OF THE POLAR SEA. S3 



but, as she did not appear, Captain David- 

 son, having remained two hours, deemed 

 further delay inexpedient, and bore up to 

 keep the advantage of the fair wind. The 

 outline of this island is rugged; the hum- 

 mock on its northern extremity appeared to 

 me to resemble a decayed martello tower 

 more than a saddle. 



Azimuths were obtained this evening that 

 gave the variation 58° 45' W., which is 

 greater than is laid down in the charts, or 

 than the officers of the Hudson's Bay ships 

 have been accustomed to allow. We ar- 

 rived abreast of the Upper Savage Island 

 early in the morning, and as the breeze was 

 moderate, the ship was steered as near to 

 the shore as the wind would permit, to give 

 the Esquimaux inhabitants an opportunity 

 of coming off to barter, which they soon 

 embraced. 



Their shouts at a distance intimated their 

 approach sometime before we descried the 

 canoes paddling towards us ; the headmost 

 of them reached us at eleven ; these were 

 quickly followed by others, and before noon 



VOL. I. D 



