294 



SECOND VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY. 



shore. Ooyarra's senior wife now anxiously begged to tattoo a little 

 figure on my arm, which she had no sooner done than the youngest insisted 

 on making the same mark ; and while all around were running about and 

 screaming in the greatest confusion, these two poor creatures sat quietly 

 down to embellish me. When the boat landed a general rush was made for 

 the privilege of carrying our things down to it. Awarunni, who owned the 

 little dog which slept with me, ran and threw him as a present into the boat ; 

 when after a general koonik we pushed off, fully sensible of the kind hos- 

 pitality we had received. Toolemak and Ooyarra came on board in my boat, 

 in order to pass the night and receive presents, and we left the beach under 

 three hearty cheers. 



" Having given so long an account of my adventures, it is high time to turn 

 to objects of more importance to the Expedition. I had found the ice over 

 which we passed flat, unbroken, but much decayed into holes. The ge- 

 neral thickness was still from one to three feet, and amongst the islands 

 much greater, owing to the packing incidental to the rise and fall of the tides. 

 Astronomical or other observations for fixing the position of the land could 

 not be obtained in consequence of the state of the weather, which, with 

 the kind of fatality that had attended all my excursions, had been more than 

 usually severe and foggy. I had seen enough to awaken curiosity but 

 nothing to satisfy it ; therefore it would be requisite for other visits to be 

 made to a spot to which the Esquimaux attached some importance." 



