174 THE SEA. 



way through the water at the rate of a mile an hour her course is not always under the 

 control of the helmsman, though assisted by the nicest attention to the action of the 

 sails ; but it depends upon some accidental increase or decrease in the thickness of the sheet 

 of ice with which one bow or the other comes in contact. Nor is it possible in this 

 situation for the boats to render their usual assistance by running- out lines or otherwise; 

 for having once entered the young ice, they can only be propelled slowly through it by 

 digging the oars and boat-hooks into it, at the same time breaking it across the bows, and 

 by rolling the boat from side to side. After continuing this laborious work for some time 

 with little good effect, and considerable damage to the planks and oars, a boat is often 

 obliged to return the same way that she came, backing out in the canal thus formed to 

 no purpose. A ship in this helpless state, her sails in vain expanded to a favourable 

 breeze, her ordinary resources failing, and suddenly arrested in her course upon the element 

 through which she has been accustomed to move without restraint, has often reminded me 

 of Gulliver tied down by the feeble hands of Lilliputians; nor are the struggles she 

 makes to effect a release, and the apparent insignificance of the means by which her efforts 

 are opposed the least just or the least vexatious part of the resemblance." 



It was now again time to fix upon winter quarters, and in an extensive opening of 

 the American mainland, which they named Lyon's Inlet, a suitable harbour was selected. 

 The arrangements for the comfort and employment of the crews were much as 

 before. The Sabbath was carefully observed, schools and harmless amusements provided, 

 while the interests of science were not neglected. An observatory and house were erected 

 for magnetic and astronomical observations. On February 1st a number of Esquimaux 

 arrived, who had erected a temporary village some two miles from the ships. They, unlike 

 some before seen in the vicinity of Hudson's Strait, who had become debased and demoralised 

 by their constant intercourse with whaling vessels, were of the unsophisticated order, and 

 were quiet, peaceable, and, strange to say, reasonably clean. Some of the women, having 

 handsome garments, which attracted the attention of those on board, began, to their astonish- 

 ment and consternation, to divest themselves of some of their outer clothes, although the 

 thermometer stood at the time at 20 below zero; but every individual among them having 

 on a complete double suit of deer-skin, they did not apparently suffer much in conse- 

 quence. Parry's description of their little snow village is graphic and interesting. Not a 

 single material was used in the construction of the huts but snow and ice. The inner 

 apartments of each were circular, with arched domes about seven or eight feet high, and 

 arched passage-ways leading into them. The interior of these presented a very uniform 

 appearance. The women were seated on the beds at the side of the huts, each having her 

 little fireplace, a blubber lamp, with all her domestic arrangements and domestic chattels, 

 including all the children and some of the dogs, about her. When first erected these huts 

 had a neat and even comfoi'table appearance. How differently did they look when the 

 village was broken up at the end of winter. Parry thus describes them : " On going out 

 to the village we found one-half of the people had quitted their late habitations, taking 

 with them every article of their property, and had gone over the ice, we knew not where, 

 in quest of more abundant food. The wretched appearance which the interior of the huts 

 now presented baflles all description. In each of the larger ones some of the apartments 



