apprehension, so that we
soon found ourselves on the best terms imaginable. In return for all
this interesting information, they gave us the names of the different
portions of land in sight, many of which being recognised in their
countrymen's charts, we no longer entertained a doubt of our being near
the entrance of the strait to which all our hopes were directed. We now
found also that a point of land in sight, a few miles to the southward
of the tents, was near that marked _Ping-=it-k~a-l~ik_ on Ewerat's
chart, and that, therefore, the low shore along which we had been
constantly sailing the preceding night was certainly a part of the
continent.

By the time we had distributed most of our presents, and told some long
stories about Winter Island, to all which they listened with eager
delight and interest, we found the weather becoming so inclement as to
determine us to make the best of our way on board, and to take a more
favourable opportunity of renewing our visit to the Esquimaux. After
pulling out for an hour and a half, Captain Lyon, who had a boat's crew
composed of officers, and had, unfortunately, broken one of his oars,
was under the necessity of returning to the shore. My anxiety lest the
ships should be ventured too near the shore, from a desire to pick up
the boats, induced me to persevere an hour longer, when the wind having
increased to a gale, which prevented our hearing any of the guns, I
reluctantly bore up for our former landing-place. Captain Lyon and his
party having quartered themselves at the southern tents, we took up our
lodgings at the others, to which we were welcomed in the kindest and
most hospitable manner. That we might incommode the Esquimaux as little
as possible, we divided into parties of two in each tent, though they
would willingly have accommodated twice that number. Immediately on our
arrival they offered us dry boots, and it was not long before we were
entirely "rigged out" in their dresses, which, thoroughly drenched as we
were by the sea, proved no small comfort to us. With these, and a
sealskin or two as a blanket, we kept ourselves tolerably warm during a
most inclement night; and the tents, which but a few hours before we had
looked upon as the most comfortless habitations imaginable, now afforded
us a sufficient and most acceptable shelter.

The evening was passed in dealing out our information from the
southward, and never did any arrival excite more anxious inquiries tha