392 AKCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



While at this, our twelfth encampment, there was quite an ex- 

 citement occasioned among the Innuits by chasing a " rat." There 

 they were, when I went out of mj tent, with clubs and stones, 

 ready for battle with the little animal. But lo ! in a few moments 

 the rat proved to be a leming — an arctic mouse. It was hunt- 

 ed out of its hiding-place and speedily killed. Shortly after an- 

 other one was seen, chased, and killed in like manner. Both of 

 them had very fine fur, and two of the Innuit women skinned the 

 pretty little animals for me. I asked Tweroong if her people 

 ever ate such creatures. With a very wry face, she replied in 

 broken English, " Smalley" (little, or seldom). 



While we staid here, Tweroong employed herself in my tu- 

 pic drawing, with remarkable skill, a rough outline of Frobisher 

 Bay, Eesolution Island, and other islands about it, and the north 

 shore of Hudson's Strait. Too-loo-ka-ah also sketched the coast 

 above and below Sekoselar. Every half minute he would punch 

 me with a pencil I had given him, so that I might pay atten- 

 tion to the Innuit names of places. As soon as he had sketched 

 an island, bay, or cape, he would stop, and wait until I had cor- 

 rectly written down the name. At first he was very loth to make 

 the attempt at drawing a map, but the inducement I held out — 

 some tobacco — succeeded, and, for the first time in his life, he put 

 pencil to paper. His sketch was really good, and I have pre- 

 served it, together with Tweroong's, to the present time. 



The whole of this day, August 24th, and the following day, 

 were passed at the same encampment. All the Innuit men went 

 out hunting, and killed an abundance of game, now valued not 

 for food, of which there was plenty, but for the skins, of which 

 there was very soon quite a large stock on hand. The women 

 were employed in dressing these skins, * and in such other work 

 as always fell to their lot. I was engaged in my observations 

 and in making notes. The weather was delightful, and the scen- 

 ery around fine. But as I am now writing of that period when I 

 was able to determine the question as to a Frobisher " Strait" or 

 Bay, I will copy my diary as written on the spot. 



"August 25th, 1861, 3 30 A.M. Another and another is added 

 to the number of beautiful days we've had since starting on this 

 expedition. Can it be that such fine weather is here generally 



* The skins of the reindeer killed in August and September are valued above oth- 

 ers, for the reason that winter dresses can be made only of them. At the time men- 

 tioned they are covered with long, thick, and firmly-set hair. 



