In the Arctic Regions. 429 



half hour. aaid an old man, taking up his 



initials, "these imi-t have been made by Buch people 

 as you have been describing, for none that we have 

 . could do any thing like it ;"' thru taking hold of 

 his coat, he asked, " what kind of animal do tin 

 skins which you and the chiefs wear belong to ? 

 We have none Buch in our country." The anchor 

 buttons also excited their admiration. At length wu 

 managed to gain their attention, and were informed 

 that, as soon as the wind should blow strong from the 

 land, the ice might be expected to remove from the 



shore, so as to Open ft | for boats, and that it 



would remain in the offing until the reappearance of 

 the star-. •• Further to the westward,'' they con- 

 tinued, "the ice often adheres to the land throughout 

 the Bummer ; and when ii docs break away, it is car- 

 ried but a Bhorl distance to seaward, and is brought back 

 whenever a Btrong wind blows on the roast. It' there 

 be any channels in those parts, they are unsafe tor 

 boats, as tl itinually tossing about. We 



wonder, therefore," they Baid, " that yon are no1 pro- 

 vided with sledges and dogs, as our men are, to travel 

 along the land, when these interruptions occur." 

 They concluded by warning us not to Btay to the 

 westward after the aid be - the 



winds would then blow bI ind pack 



the ice on the shore. On further inquiry we learned 



