544 NOTICES OF THE NATIVES. March 1830. 
a Guernsey-frock, and other things, some of which he offered 
for the knife. 
‘«‘ « About midnight it rained very hard, and the inside of the 
wigwam became soaked with wet; so they all roused up, and 
made a large fire; then ate some blubber, and drank some 
more water. They always carried a firebrand with them when 
they went out in the dark to get water, or for any thing else 
they might want. When they had well warmed themselves they 
lay down again. The young man lay close to us, and, when 
he supposed we were asleep, began to search the man who had 
the knife, but we kept watch and he could not get it. About 
two hours afterwards he made up the fire, and went out, as we 
thought, for firewood: but for no other purpose than to take 
away bushes from the side of the wigwam, that he might have 
a clear passage for what he intended to do. Returning, he took 
up a piece of blubber, and asked for the knife to cut it. As 
soon as he had cut a slice, and put it on the fire, he darted 
through the part of the wigwam, which he had weakened, 
like an arrow. The other man seemed to be very much vexed, 
and thinking, perhaps, that we should do some mischief in 
consequence of the loss of the knife, watched an opportunity, 
when he thought we were asleep, to take out all the children, 
and leave us quite by ourselves. About two hours after, he 
returned, and pulling down dry branches, from the inside of 
the wigwam, made up a large fire. We had no doubt that the 
younger man was at hand watching us, and just at daybreak, 
as we were preparing to start, he jumped into the wigwam with 
his face streaked almost all over with black, and pretended to 
be quite a stranger. When we asked for the knife, he would 
not know what we meant, but took up one of our shoes that 
lay on the ground, and gave it tous. The band of grass was 
taken off his head, and his hair was quite loose. There were 
neither skins, spears, nor arrows in the wigwam, but no doubt 
they were in the bushes; for when we threatened to take the 
canoe he jumped into the wood, resting on one knee, with his 
right hand on the poeaad: and eyed us sharply till we were 
out of sight.’ 
