LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
267 
cardinal points of the compass; for on mentioning the word 
Kannunngnak, she pointed to the north—at that of Pingungnak, 
to the south—at that of Ooagnuk, to the west—and at that of 
Veeyuk, to the east: he then shewed her the charts which had 
,ieen laid down of the country and seas to the westward by some 
of her tribe, on their first coming on board the Victory, and 
following the tracings with her finger, she shook her head on 
coming to a particular part, as if denoting that it was erroneous. 
She was now requested to alter it, as perhaps the very success of 
the expedition depended upon the information, which she was 
about to furnish, and it would greatly have amused an unconcerned 
looker on, to have watched the anxiety and suspense depicted 
on the countenances of the group, by whom she was surrounded, 
for never were the tracings of a pencil regarded with more eager 
solicitude. The Esquimaux, who had been previously consulted, 
had made the bay in which the Victory then was, approaching 
nearly to a Cul de sac, at all events a difference was distinct as 
to the existence of an open sea to the westward, some denying 
it, and others affirming it. From the information of Okkaru, it 
appeared,that there was an open sea, at the distance of about fifty 
seniks, but a great difficulty here presented itself, of definitively 
determining that distance from the term which she had used. 
Senik in the Esquimaux signifies sleep, and they distinguish the 
distances from place to place by so many seniks, or sleeps, but the 
length of their sleeps differs nsiderably in winter and summer, 
the senik of the former being much longer than that of the 
latter. On referring however to the voyage of Capt. Parry, it 
was found that one day’s sailing of the ship was about equal to 
forty seniks, and therefore, according to the information of Ok¬ 
karu, the open sea was not much further than one days sailing or 
fifty seniks. In order however to try the veracity of Okkaru's in 
formation, she was requested to draw the line of the coast which 
they had themselves examined on their passage to Felix Harbour, 
and they found her delineation of it to be perfectly correct; 
they were therefore privileged to assume, that as her informa¬ 
tion on one point was according to their own experience, con¬ 
formable to the truth, it was also so on the other, and it was 
