a lump of oil and moss, and over each of these was suspended a
small stone vessel of an oblong shape, and broader at the top than
at the bottom, containing a large mess of seahorse flesh, with a
great quantity of thick gravy. Some ribs of this meat were by no
means bad looking; and, but for the blood mixed with the gravy,
and the dirt which accompanied the cooking, might perhaps be
palatable enough. I bargained with a woman for one of the stone
vessels, giving her a brass kettle in exchange. Before she gave it
into my possession, she emptied the meat into another vessel, and
then, with the flap of her jacket, wiped out the remains of the
gravy; thus combining with what our notions of cleanliness incline
us to consider a filthy act, an intention of decency and a desire
to oblige us, which, however inconsistent, it was pleasing to
observe. Some of their vessels are made of whalebone, in a
circular form, one piece being bent into the proper shape for the
sides, and another flat piece, of the same material, sewn to it
for a bottom, so closely as to make it perfectly water tight.
Their knives are made of the tusks of the walrus, cut or ground
sufficiently thin for the purpose, and retaining the original
curve of the tusk, so as to resemble the little swords which
children have as toys in England. As they do not appear to have
any instrument like a saw, great time and labour must be required
in making one of these knives, which seem to answer most of the
purposes to which they have occasion to apply them.

From the description given to us by Mr. Williamson, we found that
these were the same persons who had been seen by the Lee's people;
but we had several proofs of their having had some previous
communication, directly or indirectly, with the civilized world;
such as some light-blue beads, strung by themselves on thin
leathern threads; and an instrument for chopping, very much
resembling a cooper's adze, which had evidently been secured to a
handle of bone for some time past, and of which the iron was part
of an old file.

The short time we were among them, as well as the want of an
interpreter, prevented our obtaining much of the information,
which would have been interesting, respecting the language,
manners, and number of this tribe of Esquimaux. They call the bear
_nennook_, the deer _tooktook_, and the hare _ookalik_, being
nearly the same words as those used on the eastern coast of
Baffin's Bay. As it was considere