y direction, consequently
towards the Ungava country. They even now and then have reached the
woods skirting the estuaries of George and South rivers.

23d. We set sail at sun-rise, but the wind being too high to suffer us
to proceed with safety, we again anchored in a commodious harbour in
_Amitok_ island. Our people were here busily employed in repairing the
damaged rigging and sails. Towards evening Jonas caught a seal, to the
great gratification of our party. It was dressed immediately, and we
joined them in their repast with a good appetite.

The _Netsek_ is the only species of seal which remains during the winter
under the ice. They form in it large caverns, in which they bring forth
their young, two at a time, in March. More than one cavern belongs to
one seal, that he may, if disturbed in the first, take shelter in the
second. No other kind of seal is caught in winter by the Esquimaux.

24th. Brother Kmoch rose at two, and went on shore to examine the island
more minutely. The morning was beautiful, and the sun rose with great
splendour. _Amitok_ lies N.W. from Kummaktorvik, is of an oblong shape,
and stretches out pretty far towards the sea. The hills are of moderate
height, the land is in many places flat, but in general destitute of
grass. On the other side are some ruins of Greenland houses.

The Esquimaux have a tradition, that the Greenlanders came originally
from Canada, and settled on the outermost islands of this coast, but
never penetrated into the country, before they were driven eastward to
Greenland. This report gains some credit, from the state in which the
abovementioned ruins are found. They consist in remains of walls and
graves, with a low stone enclosure round the tomb, covered with a slab
of the same material. They have been discovered on islands near Nain,
and though sparingly, all along the whole eastern coast, but we saw none
in Ungava bay. The rocks on Amitok contain large masses of a crumbly,
semi-transparent garnet, of a reddish hue. (From some specimens sent
out, it rather appears to be a rose red quartz, or beryllite).

As it appeared as if we should be detained here, Brother Kmoch had made
a fire, and was leisurely cooking a savoury mess of birds for breakfast,
when Jonathan returned from the hills, with intelligence that the wind
was abating in violence, and he therefore would proceed. The tent was
struck, and all hurried on board: yet we had long to combat both an
unfavourable