g the skin of the deer that had been shot the
day before. She accomplished this after the Indian fashion, by scraping
and rubbing it with the animal's brains. Afterwards she smoked it over
a fire of green wood, and in this way produced a soft, pliant substance
similar to chamois leather, but coarser and stouter. As for Edith, she
rambled at will among the bushes of the nearest ravine, under the
faithful guardianship of Chimo, and hurried back to the camp almost
every hour, laden with cloudberries, cranberries, blaeberries, and
crowberries, which grew in profusion everywhere.

Opposite to the camp the water was found to be eight fathoms deep. This
was of great importance, as affording facility for unloading the ship
abreast of the establishment. Higher up the river the ground was more
favourable for building, both on account of its being more sheltered and
better wooded with timber fit for the construction of houses; but the
water was too shallow to float the ship, and the island before
mentioned, which was named Cross Island, proved an effectual barrier to
the upward progress of any craft larger than a boat. But as Stanley
surveyed the spot on which the tent was pitched, and observed the
sheltering background of mountains, with their succession of terraces;
the creek or ravine to the right, with its growth of willows and stunted
pines; the level parcel of greensward, with the little fountain under
the rock; and the fine sandy bay in which Gaspard and Oolibuck were
busily engaged in setting a couple of nets,--when he surveyed all this,
he felt that, although not the best locality in the neighbourhood, it
was, nevertheless, a very good one, and well suited in many respects for
the future establishment.

"Please, sir, the net him set," shouted Oolibuck from the shore to his
master, who floated in the bay at the distance of a hundred yards,
busily engaged with the sounding-line. On receiving this piece of
information, Stanley ran the canoe on the beach, and said to his
follower--

"Oolibuck, I have been thinking much about that river which we saw
yesterday, off the mouth of this one; and I cannot help fearing that the
ship will run into it, instead of into this, for the land is very
deceptive."

"Me t'ink dat is true," answered the Esquimau, with a look of grave
perplexity. "If de ship go into dat riv'r he t'ink we no arrive, and so
he go 'way, and we all starve!"

"Nay, Oolibuck, I trust that such would not b