It was pleasing to observe that they were always
punctual in returning the buckets and bags which we lent them for
carrying out their provisions.
The endeavours we had lately been making to gain from the
Esquimaux some knowledge of the geographical features of the land
to the northward, had at length been crowned with greater success
than we had anticipated, and some information of a very gratifying
and interesting nature thus obtained. I shall here, therefore,
give some account of that information, and of the progressive
steps by which it was communicated, which may, at the same time,
serve to show the kind and degree of dependence that is to be
placed on geographical notices thus obtained.
The first attempt made in this way was by placing several sheets
of paper before Iligliuk, and roughly drawing on a large scale an
outline of the land about Repulse Bay and Lyon Inlet, and,
terminating at our present winter-quarters. Iligliuk was not long
in comprehending what we desired, and with the pencil continued
the outline, making the land trend, as we supposed, to the
northeastward, and giving the names of the principal places as we
proceeded. The scale being large, it was necessary, when she came
to the end of one piece of paper to tack on another, till at
length she had filled ten or twelve sheets, and had completely
lost the sight of Winter Island (called _Ne-y=uning-E=it-d~u~a_)
at the other end of the table.
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