Visit to their huts. 

 Their food. 



SOUTHERN CRUISE. 



A native remains on board. 

 Departure of Porpoise. 



25 



about an hour, the women went on shore to take 

 possession of it. They all seemed quite happy and 

 contented. 



Before they left the ship, the greater part of 

 them were dressed in old clothes, that had been 

 given to them by the officers and men, who all 

 showed themselves extremely anxious " to make 

 them comfortable." This gave rise to much merri- 

 ment, as Jack was not disposed to allow any difficul- 

 ties to interfere in the fitting. If the jackets proved 

 too tight across the shouldei-s, which they invariably 

 were, a slit down the back effectually remedied the 

 defect. If a pair of trousers was found too small 

 around the waist, the knife was again resorted to, 

 and in some cases a fit was made by severing the 

 legs. The most difficult fit, and the one which pro- 

 duced the most merriment, was that of a woman to 

 whom an old coat was given. This she concluded 

 belonged to her nether limbs, and no signs, hints, 

 or shouts, could correct her mistake. Her feet were 

 thrust through the sleeves, and after hard squeez- 

 ing she succeeded in drawing them on. With the 

 skirts brought up in front, she took her seat in the 

 canoe with great satisfaction, amid a roar of 

 laughter from all who saw her. 



Towards evening, Messrs. Waldron and Drayton 

 visited their huts. Before they readied the shore, 

 the natives were seen making a fire on the beach, 

 for their reception, evidently to avoid their entering 

 their huts. 



On landing, one of the men seemed anxious to talk 

 with them. He pointed to the ship, and tried to 

 express many things by gestures; then pointed to 

 the south-east, and then again to the ship, after 

 which clasping his hands, as in our mode of prayer, 

 he said, " Eloah, Eloah," as though he thought we 

 had come from God. 



After a little time, they gained admittance to the 

 hut. The men creeping in first, squatted them- 

 selves directly in front of the women, all holding 

 out the small piece of sealskin to allow the heat to 

 reach their bodies. The women were squatted 

 three deep behind the men, the oldest in front nest- 

 ling the infants. 



After being in the hut, Mr. Drayton endeavoured 

 to call the attention of the man who had made signs 

 to him before entering, to know whether they had 

 any idea of a Supreme Being. The same man 

 then put his hands together, repeating as before, 

 " Eloah, Eloah." From his manner, it was inferred 

 that they had some idea of God or a Supreme 

 Being. 



Their mode of expressing friendship is by jump- 

 ing up and down. They made Messrs. Waldron 

 and Drayton jump with them on the beach, be- 

 fore entering the hut, took hold of their arms, 

 facing them, and jumping two or three inches from 

 the ground, making them keep time to a wild music 

 of their own. 



All our endeavours to find out how they ignited 

 their fire proved unavailing. It must be exceed- 

 ingly difficult for them to accomplish, judging from 

 the care they take of it, always carrying it with 

 them in their canoes, and the danger they thus run 

 of injuring themselves by it. 



Their food consists of limpets, mussels, and other 

 shell-fish. Quantities of fish, and some seals, are 

 now and then taken among the kelp, and with 

 ben-ies of various kinds, and wild celery, they do 

 not want. They seldom cook their food much. 



The shell-fish are detached from the shell by heat, 

 and the fish are partly roasted in their skins, with- 

 out being cleaned. 



When on board, one of them was induced to sit 

 at the dinner-table; after a few lessons, he handled 

 his knife and fork with much dexterity. He re- 

 fused both spirits and wine, but was very fond of 

 sweetened water. Salt provisions were not at all 

 to his liking, but rice and plum-pudding were agree- 

 able to his taste, and he literally crammed them 

 into his mouth. After his appetite had been satis- 

 fied, he was in great good humour, singing his 

 " Hey meh leh," dancing and laughing. His 

 mimicry prevented any satisfactory inquiries 

 being made of him relative to a vocabulary. 



Some of the officers painted the faces of these 

 natives black, white, and red: this delighted them 

 very much, and it was quite amusing to see the 

 grimaces made by them before a looking-glass. 



One of these natives remained on board for up- 

 wards of a week, and being washed and combed, 

 he became two or three shades lighter in colour. 

 Clothes were put on him. He was about twenty- 

 three years of age; and was unwell the whole time 

 he was on board, from eating such quantities of 

 rice, &c. His astonishment was very great on 

 attending divine service. The moment the chap- 

 lain began to read from the book, his eyes were 

 riveted upon him, where they remained as long as 

 he continued to read. At the end of the week he 

 became dissatisfied, and was set on shore, and soon 

 appeared naked again. It was observed on pre- 

 sents being made, that those who did not receive 

 any began a sort of whining cry, putting on the 

 most doleful-looking countenances imaginable. 



They are much addicted to theft, if any oppor- 

 tunity offers. The night before they left the bay, 

 they stole and cut up one of the wind-sails, 

 which had been scrubbed and hung up on shore to 

 dry. 



Although we had no absolute proof of it, we 

 are inclined to the belief that they bury their 

 dead in caves. 



There is a black-coloured moss that covers the 

 ground in places, giving it the appearance of having 

 been burnt. Many small ponds are met with, as 

 though the peat had been dug up from the place, 

 and the holes filled with water. There is great 

 plenty of scurvy-grass and wild celery close to 

 the beach. 



At Orange Harbour the tide was found to have 

 four feet, rise and fall. High water, full and change, 

 at 4 P.M. Among the Hermit Islands it seems to 

 be affected by the winds in the offing. The flood 

 sets to the east. 



On the 25th of February, 1839, having completed 

 the arrangements for the southern cruise, and pre- 

 pared instructions for the continuance of the duties 

 of the expedition in case of my being detained 

 among the ice, the signal was ordered to be made 

 for the vessels to get under way, when I joined the 

 Porpoise. Very many of my crew were desirous of 

 following me, and expressed regrets and disappoint- 

 ment that the Vincennes was not going south. All 

 I could do, was to promise them enough of ant- 

 arctic cruising the next year, and I believe they 

 are now all satisfied that I kept my word. About 

 7 A.M. we left the harbour, with a light breeze 

 from the north, having the Sea-Gull, of which 

 vessel Lieutenant Johnson was in charge, in com- 



