es to relax into their natural form; but the
motion of his head seemed to have so stupified him, as indeed it
well might, that there remained an unusual vacancy and a drowsy
stare upon his countenance for some time afterward. Being pressed
to repeat this piece of buffoonery, he did so two or three times;
and on one occasion Togolat asked him, in a serious tone, some
questions respecting me, which he as seriously answered. In
general, however, the women paid little attention to his grimaces,
and the whole ended with a hearty laugh from all parties.

I had to-day some conversation with a woman named Appokiuk, whom
Iligliuk had mentioned as having seen Kabloona people before us.
This woman was gifted, however, with such a volubility of tongue,
that speaking, as she did, in a language very imperfectly known to
us, she gave no time for questions, and therefore afforded little
information. All we could make out for certain was, that she had,
within a year past, seen two _Kabloona oomiak_ (whether ships or
boats was still doubtful[*]), and that her husband was now far
away. From all this we concluded that she had been far enough to
the southward to see the Hudson's Bay ships in the course of their
annual voyage; and this account gave us very sanguine hopes of
being thus able to communicate with them by means of some of the
Esquimaux.

[Footnote: These people apply the word _oomiak_ to any vessel
larger than a canoe.]

On the 20th, a number of our new friends having been allowed upon
the upper deck, an old woman named _Ay=ug-g~a-lo~ok_ stole our
cooper's punch, which she was showing to her companions alongside
the Hecla just afterward, when Lieutenant Hoppner observed it, and
sent her back with an escort. It was impossible not to admit that
the fault was chiefly on our side, in permitting these poor people
to roam about too freely amid temptations which scarcely anything
human could have withstood; but as it was necessary to take some
notice of it, I went through nearly the same process as with
Kaoongut, and dismissed her with great appearance of indignation
to the huts. We were glad to find that their wants had there been
well supplied to-day, three seals having been caught. They had
lately, indeed, been tolerably successful in general, and required
but little of our assistance. Mr. Elder observing one of their
dogs attacked by several wolves, and hastening to the spot with
his gun, found that these animals had made such