In the Arctic Regions, 449 



cent as to be within the memory of two of our pn • 

 companions, they had great difficulty in understanding 

 them. Several quarrels took place at their rirBt meet- 

 ings, in consequence of the western party attempting 



to steal ; but latterly there has been a good under- 

 standing between them, and the exchanges have been 

 fairly made. 



Our visitors did not know from what people either 

 the Indians or the Esquimaux obtained the goods, 

 but they supposed from some " Kabloonacht," (white 

 people,) who reside far to tin- west. As the articles 

 we saw were not of British manufacture, and V. 

 very unlike those sold by the Hudson's Bay Company 

 to the Indians, it cannot be doubted that they are 

 furnished by the Russian Fur Trailers, who receive in 

 return for them all the furs collected on this northern 

 coast. Part of the Russian iron-work is conveyed to 

 the Esquimaux dwelling on the coast east of the 

 Mackenzie. The western Esquimaux use tobacco, 

 and some oi' our visitors had smoked it, but thought 

 the flavor very disagreeable. Until I was aware of 

 their being acquainted with the use of it. I prohibited 

 my men from smoking in tl ence, and after- 



wards from offering their pipes to the Esquimaux 

 any time. At the conclusion of this conference, our 

 visitors assured us, that having now become acquaint- 

 ed with white people, and being conscious that the 



