2 9 2 V O Y A G E T O T H E
ments being found upon it, should be called by a word signifying the
same thing in the Esquimaux language. For East Cape they had no
name, and they had no knowledge of any other part of the Asiatic coast.
Neither Schismareff' Bay nor the inlet in the Bay of Good Hope was
delineated by them, though they were not ignorant of the former
when it was pointed out to them. It has been supposed that these
two inlets communicate, and that the Esquimaux, who intimated to
Kotzebue that a boat could proceed nine days up the latter and would
then find the sea, alluded to this junction ; but our rude hydrographers
knew of no such communication ; which I think they certainly w'ould,
had it existed, as by pursuing that course they ivould have avoided a
passage by sea round Cape Espenburg, ivhich in deep-laden boats is
attended with risk, from the chance of their not being able to land
upon the coast. They would, at all events, have preferred an inland
navigation had it not been very circuitous.
We passed the greater part of the day with these intelligent
people, who amused us the whole time in some way or other. The chief,
previous to our embarkation, examined every part of our boat, and was
highly pleased with the workmanship, but he seemed to regret that so
much iron had been expended where thongs would have served as well.
He was more astonished at the weight of a sounding lead than at any
thing in the boat, never having felt any metal so heavy before; iron
pyrites being the heaviest mineral among this tribe.
YVhen we were about to embark, all the village assembled and took
leave of us in the usual manner of the Esquimaux tribes, and as it was
probable we should never meet again, the parting, much to our annoyance,
«'as very affectionate. A middle-aged man, who had taken the
lead throughout, and who «'as probably their neakoa (or head-man)
recommended us to depart from these regions ; but I signified my intention
of «-aitingsorae time longer, and sleeping at least twenty nights
where we were; on which he shivered, and drew his arms in from his
sleeves, to apprise us of the approaching cold. I thanked him for his
advice, and making them each a parting present we took our leave. The
next morning they embarked every thing, and paddled over to Escholtz
Bay. After they were gone, we found some of our flour where the tents
had stood, and a quantity of it secreted in a bush near the place; so Y-D.Al'.
that their cautious behaviour with regard to our approaching their
tents the first day was no doubt occasioned by fear of this discovery;
and they afterwards secreted their plunder in a manner probably not
likely to meet detection.
Among this party there was a man so crippled that he went upon
all fours; how it occurred we could not learn, but it was probably in
some hunting excursion, as several of his companions had deep scars
which they intimated had been inflicted by wahusses, which in the
following year we found in great numbers off the coast. In this
party we detected a difference of dialect from what we had heard in
general, «'hich made their objection to our writing in our books the
more provoking, as it prevented our recording any of the variations,
except in regard to the negative particle no, «'hich with other parties
was naga, and with these, aun-ga. The females «'ere provided with
broad iron bracelets, which we had not seen before ; and by their having
four or five of them upon each w'rist, it appeared that this metal, so
precious with the tribes to the northward, was with them less rare:
nevertheless it is very probable that they intended to appropriate to
this purpose the iron hoops they had stolen from us.
I have said no thing of the dress or features of these people, as,
with the exception of two of them, they so nearly resemble those
already described as to render it unnecessary. These two persons, in
the tattooing of the face, and in features, which more nearly resembled
those of the Tschutschi, seemed to be allied to the tribes on the Asiatic
coast, with whom they no doubt have an occasional intercourse.
On the 1st of September our sportsmen succeeded iu bagging several
braces of ptarmigan and wild ducks; but game «'as not so plentiful as
might have been expected at this season of the year, in a country so
abundantly provided with berries and so scantily inhabited. It was a
pleasure to find that we could now pursue this and other occupations
free from the annoyance of moskitoes ; a nuisance which, whatever it
may appear at first, is in reality not trifling. Dr. Eicliardsou fixes
the departure of these insects from Fort Franklin on the 11th of September
: here, however, it takes place at least a fortnight earlier.
Sept.