LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
521 
On the 2nd July, Commander Ross went on a shooting ex¬ 
pedition, and brought back with him five Esquimaux, four of 
whom had never been at the ship before. The astonishment, 
which these poor creatures evinced, on being taken down into 
the cabin, was most extraordinary; they appeared as if some 
magician’s wand had stricken them motionless ; the only part 
about them, having any tendency to motion, being their eyes, 
which rolled about from one object to another; and then having 
apparently satisfied their gaze, they burst into a kind of hyste¬ 
rical laugh. On being offered some refreshment, they shook 
their heads, exclaiming Nak Nah ; but when they saw their com¬ 
panion. who had been at the ship before, set to to devour the 
food, which was placed before him, they threw off, by degrees, all 
reserve, and in a very short time gave a decisive proof, that they 
were well able to support the character of their countrymen for 
acts of gluttony. On discoursing with one of the men, it was 
discovered, that he was the possessor of two wives ; but he very 
coolly intimated, that one of them was very much at the service 
of any one, who, on seeing her, might take a fancy to her. They 
stopped on board until 8 o’clock in the evening, and then de¬ 
parted with some trifling presents. 
On the following day, a party set out in search of the huts 
of this particular tribe, but returned unsuccessful; during their 
absence, five men, and three women with three children, ar¬ 
rived at the ship; but, although they brought neither fish, nor 
wares with them, yet they were very importunate for some 
presents, and evinced a strong disposition to pilfer whatsoever 
they could lay their hands upon; in fact, they appeared to be a 
more deceitful and dishonorable set of beings, than the natives 
in the immediate vicinity of Felix Harbour. There was, how¬ 
ever, x degree of fun and humour about these men, which had 
never been witnessed in any other individuals of the Esquimaux 
tribe, and after a very little persuasion, the sailors got them to per¬ 
form the manner, in which they kill the seals. One of them re¬ 
presents the seal, and lays himself prostrate on the floor; the 
seal is supposed to be close to its hole; the native approaches 
slowly, and with as little noise as possible towards the animal, 
22. 3 x 
