224 Difficulties ivith the Innuits. [March, isee. 



things which they related of this man, was the story that he became 

 much ahirmed by the accounts from the IwilHk people of the fierce 

 and deceitful Neitchille tribe, and for this reason he had tried to 

 desert Rae, but without success. 



During the rest of the month of February and throughout March, 

 Hall was quite willing to have for his companions the few only who 

 had returned with him from Now-yarn. He needed rest from the fre- 

 quency of visitations to his igtoo, and quiet for maturing his plans for 

 the spring sledge journey ; but especially, relief from the misunder- 

 standings and alienations occurring not infrequently at the village. It 

 is easy to see that any estrangement from those on whom he as the 

 only white man was dependent, and at times helplessly so, must have 

 caused him much disquiet, beyond even the connection of this with 

 the success of his plans. Some personal misunderstandings with 

 Ou-e-la (the chief) and with Ar-mou, and others, had more than once 

 occurred ; and at one time he seems to have had good reason to 

 believe that his life was in danger. But his control over the people 

 continued to be strangely successful, and it so remained up to the 

 close of the expedition. 



The chief means of this success is readily to be inferred from the 

 course of the narrative up to this date. From the time of his first 

 meeting with the Innuits he had reciprocated the cordiality of their 

 simple offerings, and had subjected himself to a conformity with their 

 .strange customs; he had ministered to their necessities in sickness, 

 su})pl vinfT both food and fuel ; and had held out to them just expecta- 

 tions of fiiithcM- assistance from the whalers, and from his friends in the 

 United States. His chief dependence for the needed control over them 

 wa,s in his su|)ply of tobacco, often freely given as a present, but as a 



