however, arose a good deal, I fancy, from their companions being 

 so much occupied in trading. 



