344 



NOTICES OF THE NATIVES. 



March 1830. 



a Guernsey-frock, and other things, some of which he offered 

 for the knife. 



" ' About midnight it rained very hard, and the inside of the 

 wigwam became soaked with wet ; so they all roused up, and 

 made a large fire ; then ate some blubber, and drank some 

 more water. They always carried a firebrand with them when 

 they went out in the dark to get water, or for any thing else 

 they might want. When they had well warmed themselves they 

 lay down again. The young man lay close to us, and, when 

 he supposed we were asleep, began to search the man who had 

 the knife, but we kept watch and he could not get it. About 

 two hours afterwards he made up the fire, and went out, as we 

 thought, for firewood : but for no other purpose than to take 

 away bushes from the side of the wigwam, that he might have 

 a clear passage for what he intended to do. Returning, he took 

 up a piece of blubber, and asked for the knife to cut it. As 

 soon as he had cut a slice, and put it on the fire, he darted 

 through the part of the wigwam, which he had weakened, 

 like an arrow. The other man seemed to be very much vexed, 

 and thinking, perhaps, that we should do some mischief in 

 consequence of the loss of the knife, watched an opportunity, 

 when he thought we were asleep, to take out all the children, 

 and leave us quite by ourselves. About two hours after, he 

 returned, and pulling down dry brandies, from the inside of 

 the wigwam, made up a large fire. We had no doubt that the 

 younger man was at hand w^atching us, and just at daybreak, 

 as we were preparing to start, he jumped into the wigwam with 

 his face streaked almost all over with black, and pretended to 

 be quite a stranger. When we asked for the knife, he would 

 not know what we meant, but took up one of our shoes that 

 lay on the ground, and gave it to us. The band of grass was 

 taken off his head, and his hair was quite loose. There were 

 neither skins, spears, nor arrows in the wigwam, but no doubt 

 they were in the bushes ; for when we threatened to take the 

 canoe he jumped into the wood, resting on one knee, with his 

 right hand on the ground, and eyed us sharply till we were 

 out of sight.' 



