BEYOND THE ARCTIC CIRCLE 261 



circle from King's Lake, at our point of crossing, about 

 210 miles; arctic circle to Arctic Ocean, about 80 miles. 



We had been travelling from the " last wood " about 

 eleven to twelve days, and from King's Lake thirteen to 

 fourteen days. I found when I returned to Slave Lake 

 that during my journey to the Barren Grounds I had lost 

 a day somehow, and that is why I am not positive as to 

 the exact number. 



We had travelled a pretty good pace, and I was quite 

 sure we were not much more than fifty miles from the 

 Arctic Ocean. I made signs to Beniah that 

 night, offering him a hundred skins to go down 

 to the ocean. I do not know that he understood 

 me ; I am under the impression he did ; at any 

 rate, he declined, and I must confess I did not 

 press my desire, for I was quite willing to turn 

 round and face Great Slave Lake. It would 

 have been exceedingly hazardous to go on to the 

 ocean, because our wood supply was not suffi- 

 cient to get us back to the " last wood," and we 

 were by no means certain of meeting Eskimos. 

 Besides, no one knew what our reception might 

 be if we did meet them, for there is hereditary 

 enmity between the Eskimos on the coast and 

 the Northland Indians to the south. 



ESKIMO 



About one hundred years ago the Dog-Ribs KNIFE 

 surprised a party of Eskimos several days south 

 of where we then were and massacred them. That, I 

 believe, is the only record of bloodshed between the 

 nations or of their meeting ; but it was all-sufficient to 

 have made a lasting impression. 



