event of the natives
proving hostile; but on no account to fire until he was convinced that
our safety could be secured in no other way. Having received an
impression from the narratives of different navigators that the
sacrifices of life which had occurred in their interviews with savages,
had been generally occasioned by the crews mistaking noise and violent
gestures for decided hostility, I thought it necessary to explain my
sentiments on this point to all the men, and peremptorily forbade their
firing till I set the example, or till they were ordered to do so by
Lieutenant Back. They were also forbidden to trade with the natives on
any pretence, and were ordered to leave every thing of that kind to the
officers.

On quitting the channel of the river we entered into the bay, which was
about six miles wide, with an unbounded prospect to seaward, and steered
towards the tents under easy sail, with the ensigns flying. The water
became shallow as we drew towards the island, and the boats touched the
ground when about a mile from the beach; we shouted, and made signs to
the Esquimaux to come off, and then pulled a short way back to await
their arrival in deeper water. Three canoes instantly put off from the
shore, and before they could reach us others were launched in such quick
succession, that the whole space between the island and the boats was
covered by them. The Esquimaux canoes contain only one person, and are
named _kaiyacks_; but they have a kind of open boat capable of holding
six or eight people, which is named _oomiak_. The men alone use the
kaiyacks, and the oomiaks are allotted to the women and children. We
endeavoured to count their numbers as they approached, and had proceeded
as far as seventy-three canoes, and five oomiaks, when the sea became so
crowded by fresh arrivals, that we could advance no farther in our
reckoning. The three headmost canoes were paddled by elderly men, who,
most probably, had been selected to open the communication. They
advanced towards us with much caution, halting when just within speaking
distance, until they had been assured of our friendship, and repeatedly
invited by Augustus to approach and receive the present which I offered
to them. Augustus next explained to them in detail the purport of our
visit, and told them that if we succeeded in finding a navigable channel
for large ships, a trade highly beneficial to them would be opened. They
were delighted with this intellige