rocure any, except from the ships, to
which the women brought their _ootkooseeks_ for bread-dust. Though
I objected to encouraging this, and told them we should give them
nothing if they did not also labour for themselves, they were all
such favourites with our people that I believe they found it
answer very well; contriving not only to get plenty of food, but
also a number of useful presents. They made, indeed, some return
for this, by the usual barter of mittens, of which our people were
now furnished with an abundant supply.

On the 19th, after an impressive sermon delivered by Mr. Fisher,
the last mournful duties were performed over the remains of our
deceased shipmate. Nothing worthy of notice occurred till the
evening of the 21st, when, soon after eight o'clock, Captain Lyon
and his party were seen on their return over the hills, and, being
met by a number of the officers and men from the ships, arrived on
board before ten, when I was happy to find our travellers in good
health, excepting a little snow-blindness and "foot-foundering,"
of which they soon recovered. The result of this journey of
Captain Lyon's served to excite very reasonable hopes that he had
seen the northeastern extreme of the great peninsula, round which
we entertained the most sanguine expectations of shortly finding
the desired passage into the Polar Sea.

On the 23d, our neighbours the Esquimaux, who had long, by their
own account, been setting off for Amitioke, at length began in
earnest to pack up for their departure. As soon as their
preparations were finished, I sent for them all on board, and gave
them one of their own sledges, of which they were much in want,
for carrying their goods, a couple of boarding-pikes, some knives,
and several tin canisters filled with bread-dust, for their
journey. These presents had scarcely been made them, when we had
reason to apprehend so sudden an influx of wealth might produce
serious effects, especially upon the women, whose joy threw them
into immoderate fits of laughter, almost amounting to hysterics,
which were succeeded by a flood of tears. The men seemed thankful,
though less noisy in the expression of their acknowledgments. As
soon as some degree of composure was restored, we accompanied them
to their baggage, which they had stowed on two of the small
travelling sledges given them by Captain Lyon, but which they now
shifted to their own. When all was ready, and some other valuable
presents ha