PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
253 
capable of being tightened at any time by a lacing on the inside of the CHAP, 
gunwale; the frame and benches for the rowers are fastened with 
thongs, by which the boat is rendered both light and pliable ; tbe skin, July, 
when soaked with water, is translucent ; and a stranger placing his foot 
upon the flat yielding surface at the bottom of the boat fancies it a 
frail security ; but it is very safe and durable, especially when kept well 
greased. 
In Hudson’s Strait the oomiak is principally used by the women 
and children ; here it is the common conveyance of the men, who, 
without them, w'ould not be able to collect their store of provisions 
for the winter. They are always steered by the elderly men, who have 
also the privilege of sitting in the stern of the boat when unemployed. 
The starboard paddles of those which we saw were stained with black 
stripes, and the larboard with red, as were also the frames of some of 
the baidars. 
We formed a favourable opinion of our visiters from the strict 
integrity which they evinced in all their dealings, even when oppor- 
tunities offered of evading detection, which I notice the more readily, 
as we afterwards experienced very different behaviour from the same 
tribe. 
Light winds kept us at anchor for twenty-four hours, during which 
time the current ran almost constantly to the south-westward, at the 
rate of from two fathoms to two miles per hour ; and the water w^as 
nearly fresh (1.0089 to 1.0096) : this stratum, how^ever, was confined 
to a short distance from the surface, as a patent log, which was sunk 
for three hours at the depth of three fathoms, showed only a fifth of a 
mile in that time. These facts left no doubt of our being near the 
estuary of a considerable river, flowing, in all probability, through 
the large opening abreast of us, which the boat was sent to explore. 
We weighed in the afternoon of the 23d, but in consequence of 
light winds and counter currents made very little progress ; indeed, a 
great part of the time the ship would not steer, even with a moderate 
hreeze and two boats a-head, and it was necessary to keep carrying out 
the kedge anchors on the bow to maintain the ship’s head in the right 
