ts an opportunity of
coming off to barter, which they soon embraced.

Their shouts at a distance intimated their approach sometime before we
descried the canoes paddling towards us; the headmost of them reached us
at eleven; these were quickly followed by others, and before noon about
forty canoes, each holding one man, were assembled around the two ships.
In the afternoon, when we approached nearer to the shore, five or six
larger ones, containing the women and children, came up.

The Esquimaux immediately evinced their desire to barter, and displayed
no small cunning in making their bargains, taking care not to exhibit
too many articles at first. Their principal commodities were, oil,
sea-horse teeth, whale-bone, seal-skin dresses, caps and boots,
deer-skins and horns, and models of their canoes; and they received in
exchange small saws, knives, nails, tin-kettles, and needles. It was
pleasing to behold the exultation, and to hear the shouts of the whole
party, when an acquisition was made by any one; and not a little
ludicrous to behold the eagerness with which the fortunate person licked
each article with his tongue, on receiving it, as a finish to the
bargain, and an act of appropriation. They in no instance omitted this
strange practice, however small the article; the needles even passed
individually through the ceremony. The women brought imitations of men,
women, animals, and birds, carved with labour and ingenuity out of
sea-horse teeth. The dresses and the figures of the animals, were not
badly executed, but there was no attempt at the delineation of the
countenances; and most of the figures were without eyes, ears, and
fingers, the execution of which would, perhaps, have required more
delicate instruments than they possess. The men set most value on saws;
_kuttee-swa-bak_, the name by which they distinguish them, was a
constant cry. Knives were held next in estimation. An old sword was
bartered from the Eddystone, and I shall long remember the universal
burst of joy on the happy man's receiving it. It was delightful to
witness the general interest excited by individual acquisitions. There
was no desire shewn by any one to over-reach his neighbour, or to press
towards any part of the ship where{6} a bargain was making, until the
person in possession of the place had completed his exchange and
removed; and, if any article happened to be demanded from the outer
canoes, the men nearest assisted willingly in pass