158 AN ARCTIC VILLAGE. Chap. IX. 



issues, to convince even tlie unreflecting savage 

 of its progressive motion. 



Tiie land is devoid of game, although lem- 

 mings and ermines are tolerably numerous ; it 

 only supplies the moss which the natives burn 

 with blubber in their lamps, and the dry grass 

 which they put in their boots ; even the soft 

 stone, lapis ollaris, out of which their lamps 

 and cooking vessels are made, and the iron 

 pyrites with which they strike fire, are obtained 

 by barter from the people inhabiting the land 

 to the west of Navy Board Inlet, But the 

 sea compensates for every deficiency. The as- 

 sembled population amounted to only 25 souls : 

 9 men, the rest women and children. 



All of them evinced extreme delight at seeing 

 us ; as we approached the huts the women and 

 children held up their arms in the air and 

 shouted " Pilletay" (give me), incessantly; 

 the men were more quiet and dignified, yet lost 

 no opportunity, either when we declined to 

 barter, or when they had performed any little 

 service, to repeat " Pilletay " in a beseeching 

 tone of voice. 



"We walked everywhere about the tents and 

 entered some of them, carefully examining every 

 chip or piece of metal ; our visit was quite un- 



