OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE, 



171 



Okotook evidently began to be apprehensive that we, who did not understand l822 - 

 the matter, would spoil their sport. To prevent this, he did the most civil ^J^D 

 thing that could well have been devised, which was, to send his companions 

 one by one to the spot, and to remain with us himself, keeping us at such a 

 distance as to allow us to see their proceedings, without alarming the animal 

 they were in pursuit of. The other seven Esquimaux, now forming one 

 party, disposed themselves into a single line, so as to make as small an appear- 

 ance as possible in the direction in which they were going, and in this manner 

 crept very cautiously towards the margin of the floe. On a sudden they all 

 stooped down quite low, to hide themselves, and continued thus a quarter of 

 an hour, during which time they prepared their lines and spears ; and then, 

 when the animal appeared to be intercepted from their view, again took the 

 opportunity of gaining a few paces upon him in the same cautious manner as 

 before. When they had been thus occupied for a full hour, alternately creep- 

 ing and stooping down, the seal which had been lying on the ice took the 

 water, and they then gave up their chase. During this time, Okotook could 

 scarcely restrain his impatience to be nearer the scene of action ; and when we 

 produced a spy-glass, which appeared to bring his companions close to us, he 

 had not words to express his surprise and satisfaction. In a short time he 

 held it as steadily as we did, and explained by signs every motion he observed. 



As soon as they had given up the seal they had been watching, the whole 

 party seemed with one accord to turn their steps homeward, in which direc- 

 tion, being that of the ships also, we were by this time not sorry to accom- 

 pany them. We were now between three and four miles north-east of the 

 ships, and full a mile and a half from any part of the shore. In the open 

 water beyond the floe, the tide was running two knots to the northward, and 

 as the ice on which we stood had been formed only within the last fortnight, 

 and a sheet as substantial as this had before been carried away by the stream, 

 it was impossible not to feel some apprehension lest we might thus be de- 

 tached from the shore, an accident that has been known to happen to Esqui- 

 maux ere now*, and has probably more frequently befallen them, when 

 none have survived to tell the tale. 



As we returned towards the land, we came to a small rising on the level 

 surface of the floe not larger than a common mole-hill, and of much the same 

 shape, at which one of the Esquimaux immediately stopped. His com- 

 panions, still walking on, called us away, explaining that what we saw was the 



* Crantz. London Edition, 1820, Appendix, p. 310. 



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