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 same language as the tribe of Esquimaux who
reside near to the Moravian settlements in Labrador: for we perceived
they used several of the words which had been given to us by the
Missionaries at Stromness.
Towards evening the Captain, being desirous to get rid of his visitors,
took an effectual method by tacking from the shore; our friends then
departed apparently in high glee at the harvest they had reaped. They
paddled away very swiftly and would doubtless soon reach the shore though
it was distant ten or twelve miles.
Not having encountered any of the ice which usually arrests the progress
of ships in their outward passage through the Straits, and being
consequently deprived of the usual means of replenishing our stock of
water which had become short, the Captain resolved on going to the coast
of Labrador for a supply. Dr. Richardson and I gladly embraced this
opportunity to land and examine this part of the coast. I was also
desirous to observe the variation on shore as the azimuths which had been
taken on board both ships since our entrance into the Straits had shown a
greater amount than we had been led to expect; but unluckily the sun
became obscured. The beach consisted of large rolled stones of gneiss and
sienite, amongst which many pieces of ice had grounded, and it was with
difficulty that we effected a landing in a small cove under a steep
cliff. These stones were worn perfectly smooth; neither in the
interstices nor at the bottom of the water, which was very clear, were
there any vestiges of seaweed.
The cliff was from forty to fifty feet high and quite perpendicular, and
had at its base a small slip of soil formed of the debris of a bed of
clay-slate.
