LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROS3. 
453 
actually incredible, nor in one instance could we ourselves give 
credit to it, on the statement of only one of the crew, that was 
present, but we made the enquiry of another of the crew, and 
he fully corroborated the statement of his messmate. 
On the 15th, two of the old Esquimaux came to the ship, and 
informed Capt. Ross, that they were going to fish; Commander 
Ross determined to accompany them, for, if their report were 
true, a few hauls with the net would furnish them with an ample 
supply for the whole of the ensuing winter. 
The Esquimaux remained on board all night, and early in 
the following morning, Commander Ross and Mr. Mc’Diarmid 
started with them, attended by eight men and two sledges. 
The rep rt of the natives, respecting the number of salmon, that 
swarm in these lakes, was soon verified, for, on the first haul 
w ith the net, they brought 520 on shore !—and the next haul, 
1130!! Nothing, however, could exceed the surprise and joy 
of the Esquimaux, when they saw such a shoal of fish tumbling 
on shore, accustomed as they had nitherto been to catch them 
only by two or three at a time, according to the number of 
hooks, which they might have in their possession. On this 
occasion, however, when they saw the fish coming in shoals on 
shore, they jumped into the water, uttering the loudest excla¬ 
mations of joy, and began to ladle the fish out with their hands, 
throwing them as far upon the land as possible; but the most 
extraordinary of all their motions was, the manner, in which 
they would have killed the fish, had they been permitted by 
Commaider Ross; for, taking the fish in their hands, they car¬ 
ried it to their mouth, and opening it to its full extent, bit off 
the back part of the head of the fish, not disdaining to eat the 
bitten part in its raw state, and to all appearances with an ex¬ 
quisite degree of relish. Commander Ross had, however, lived 
long enough in his native country to know, that there were other 
people besides the Esquimaux, who consider the jowl of the 
salmon by no means as an inferior part of the fish, and therefore 
he felt no great inclination to have all his fish mutilated in that 
quarter, where the epicure looks for his dainty morsel of gristle. 
Finding it impossible to convey all the fish to the ship, Com- 
