press towards any part
of the ship where 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 passing the thing across. Supposing the party to belong to
one tribe the total number of the tribe must exceed two hundred persons,
as there were probably one hundred and fifty around the ships, and few of
these were elderly persons or male children.

Their faces were broad and flat, the eyes small. The men were in general
stout. Some of the younger women and the children had rather pleasing
countenances, but the difference between these and the more aged of that
sex bore strong testimony to the effects which a few years produce in
this ungenial climate. Most of the party had sore eyes, all of them
appeared of a plethoric habit of body; several were observed bleeding at
the nose during their stay near the ship. The men's dresses consisted of
a jacket of seal-skin, the trousers of bear-skin, and several had caps of
the white fox-skin. The female dresses were made of the same materials
but differently shaped, having a hood in which the infants were carried.
We thought their manner very lively and agreeable. They were fond of
mimicking our speech and gestures; but nothing afforded them greater
amusement than when we attempted to retaliate by pronouncing any of their
words.

The canoes were of seal-skin and similar in every respect to those used
by the Esquimaux in Greenland; they were generally new and very complete
in their appointments. Those appropriated to the women are of ruder
construction and only calculated for fine weather; they are however
useful vessels, being capable of containing twenty persons with their
luggage. An elderly man officiates as steersman and the women paddle, but
they have also a mast which carries a sail made of dressed whale-gut.

When the women had disposed of all their articles of trade they resorted
to entreaty; and the putting in practice many enticing gestures was
managed with so much address as to procure them presents of a variety of
beads, needles, and other articles in great demand among females.

It is probable these Esquimaux go from this shore to some part of
Labrador to pass the winter, as parties of them have been frequently seen
by the homeward-bound Hudson's Bay ships in the act of crossing the
Strait.

They appear to speak the