OF THE POLAR SEA. 



17 



August 12. — Having had a fresh gale through the night, we reached 

 Saddleback Island by noon—the place of rendezvous ; and looked 

 anxiously but in vain for the Wear. Several guns were fired, supposing 

 she might be hid from our view by the land ; but, as she did not ap- 

 pear, Captain Davidson, 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 hummock 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 arrived 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 some time 

 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 about forty canoes, each holding one man, were 

 assembled around the two ships. In the afternoon, when we ap- 

 proached nearer to the shore, five or six larger ones, containing the 

 women and children, came up. 



The Esquimaux immediately evinced their desire to barter, and dis- 

 played 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, whalebone, seal-skin dresses, caps and boots, deer- 

 skins and horns, and models of their canoes ; and they received in ex- 

 change small saws, knives, nails, tin-kettles, and needles. It was pleas- 

 ing 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 eagerness with which the fortunate person licked each 



D 



