162 The Tides. lAprii, ises. 



hunter for tlie village. He was the only Iiinuit who had as yet shot 

 a seal in the open water But Hall knew that he had been accus- 

 tomed to this for years, and felt satisfied that if Joe kept his health, 

 there need be no fear but that he would secure enough provision to 

 keep eight or ten hearty men in good working condition. 



The full opportunities which now offered themselves for observ- 

 mfr the tides in the Welcome, led to the conclusion that their true direc- 

 tion differs from that spoken of by N. West Fox, who explored the strait 

 in 1631, and by other earlier as well as later explorers. The flood- 

 tide was found to set in from the south, while the ebb comes from the 

 north. The Eskimos say that below the Wager, oo-lee-po-ke (flood- 

 tide) comes from the south, and tin-ne-i^o-ke (ebb-tide) comes from the 

 north ; while above the river the reverse is found. 



The tides in Hudson's Bay, Hall remembered, were admitted to 

 be inconsistent with general rules. He had read that — 



TNlien it was discovered that at Eesolution Island, lying at its entrance, the 

 tide wii.s full 30 feet at full and change of moon ; less and less as advance is 

 made westward ; only G feet at Gary Swan's Kest, on the south of Southampton 

 Island ; hut thonce to tlie west side of Hudson Strait higher and higher, and 

 the furtlier an advance is made north, still increasing: — it was concluded that 

 tbere must be some strait or passage connecting the west side of the bay to a 

 western ocean or the South Sea. 



The move toward the Wager and thence to Repulse Bay was now 

 begun. i)\\ the 10th, Ou-e-la and his family, with some of Hall's stores, 

 started an ith a large team toward the Wager River, followed by every 

 remaining one of the company except Ebierbing and Too-koo-li-too, 

 who still domiciled with Hall. His igho, which up to this time had 

 l)oen so (jfton crowded by men, women, and children, and dogs, was 

 now lelt free, giving him the enjoyment of some repose for Avriting. 



