OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
279 
They brought with them, as before, some pieces of whalebone and seal- I820. 
skin dresses, which were soon disposed of, great care being taken by them 
not to produce more than one article at a time, returning to their canoes, 
which were at a little distance from our boat, after the purchase of each of 
their commodities, till their little stock was exhausted. Considering it 
desirable t 6 keep.up among them the ideas of fair and honest exchange, which 
they already seemed to possess in no ordinary degree, I did not permit them 
to receive any thing as presents, till all their commodities had been regularly 
bought. While we were waiting to obtain the sun’s meridian altitude, 
they amused themselves in the most good-natured and cheerful manner with 
the boat’s crew; and, Lieutenant Hoppner, who, with Mr. Beverly, had 
joined us in the Griper’s boat, took this opportunity of making a drawing 
of the young man. It required, however, some shew of authority, as well 
as some occasional rewards, to keep him quietly seated on the rock for a 
time sufficient for this purpose ; the inclination they have to jump about, 
when much pleased, rendering it a penalty of no trifling nature for them to 
sit still for half an hour together. To shew their disposition to do us what 
little service was in their power, he afterwards employed himself in 
sharpening the seamen’s knives, which he did with great expertness on any 
flat smooth stone, returning each as soon as finished, to its proper owner, 
and then making signs for another, which he sharpened and returned in the 
same way, without any attempt, and apparently without the smallest desire, 
to detain it. The old man was extremely inquisitive, and directed his at- 
tention to those things which appeared useful, rather than to those which 
were merely amusing. An instance of this occurred on my ordering a tin 
canister of preserved meat to be opened for the boats’ crews’ dinner. The 
old man was sitting on the rock, attentively watching the operation, which 
was performed with an axe struck by a mallet, when one of the men came 
up to us with a looking-glass. I held it up to each of the Esquimaux, who 
had also seen one the preceding evening, and then gave it into each of their 
hands successively. The younger one was quite in raptures, and literally 
jumped for joy for nearly a quarter of an hour : but the old man having had 
one smile at his own queer face, immediately resumed his former gravity, 
and, returning me the glass, directed his whole attention to the opening 
of the canister, and when this was effected, begged very hard for the 
mallet which had performed so useful an office, without expressing the least 
wish to partake of the meat, even when he saw us eating it with good 
