OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



289 



ber of islands of reddish granite, wild and barren in the extreme. We here * 8 ~ 2 - 

 found the ice in a very decayed state and in many places the holes and fis- v^r^ 

 sures were difficult if not dangerous to pass. At the expiration of eight 

 hours our impediments in this respect had increased to such a degree as to 

 stop our farther progress. Dunn, the old man and myself therefore walked 

 over a small island, beyond which we saw a sheet of water which precluded 

 any farther advance otherwise than by boats. At about three miles west of 

 this were two bluffs separated by an apparent strait of half a mile in width, 

 on the other side of which lay a flat field of ice over which was land in the 

 distance. The old man gave the name of Khemig to the two bluffs. 



" In the hope that the morning would prove more favourable for our see- 

 ing the land, the only advantage now to be derived from our visft since the 

 fishing-place was not attainable, it was decided to pass the night on one of 

 the rocky islands. The Esquimaux having brought no provision with them, 

 I distributed our four days' allowance of meat in equal proportions to the 

 whole party, who afterwards lay down to sleep on the rocks, having merely 

 a piece of skin to keep the rain from their faces. In this comfortless state 

 they remained very quietly for eight hours. Our little hunting-tent just 

 held Dunn and myself, although not in a very convenient manner, but it 

 answered the purpose of keeping us dry except from a stream of water that 

 ran under us all night. 



" The morning of the 27th was rather fine for a short time, and we saw 27. 

 above thirty islands, which I named Coxe's Group, varying in size from one 

 hundred yards to a mile or more in length. Two deer were observed on 

 the northern land which was called Khead-IagJiioo by the Esquimaux, and 

 Toolemak accompanied Dunn in chase of them. One was killed by the 

 latter as he informed me, in consequence of the old man's lying behind a 

 stone and imitating the peculiar bellow of these animals, until it was led by 

 its curiosity to come within a short gun-shot. On crossing to bring over our 

 game we found the old Esquimaux had skinned and broken up the deer 

 after his own manner, and my companions being without food I divided it 

 into shares. The entrails and paunch I was about to leave on the plain, but 

 Avas reminded by the anxious looks of the natives, that these offals are 

 described by Crantz as delicacies, under the name of Nerobka, or " the eat- 

 able," an appellation which also distinguishes them at Igloolik. I accord- 

 ingly assigned these choice morsels to a young man of our party who bore 

 them off in triumph. 



2 p 



