Greenlanders and Efquimaux, in various particulars o f per—
fon, drefs, weapons, canoes, and the like.; However, I was
much lefs ftruck with this, than with the affinity which we
found fubfiiling between the diale&s o f the Greenlanders
and Efquimaux, and thofe o f Norton’s Sound and Oona-
laihka. T h is will- appear from a table o f correfponding
words, which I put together, and w ill be inferted in the
courfe o f this work*. It muft be obferved, however, with
regard to the words which-we collected on this fide o f America,
that too much ftrefs is not to be laid upon their being
accurately reprefented; for, after Mr. Anderfon’s death, we’
had few who took much pains about fuch matte rs; and I
have frequently found, that the fame words written down
by two or more perfons, from the mouth o f the fame native,
on being compared together, differed not a little. But flill,
enough is certain, to warrant this judgment, that there is
great reafon to believe, that all thefe nations are o f the fame
extraition ; and i f fo, there can be little doubt o f there bein
g a Northern communication o f fome fort, by fea, between
this Weft fide o f America and the Eaft fide, through
Baffin’s B'ay; which communication, however, may be e ffectually
ihu t up againfl fhrps, by ice, and other impediments.
Such, at leaft; was my opinion; at this time.
I ffiall now quit thefe Northern regions, with a few particulars
relative to the tides and currents upon the coaft, and
an account o f the aftronomical obfervations made by us in;
Samganoodha Harbour.
T he tide is no where confiderable but in the- great:
riv e r f.
* I t will be found, amongft other vocabularies,, a t the end o£ the third volume.
| Cook’s River.
T he flood comes from the South or South Eaft, every >778-
where fo llow in g the direction o f the coaft to the North Weft- ■ oa°ber’ .
ward. Between Norton Sound and Cape Prince o f Wales,
w e found a current fetting to the North Weft, particularly
o ff the Cape, and with in Sledge Ifland. . But this current
extended only a little w ay from the coaft ; nor was it either
confiftent or uniform. T o the North o f Cape Prince o f
Wales, we found neither tide nor current, either on the
American or on the Afiatic coaft, though feveral times
looked for. T h is gave rife to an opinion entertained b y
fome on board our fhips, that the two coafts were connected,
either b y land or b y ice ; which opinion received fome
ftrength, by our never ha vin g any hollow waves from the
North, and by our fee ing ice almoft the whole w ay acrofs.
T h e fo llow in g are thé refults o f the feveral obfervations
made affiore, during our flay in the harbour o f Samganoodha.
The latitude, by the mean o f feveral obferved
meridian altitudes o f the fun - 53° 5' o"
By the mean o f twenty fets o f ]
lunar obfervations, with the> 193° 47' 43"
fun Eaft o f the moon J
By the mean o f fourteen fets,]
with the fun and ftars Weft [ '193° 1 1 ' 43"
o f the moon \
The longitude
T he mean o f thefe - - 19-: 29 45
T h e longitude afliimed - 193“ 30' 0“
By the mean o f equal altitudes o f the fun,
taken on the 12th, 14th, 17th, and 21ft,
the time-keeper was found to be lofing
3 X 2 on