OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



291 



our blanket-bags, which had been better preserved. Dunn slept in the little 1822 - 

 tent to watch our goods, and I had a small portion of Ooyarra's screened off 

 for me by a seal's skin. Tired as I was, sleep was denied me ; for I was 

 obliged on the arrival of each new set of people to answer their questions 

 as to how I possibly could have got into the bag, the manner in which I had 

 wrapped it round me for warmth leading them to suppose I was sewed up 

 in it. My host and his wives having retired to another tent and my visitors 

 taking compassion on me, I went comfortably to sleep ; but at midnight was 

 awakened by a feeling of great warmth, and to my surprise found myself 

 covered by a large deer-skin, under which lay my friend, his two wives, and 

 their favourite puppy, all fast asleep and stark naked. Supposing this was 

 all according to rule, I left them to repose in peace and resigned myself to 

 sleep. 



" On rising, Dunn and I washed with soap in a pond, which caused great 28. 

 speculations amongst the by-standers, on some of whom we afterwards per- 

 formed miracles in the cleansing way. A large assemblage being collected to 

 hear me talk of Neyuning-Eitua, or Winter Island, and to see us eat, the women 

 volunteered to cook for us ; and as we preferred a fire in the open air to their 

 lamps, the good-natured creatures sat an hour in the rain to stew some veni- 

 son which we had saved from our shares of the deer. The fires in summer 

 when in the open air, are generally made of bones previously well rubbed 

 with blubber, and the female who attends the cooking chews a large piece, 

 from which, as she extracts the oil, she spurts it on the flame. At our meals 

 I found every person much pleased with biscuit, which was supposed to be 

 the dried flesh of the musk ox by those who had never seen that animal, 

 and it was with great difficulty I explained that it was made from the seeds 

 of a little tree and pounded to its present state. 



" After noon, as I lay half-asleep, a man came and, taking me by the 

 hand, desired Dunn to follow. He led to a tent which from the stillness 

 within I conjectured was untenanted. Several men stood near the door ; 

 and on entering I found eighteen women assembled and seated in regular 

 order, with the seniors in front. In the centre near the tent-pole stood two 

 men who, when I was seated on a large stone, walked slowly round and one 

 began dancing in the usual manner to the favourite tune of < Amna aya.' 

 The second person, as I soon found, was the dancer's assistant, and when 

 the principal had pretty well exhausted himself ? he walked gravely up to 

 him and, taking his head between his hands, performed a ceremony called 



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