150 COMMUNICATE WITH ESQUIMAUX. Chap. IX. 



been within this inlet, nor of any wrecked ships. 

 They knew of the depot of provisions left 

 at Navy Board Inlet by the ' North Star,' but 

 had none of them. The woman has traced on 

 paper the shores of the inlet as far as her know- 

 ledge extends, and has given me the name of 

 every point. She says the ice will break up 

 with the first fresh wind. These two individuals 

 are alone here. They remained on purpose to 

 barter with the whalers, and cannot now rejoin 

 their friends, who are only 25 miles up the in- 

 let, because the ice is unsafe to travel over and 

 the land precipitous and impracticable. 



This afternoon the ' Tay ' stood in towards us, 

 and Captain Deuchars kindly sent his boat on 

 board with an offer to take charge of our letters. 

 The ' Tay ' reached this coast only a few days 

 ago, having met with the same difficulties which 

 we experienced. The * Innuit ' was last seen 

 nearly a month ago beset off Jones' Sound. 

 The remaining steamer, the ' Chase,' has not 

 been seen or heard of. 



1%th. — The old woman's denial of all know- 

 ledge of wrecks or cast-away men was very 

 unsatisfactory. I determined to visit her coun- 

 trymen at their summer village of Kaparok- 

 tolik, which she described as being only a short 

 day's journey up the inlet. 



