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July.

Sunday 12.

JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE THROUGH THE

The difcontents of our hunters were now renewed by the accounts

“~y~~ which our guide had been giving of that part of our voyage that was

approaching. According to his information, we were to fee a larger
lake on the morrow. Neither he nor his relations, he faid, knew any
thing about it, except that part which is oppofite to, and not far from,
their country. The Efquimaux alone, he added, inhabit its fhores, and
kill a large fifth that is found in it, which is a principal part of their food;
this, we prefumed, muft be the whale. He alfo mentioned white bears
and another large animal which was feen in thofe parts, but our hunters.
could not underfland the defcription which he gave of it. He alfo re-
prefented their canoes as being of a large conftruétion, which would com-
modioufly contain four or five families. However, to reconcile the
Englifh chief to the neceflary continuance in my fervice, I prefented
him with one of my capots or travelling coats; at the fame time, to
fatisfy the guide, and keep him, if poffible, in good humour, I gave him
a {kin of the moofe-deer, which, in his opinion, was a valuable prefent.

It raimed with violence throughout the night, and till two in the morn-

ing; the weather continuing very cold. We proceeded on the fame

meandering courfe as yefterday, the wind North-North-Weft, and the
country fo naked that fcarce a f{hrub was to be feen. At ten in the morn-
ing, we landed where there were four huts, exa€tly the fame as thofe

which have been fo lately defcribed. The adjacent land is high

and covered with fhort grafs and flowers, though the earth was not
thawed above four inches from the furface; beneath which was a
folid body of ice. ‘This beautiful appearance, however, was {trangely —
contrafted with the ice and {now that are feen in the vallies. The foil,

where