March 1830. scarcity of inhabitants. 



345 



" The other family seen in the Mesier Channel we did not 

 communicate with, and it may be remarked that in this passage, 

 although between four and five hundred miles in extent, we 

 did not meet twenty human beings ; a strong evidence that 

 these regions are very thinly inhabited, particularly when it is 

 considered that we made no rapid progress, and that our boats 

 traversed, through different channels, at least twice the distance 

 run by the vessel." 



