OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



371 



twelve to fourteen inches, but in many places, where a separation had oc- 

 curred, amounting to several feet. I cannot sufficiently do justice to the ^-1V 

 cheerful alacrity with which the men continued this laborious work during 

 thirteen days, the thermometer being frequently at zero, and once as low as 

 — 9° in that interval. It was satisfactory, moreover, to find that, in the 

 performance of this, not a single addition had been made to the sick-list of 

 either ship, except by the accident of one man's falling into the canal, and 

 who returned to his duty a day or two afterwards. 



While our people were thus employed, the Esquimaux had continued toThur. 31, 

 make daily visits to the ships, driving down on sledges with their wives and 

 children, and thronging on board in great numbers, as well to gratify their 

 curiosity, of which they do not in general possess much, as to pick up what- 

 ever trifles we could afford to bestow upon them. These people were at all 

 times ready to assist in any work that was going on, pulling on the ropes, 

 heaving at the windlass, and sawing the ice, sometimes for an hour together. 

 They always accompanied their exertions by imitating the sailors in their 

 peculiar manner of " singing out" when hauling, thus at least affording the 

 latter constant amusement, if not any very material assistance, during their 

 labour. Among the numerous young people at Igloolik, there were some 

 whose activity, on this and other occasions, particularly struck us. Of these 

 I shall at present only mention two ; — Noogloo, an adopted son of Toolemak, 

 and Kmgdlek, sl brother of " John Bull." These two young men, who were 

 from eighteen to twenty years of age, and stood five feet seven inches in 

 height, displayed peculiar tact in acquiring our method of heaving at the 

 windlass, an exercise at which Kongolek became expert after an hour or two's 

 practice. The countenances of both were handsome and prepossessing, 

 and their limbs well-formed and muscular; qualities which, combined 

 with their activity and manliness, rendered them, (to speak like a naturalist,) 

 perhaps as fine specimens of the human race as almost any country can 

 produce. 



Some of our Winter Island friends had now arrived also, being the party 

 who left us there towards the end of the preceding May, and whom we had 

 afterwards overtaken on their journey to the northward. They were cer- 

 tainly all very glad to see us again and, throwing off the Esquimaux for a 

 time, shook us heartily by the hand with every demonstration of sincere 

 delight. Ewerat in his quiet sensible way, which was always respectable, 

 gave us a circumstantial account of every event of his journey. On his 



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