OF THE POLAR SEA. 



39 



in blue or green cloth, with their hair fresh 

 greased, separated before, and falling down 

 behind, not in careless tresses, but in a good 

 sound tail, fastened with black tape or 

 riband. This was considered a great com- 

 pliment, and the ceremony consisted in 

 embracing the whole party. 



" I had with me four sledges, laden with 

 goods for the Expedition, and a fifth belong- 

 ing to the Hudson's Bay Company. We 

 returned exactly by the same route, suffer- 

 ing no other inconvenience but that arising 

 from the chafing of the snow-shoe, and bad 

 weather. Some Indians, whom we met on 

 the banks of the Little Buffalo River, were 

 rather surprised at seeing us, for they had 

 heard that we were on an island, which was 

 surrounded by Esquimaux. The dogs were 

 almost worn out, and their feet raw, when, 

 on February the 20th, we arrived at Moose- 

 Deer Island with our goods all in good 

 order. Towards the end of the month two 

 of our men arrived with letters from Lieu- 

 tenant Franklin, containing some fresh de- 

 mands, the major part of which I was for- 



