OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



89 



by the shore at eight P.M. on the 9th, and at twenty minutes past eight A.M. 1821. 

 on the 10th, the rise and fall being only six or seven feet. We saw a number ^J^i, 

 of deer, and killed a few ptarmigan during our stay at this place ; the former 

 were in general very wild, being probably at this season a good deal hunted 

 by the Esquimaux. The surface of the land presented one uniform mass of 

 grey gneiss, except in the valleys and smaller hollows, where the vegetation, 

 as well as moisture, was abundant. 



The boats being re-loaded immediately after Mr. Sherer's arrival we pro- 

 ceeded to the westward. Having passed several islands on our left we kept 

 close along the northern shore, which here began to trend considerably to the 

 southward of west. In running along the coast with a fresh and favourable 

 breeze, we observed three persons standing on a hill and, as we continued 

 our course, they followed us at full speed along the rocks. Having sailed 

 into a small sheltered bay I went up, accompanied by Mr. Bush nan, to meet 

 them on the hills above us. In sailing along the shore We had heard them 

 call out loudly to us, and observed them frequently lift something which they 

 held in their hands ; but on coming up to them they remained so perfectly 

 mute and motionless that, accustomed as we had been to the noisy importuni- 

 ties of their more sophisticated brethren, we could scarcely believe them to 

 be Esquimaux. There was besides a degree of lankuess in the faces of the 

 two men, the very reverse of the plump round oily cheeks of those we had 

 before seen. Their countenances at the time impressed me with the idea of 

 Indian rather than of Esquimaux features; but this variety of physiognomy we 

 afterwards found not to be uncommon among these people. The men 

 appeared about forty and twenty-two years of age, and were accompanied by 

 a good-looking and good-humoured boy of nine or ten. They each held in 

 their hand a seal-skin case or quiver, containing a bow and three or four arrows, 

 with a set of which they willingly parted, on being presented with a knife in 

 exchange. The first looks with which they received us betrayed a mixture of 

 stupidity and apprehension, but both wore off in a few minutes, on our making 

 them understand that we wished to go to their habitations. With this request 

 they complied without hesitation, tripping along before us foi above two miles 

 over very rough ground, and crossing one or two considerable streams running 

 from a lake into the sea. This they performed with so much quickness that 

 we could with difficulty keep up with them, though they good-naturedly 

 stopped now and then till we overtook them. We were met on our way by 

 two women, from twenty to twenty-five years of age, having each a child at 



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