V?8?- when we went to felt, we were a$l of opinion thaÆ this circamftanée
J“lv- ’ , . r ... - ■ - ' '
*— v— J proceeded from the tide. We had', indeed, obierved at the other end
of the rfland that «he water rofe and fell; but we then imagined
that k muff haw been oecaIroned by the wind. The water continued
to rife till about fix, but I could not afeertain the time with the requisite
precifioh* as the wind then began to blow wkh gteat -#é-
ïerrce; I therefore determined, at all events, to remain here till the next
morning, though, as k happened, the ftate o f the wind was fueh as to
render my ftay here an aft of neeelRty. Our nets were not very fàc-
cefsftil, as they prefented trs wkh only eight fifh. Fréiö an ôfeffervàtiott
which I obtained at noorr, we were ingjy. y. North latitudes' As the
evening approached, the wind ine-feafed, and the weather became cold;
Two fwans were the only proviBon which the hunters procured'for us;:
I^i»rf(hÿt& The rain did rrot ceafe till feven this morning, the weather b e k l at
intervals very cold and nnrpfeafant. Such was its inconftaney, thaï 1
could not make an accurate obfervation ; but the tide appeared to rifè
fixteen or eighteen inches.
We now embarked, and fleered under feil among the iflands, where I
hoped to meet wkh fome of the natives, but my expectation was not
gratified. Our guide imaginedthafi they were gone to their diftant haunts,
where they fifh for whales and hunt the rein-deer, that are oppofite
to his country. His relations, he feid, fee them every year, but he did not
encourage us to expêft thatwe fhould find any of them, unlefs it were at a
fmall river that fells into the great one, from the Eaftward, at a confider-
able diflance from our immediate fituation. We accordingly made for the
r iv e r ,
river] and Hemmed the current. A t two in the afternoon the water was
quite fhallo.sv in .every part o f our cdifrfe, and we could always find the
bottom with ..thepaddle. At feven * e lauded, encamped, and,fet the
hgts. ■ Here the Indians killed twOsgede,; two- cranes, and a white owl.
Since we entered the river we experienced a very agreeable change in
the- temperature of the air; but this pleafant circumfiance was not without
its inconvenience^ as it fubjefted us;,to the perfecutisn o f the aauf*
quitoes..(■
On taking up the nets.; they were ..found to contain but fix fifh. We Friday'*7,
embarked at four in the morning, and palled four encampments, which
appeared toftraye-been .very lately' inhabited. We then landed upon a
fmafi round iffemd, ctofexothe Eafbemihore, which poffefed fbanewhat o f
afecr^cha®after,asfhet30p!6 fh;3eraffied tobba place o f fepukme, from
themuneBOus graves which We obfervedjthere. ^ejfbund the frame o f
dfinuli canoe, with various disfhes, troughs, and other nrenfils, which
had been the living property o f tbofe who could now nfe them a& more,
and form the ordinary aec© m paniments o f their laft abodes. As no part
of the frdns that muft have covered the canoe was remaining, we con-
ritaded that k had been eaten fy'wjfdrammals' that inhabit, or ooca-
fionaliyi frequent, the ifland. The frame of the canoe, which was entire,
was put together with whalebone: it was fewad in fome parts, and tied
in others. The fledges were from four to eight feet long; the length
of the fears was upwards of two feet ; the runners were two inches thick
and nine inches deep; the prow was. two feet and am half high, and formed
of two pieces; fewed wkh whalebone; to three other - thin /pars o f
wood, which -were of the fame height, and" fixed in the runners fey means
i 2 o f