436 Thirty Years 
We encamped on the spot which our Esquimaux 
friends had left in the morning, to remove in their 
oomiaks and kaiyacks towards the Mackenzie, where 
they could set their fishing nets, and catch whales and 
seals. One of them showed his honesty, by returning 
some arrows, and a piece of a pemmican bag, that we 
had left at our last resting-place. The men also 
joined us here with specimens of rock from Mount 
Fitton. 
The Esquimaux winter residences at this spot were 
constructed of drift timber, with the roots of the 
trees upwards, and contained from one to three small 
apartments, beside a cellar for their stores. There 
were generally two entrances, north and south, so low 
as to make it necessary to crawl through them, The 
only other aperture was a hole at the top for the 
smoke, which, as well as the doorways, could be filled 
up with a block of snow at pleasure. When covered 
with snow, and with lamps or fire burning within, 
these habitations must be extremely warm, though to 
our ideas rather comfortless. Lofty stages were erect- 
ed near them for the purpose of receiving their canoes 
and bulky articles. The annexed engraving from 
Lieutenant Back’s sketch of these habitations, ren- 
ders further description unnecessary, A ncarth-east 
gale came on in the evening, and rolled such a heavy 
surf on the beach, that twice, during the night, we 
