OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



197 



in a similar way, principally by the desire of Captain Lyon and Mr. 

 Griffiths, who took great pains to acquire information of this nature, and 

 sent me copies of these productions. The coast was here delineated as 

 before, on a very large scale, but much more in detail, many more islands, 

 bays, and names being inserted. It was observable, however, that no two 

 charts much resembled each other, and that the greater number of them still 

 less resembled the truth in those parts of the coast with which we were 

 well acquainted. The only one deserving further notice in this place was 

 drawn by Iligliuk for Captain Lyon, of which an accurate reduction is here 

 given, and marked No. 1., the scale being about one-twelfth of that of the 

 original. 



On an inspection of this curious chart, it will appear evident that, with 

 respect to the relative geographical position of the lands beyond us, (which 

 was in fact the only very interesting question we desired them to solve,) 

 it was calculated to give us ideas which our subsequent experience proved 

 to be erroneous ; making, for instance, the direction nearly the same from 

 Repulse Bay to Winter Island, as from the latter to Amitioke, though they 

 are in fact exactly at right angles. Being extremely desirous of obtaining 

 more certain information on this part of the subject, it occurred to me 

 to attempt the thing with Iligliuk on a smaller scale, such as might enable 

 her to keep in view at the same time every part of the coast to be delineated. 

 This attempt was also much favoured by our having lately obtained the Es- 

 quimaux words for the four cardinal points of the horizon, which were, there- 

 fore, previously laid down by lines on the chart. Having, in addition to 

 this, delineated the usual portion of the coast, and made Iligliuk " box the 

 compass" repeatedly, so as to render her quite familiar with the exact rela- 

 tive position of the lands we had laid down, we desired her to complete the 

 rest, and to do it mikkee (small), when, with a countenance of the most grave 

 attention and peculiar intelligence, she drew the coast of the continent 

 beyond her own country, as lying nearly north, instead of east, from 

 Winter Island. The most important part still remained, and it would have 

 amused an unconcerned looker-on to have observed the anxiety and sus- 

 pense depicted on the countenances of our part of the group, till this 

 was accomplished, for never were the tracings of a pencil watched with more 

 eager solicitude. Our surprise and satisfaction may therefore, in some de- 

 gree, be imagined when, without taking it from the paper, Iligliuk brought the 



