OF THE POLAR SEA. 



309 



Esquimaux, or other Indians we might meet. I resolved, therefore, 

 on steadily refusing every request that he should make at this time, 

 and when he perceived that he could extort nothing more, he rose 

 in an angry manner, and addressing his young men, said : " There 

 are too few goods for me to distribute ; those that mean to follow the 

 white people to the sea may take them." 



This was an incautious speech, as it rendered it necessary for his 

 party to display their sentiments. The guides, and most of the 

 hunters, declared their readiness to go, and came forward to receive 

 a portion of the present, which was no inconsiderable assortment. 

 This relieved a weight of anxiety from my mind, and I did not 

 much regard the leader, retiring in a very dissatisfied mood. 



The hunters then applied to Mr. Wentzel for ammunition, that 

 they might go a hunting in the morning, and it was cheerfully given 

 to them. 



The officers and men amused themselves at prison-bars, and other 

 Canadian games till two o'clock in the morning, and we were pleased 

 to observe the Indians sitting in groups enjoying the sport. We 

 were desirous of filling up the leisure moments of the Canadians 

 with amusements, not only for the purpose of enlivening their 

 spirits, but also to prevent them from conversing upon our dif- 

 ferences with the Indians, which they must have observed. The 

 exercise was also in a peculiar manner serviceable to Mr. Hood. 

 Ever ardent in his pursuits, he had, through close attention to his 

 drawings and other avocations, confined himself too much to the 

 house in winter, and his health was impaired by his sedentary 

 habits. I could only take the part of a spectator in these amuse- 

 ments, being still lame from the hurt formerly alluded to. 



The sun now sinks for so short a time below the horizon, that 

 there is more light at midnight, than we enjoyed on some days at 

 noon in the winter-time. 



On the 27th the hunters brought in two rein-deer. Many of the 



