As it was considered a matter of some interest to
ascertain whether they were acquainted with the musk-ox, a drawing
of that animal was put before the men who were on board. The small
size of it seemed, at first sight, to confound them; but, as soon
as the real head and horns were produced, they immediately
recognised them, and eagerly repeated the word _oomingmack_, which
at once satisfied us that they knew the musk-ox, and that this was
the animal spoken of by the Esquimaux of Greenland, under the same
name, somewhat differently pronounced.
To judge by their appearance, and what is, perhaps, a better
criterion, the number of their children, there could be little
doubt that the means of subsistence which they possess are very
abundant; but of this we had more direct proof by the quantity of
seahorses and seals which we found concealed under stones along
the shore of the north branch, as well as on Observation Island.
Mr. Fife reported that, in sounding the north branch, he met with
their winter huts above two miles above the tents on the same
shore, and that they were partly excavated from a bank facing the
sea, and the rest built round with stones.
We saw no appearance of disease among the seventeen persons who
inhabited the tents, except that the eyes of the old couple were
rather blear, and a very young infant looked pale and sickly.
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