176 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



February indignati ° n t0 the hutS * W<? WeFe S lad to find that their Wants had there 

 ^v-w been well supplied to-day, three seals having been caught. They had 



lately indeed been tolerably successful in general, and had required 

 but little of our assistance. Mr. Elder observing one of their dogs at- 

 tacked by several wolves, and hastening to the spot with his gun, found 

 that these animals had made such quick work in the partition of their prey, 

 that though he reached the scene of action in a few minutes, and the dog 

 had at first made considerable resistance, only one of its hind legs re- 

 mained, each wolf having run off with his share. It is remarkable that 

 these creatures had never entered our traps since the moon had declined 

 to the southward, whereas not a night elapsed before that without their going 

 to them. The Esquimaux had in theirs caught only a fox. 



Thur.2i. During the eclipse of the sun, which took place to-day, the diminution 

 of light was very considerable, but the weather was unfavourable for ob- 

 serving it for any useful purpose. Captain Lyon remarked that some of 

 the Esquimaux, who were on board the Hecla at the time, were a good deal 

 alarmed at this phenomenon, which indeed made a general bustle among 

 them. Two of them were found on the ice lying on their faces, but it was 

 not ascertained whether their superstitions on this subject were the same 

 as those of their brethren in Greenland. 



Mr. Henderson being desirous of seeing something of the customs of 

 these people during the hours of darkness, obtained my permission to 

 pass the night at the huts, accompanied by Mr. Griffiths. Soon after they 

 left the ships in the evening it came on to blow strong from the north-west, 

 with much snow-drift, so that losing the tracks they with difficulty found 

 the village. The wind quickly increased to a hard gale, and the thermo- 



Frid.22. meter rose from —25° at six P.M., to —16° at four the following morning. 

 Our gentlemen returning on board in the course of the forenoon, we 

 were pleased to hear that they had met with every attention, and 

 especially from Okotook, with whom they lodged. As they had slept 

 in Kaoongut's hut, one side of which was occupied by Okotook and 

 his family, the old fellow thought it a good opportunity to make up the 

 quarrel occasioned by his dishonesty; and he accordingly made his appear- 

 ance on board to-day for the first time since that event. Tolooak was de- 

 puted to bring his father down into the cabin, where a formal reconcilia- 

 tion took place, to the great satisfaction of the latter, who had found out 

 that to be out of favour with us was attended with the serious consequence 



