n Ooligbuck kill the deer, which had alarmed them
greatly; they had since been to inquire about us from the party at
Point Encounter, and having learnt that we were well-disposed, they had
come to open a communication. In allusion, I suppose, to the attempt on
the Union, they often said that the Esquimaux at the river's mouth were
bad people, but that they themselves were good-hearted men; and they
struck their breasts forcibly with their hands, to give energy to their
assurances. They told us that a large party of their countrymen, who
were at present fishing at the mouth of a river to the eastward, would
soon move in this direction to kill white whales. Eetkoo-yak, the
principal spokesman, invited us to go to his tents, where he said, the
women would be glad to receive us; and added, that next day he would
bring four of his countrymen to visit us. We made them a handsome
present of iron-work; and having paid, with beads, for some dried fish,
sent them away highly contented.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 13th.] At seven o'clock in the morning of the 13th,
nine Esquimaux came to us, amongst whom were our two acquaintances of
yesterday. Some of the young men inquired when we were going away, and
seemed to be anxious that we should depart; but our friend Eetkoo-yak
gave us a pressing invitation to his tents, and wished to embark in the
boats to conduct us thither. We declined his proposal, and the wind
having moderated, we unmoored the boats, and rowed along the coast. The
natives followed us, and soon afterwards four women and two boys came
off in an oomiak, and exchanged some boots, pieces of leather, deer's
meat, and fish for beads. The point on which their tents were pitched
was named Point Warren after my friend Captain Samuel Warren, R.N. As we
continued our course the oomiak returned to the shore, and the men also
left us soon afterwards, apparently pleased with our departure; for the
knowledge of the effect of our muskets seemed to have impressed them
with some dread. They were tattooed across the cheeks. The tribes to the
westward of the Mackenzie are described by Captain Franklin, (p. 111,)
as following a different fashion in the application of this ornament.

We coasted this day a flat shore, with dry sands running off to the
distance of two or three miles, and we passed within several shoals, on
which some heavy ice had grounded. Only a few small streams of ice were
seen, although the ice-blink was visible the whole d