88 
FIRST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
Humooke dialect, drawling out their words, however, to an un¬ 
usual length. He immediately adopted that dialect, and holding 
up the presents, called out to them kahkeite “ come on,” to which 
they answered Naakrie naakrieai-plait e } “No no, go away,” and 
other words, which were made out to mean, that they hoped they 
were not come to destroy them. The boldest then approached, 
and drawing from his boot a knife, repeated “Go away, I can 
kill you.” Sacheuse, not intimidated, told them he was also a 
man and a friend, and at the same time threw some strings of 
beads, and a checqu’d shirt; but these they beheld with great 
distrust and apprehension, still calling “ Go away, do not kill 
us.” Sacheuse then threw them an English knife, saying “Take 
that.” On this they approached with caution, picked up the 
knife, then shouted and pulled their noses; these actions were 
imitated by Sacheuse, who in return called out “ Heigh yaw ,” 
pulling his nose with the same gesture. They now pointed to 
the shirt, demanding what it was, and when told it was an 
article of clothing, asked of what skin it was made ; Sacheuse 
replied that it was made of the hair of an animal, which they 
had never seen, on which they picked it up with expressions of 
surprise. They now began to ask many questions, for by this 
time they found that the language spoken by themselves, and 
Sacheuse, had sufficient resemblance to enable them to hold some 
communication. 
They first pointed to the ships, eagerly asking what great 
creatures those were ? do they come from the sun or the moon ? 
do they give us light by night or by day ? Sacheuse told them 
that he was a man, that he had a father and mother like them¬ 
selves, and pointing to the south, said that he came from a dis¬ 
tant country in that direction. To this they answered, “ That can¬ 
not be, there is nothing but ice there.” They again asked, 
what creatures these were, pointing to the ships, to which 
Sacheuse replied, that they were houses made of wood. This 
they seemed still to discredit, answering, “ No they are alive, we 
have seen them move their w r ings.” Sacheuse now enquired of 
them what they themselves were, to which they replied; they 
were men, and lived in that direction, pointing to the north, 
