ut eagerly sought after on this and every other occasion throughout the
voyage, by all those among us who could overcome the prejudice arising
chiefly from the dark colour of the flesh. In no other respect that I
could ever discover, is the meat of the walrus, when fresh-killed, in
the slightest degree unpalatable. The heart and liver are indeed
excellent.

After an unobstructed night's run, during which we met with no ice
except in some loose "streams," the water became so much shoaler as to
make it necessary to proceed with greater caution. About this time,
also, a great deal of high land came in sight to the northward and
eastward, which, on the first inspection of the Esquimaux charts, we
took to be the large portion of land called _Ke=iyuk-tar-ruoke_,[001]
between which and the continent the promised strait lay that was to lead
us to the westward. So far all was satisfactory; but, after sailing a
few miles farther, it is impossible to describe our disappointment and
mortification in perceiving an unbroken sheet of ice extending
completely across the supposed passage from one land to the other. This
consisted of a floe so level and continuous, that a single glance was
sufficient to assure us of the disagreeable fact, that it was the ice
formed in its present situation during the winter, and still firmly
attached to the land on every side. It was certain, from its continuous
appearance for some miles that we ran along its edge, that it had
suffered no disruption this season, which circumstance involved the
necessity of our awaiting that operation, which nature seemed scarcely
yet to have commenced in this neighbourhood, before we could hope to
sail round the northeastern point of the American continent.

At thirty minutes past nine A.M. we observed several tents on the low
shore immediately abreast of us, and presently afterward five canoes
made their appearance at the edge of the land-ice intervening between us
and the beach. We soon found, by the cautious manner in which the canoes
approached us, that our Winter Island friends had not yet reached this
neighbourhood. In a few minutes after we had joined them, however, a few
presents served to dissipate all their apprehensions, if, indeed, people
could be said to entertain any who thus fearlessly met us half way; and
we immediately persuaded them to turn back with us to the shore. Being
under sail in the boat, with a fresh breeze, we took two of the canoes
in tow, a