In the Arctic Regions. 199 
do not hesitate, as we more than once experienced, 
helping themselves secretly ; it being, in their opinion, 
no disgrace to be caught in the act of pilfering food. 
Our only luxury now was a little salt, which had 
long been our substitute both for bread and vegetables. 
Since aur departure from Point Lake we had boiled 
the Indian tea plant, ledum palustre, which produced 
a beverage in smell much resembling rhubarb ; not- 
withstanding - “which we found it refreshing, and were 
gratified to see this plant flourishing abundantly, 
though of dwarfish growth, on the sea-shore. 
July 21.—The wind, which had blown strong 
through the night, became moderate in the morning, 
but a dense fog prevented us from embarking until 
noon, when we commenced our voyage on the Hyper- 
borean Sea. Soon afterwards we landed on an island 
where the Esquimaux had erected a stage of drift 
timber, and stored up many of their fishing imple- 
ments and winter sledges, together with a great many 
dressed seal, musk ox, and deer skins, Their spears 
headed with bone, and many small articles of the 
same material, were worked with extreme neatness, as 
well as their wooden dishes, and cooking utensils of 
stone ; and several articles very elegantly formed of 
bone, were evidently intended for some game, but 
Augustus was unacquainted with their use. We took 
from this deposit four seal-skins to repair our shoes, 
