grace and rapidity, are very helpless on land or ice, and so large
numbers were killed by the sailors. While the boys were excited with
the sport, they could not but feel sorry for the poor, helpless
creatures as they looked at them out of their great eyes that seemed
almost human. Some hundreds of skins were secured, much to the delight
of the captain and crew, as the profit coming to them from their sale
would be no inconsiderable item.

At the mouth of Hudson Strait the captain again had the ship hove to for
a day or so to trade with a number of Esquimaux, who had come in their
curious canoes, called kayaks, from along the coasts of Labrador. Their
insatiable curiosity and peculiar fur clothing very much interested the
boys. These Esquimaux were shrewd hands at a bargain, but their
principal desire seemed to be to obtain implements of iron in exchange
for their furs. They cared nothing for flour, rice, tea, coffee, or
sugar. They knew no other food than meat and oil, and so craved no
other things than those that could be utilised in improving their
weapons. Guns were unknown among them, but they were very skillful in
the use of the harpoon and the spear. When they are able to secure iron
from the white man they make their harpoon heads, spears, and knives out
of this metal, but when unable to secure it they manufacture their
weapons out of the horns of the reindeer or the tusks of the walrus or
narwhal.

They had among their other furs some splendid bear skins, and the boys
were very much interested in hearing them tell through an interpreter
how they, with their rude weapons, aided by their clever dogs, had been
able to kill these fierce animals. All were very much delighted when
told by these friendly Esquimaux how that with two well-trained dogs
nipping at the hind legs of a great bear they could keep him turning
round and round from one to the other and thus get him so wild and
excited that in his efforts to catch hold of the nimble animals, which
were able to keep out of his grasp, he did not notice the arrival of the
hunters, who were able to approach so closely that they could easily
kill him.

The ship crossed the great Hudson Bay, which is about six hundred miles
in width, without any mishap, and safely dropped anchor in what the
Hudson Bay officers call "the six fathom hole," some distance out from
the rude primitive wharf. The signal gun was fired, and soon a brigade
of boats came out, and t