running
with great force, two or three separate piles of stones, which serve the
double purpose of keeping off the force of the stream from themselves,
and of narrowing the passage through which the fish have to pass in
coming up from the sea to feed; thus giving the people an opportunity of
striking them with their spears, and throwing them on the shore without
much difficulty.

On the afternoon of the 1st of July we shifted our tents overland, and
down the creek as far as the salmon stream. In performing this short
journey over bare ground, I was enabled to form some conception of the
difficulties likely to be encountered by Captain Lyon and his
companions; for, even with our light load, the dogs could scarcely move
at times. One of the strongest of eleven fell down in a fit occasioned
by over exertion; the poor animal lay on his side, foaming at the mouth
for a minute or two, but soon recovered sufficiently to be able to walk;
and, being taken out of the sledge, was quite strong again the next day.
We had scarcely arrived at the stream, when Toolemak's account was very
satisfactorily confirmed by our finding on the ice near its mouth part
of two fine salmon, above two feet in length, that had been thrown up by
the force of the torrent, and a similar one was seen in the water. Our
provisions being now out, we prepared for returning to the ships the
following day; and I determined in a short time to send out Mr. Crozier
with a larger party, well equipped with everything necessary for
procuring us both fish and deer. We therefore left our tent, spare
ammunition, and various other articles that would be required here,
buried under a heap of stones near the stream, and on the morning of the
2d set out for the ships. The change which one week had made upon the
ice it is quite impossible to conceive, the whole surface being now
checkered with large and deep pools of water, where not a symptom of
thawing had before appeared. This continued the whole way to the ships,
which we reached at eight P.M., finding Captain Lyon and his party
returned, after a laborious but unsuccessful endeavour to penetrate
overland to the westward. On my arrival at the ships I found several
new Esquimaux on board, who, to the number of twenty, had lately
arrived from _Toon=o=onee-r=o=ochiuk_, a place situated to the
westward and northward of Igloolik, and somewhere upon the opposite
coast of Cockburn Island. This party confirmed the former account