34 JOXJRNEY TO THE SHORES 



about forty canoes, each holding one man, 

 were assembled round the two ships. In 

 the afternoon, when we approached nearer 

 to the shore, five or six larger ones, con- 

 taining the women and children, came up. 



The Esquimaux immediately evinced their 

 desire to barter, and displayed no small 

 cunning in making their bargains, taking 

 care not to exhibit too many articles at 

 first. Their principal commodities were 

 oil, sea-horse teeth, whale-bone, seal-skin 

 dresses, caps and boots, deer-skins and 

 horns, and models of their canoes ; and they 

 received in exchange small saws, knives, 

 nails, tin- kettles, and needles. It was 

 pleasing to behold the exultation, and to 

 hear the shouts of the whole party, when 

 an acquisition was made by any one ; and 

 not a little ludicrous to behold the eager- 

 ness with which the fortunate person licked 

 each article with his tongue, on receiving 

 it, as a finish to the bargain, and an act of 

 appropriation. They in no instance omitted 

 this strange practice, however small the 

 article ; the needles even passed individu- 



