ACROSS THE SUB-AKCTICS OF CANADA 



to us. The poor skins, I told him, were not the ones w& 

 wanted, but for a time he positively refused to sell the good 

 ones. After a little discussion, however, the crafty hunter 

 came to the conclusion that he wanted a small kettle and some 

 gun-caps (for he had an old gun), and so offered me one of 

 the skins for these articles. We happened to have a kettle in 

 which we had carried our butter, but which had now become 

 only an article of extra baggage, so after some " serious con- 

 sideration," I concluded to let him have the kettle and some 

 caps for the skin. 



It was then my turn to make him an offer. I produced a 

 telescope, a jack-knife, and an old shirt, and offered them for 

 the three remaining robes. The temptation proved too great ; 

 the skins were handed over, and the telescope, knife and shirt 

 accepted with great delight and many thanks. Although it 

 was now time to camp, and many pressing invitations were 

 extended to us to spend the night at the village, it was thought 

 wisest for the moral well-being of our party not to do so. 

 Besides this, the surface of the country in the neighborhood 

 of the village was exceedingly rough, being formed entirely 

 of boulders. The Eskimo topicks were pitched upon the rocky 

 shore, and it was thought we might -find smoother ground. 

 Before we left the village one old Eskimo surprised us very 

 much by making a remark in English. I said to him, " Oh ! 

 you understand English," whereat he made the amusing 

 reply, " ISTo, me no understand English." I tried then to find 

 out from the old man where he had learned to speak our 

 language, but the only reply I could get from him was that 

 he had always been able to speak it. It may be that he had 

 accompanied Sir George Back, Sir John Eichardson, or Dr. 

 Eae, on one of their Eranklin search expeditions, or perhaps 

 he had come from Hudson Bay, where he had been associated 

 with some of the American whalers who frequent its waters. 



Followed by many hearty cheers and " tabowetees " (fare- 

 wells), we parted from our new but warm-hearted friends. 



120 



