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"On quitting the channel of the river we entered into the bay,
which was about six miles wide, with an unbounded prospect to
seaward, and steered towards the tents under easy sail, with the
ensigns flying. The water became shallow as we drew towards the
island, and the boats touched the ground when about a mile from
the beach; we shouted, and made signs to the Esquimaux
to come off, and then pulled a short way back to await their
arrival in deeper water. Three canoes instantly put off from the shore, and before they could reach us others were launched in such quick succession, that the whole space between the island and the boats was covered by them. The Esquimaux canoes contain only one person, and are named kaiyacks; but they have a kind of open boat capable of holding six or eight people, which is named oomiak. The men alone use the kaiyacks, and the oomiaks are allotted to the women and children. We endeavored to count their numbers as they approached, and had proceeded as far as seventy three canoes, and five oomiaks, when the sea became so crowded by fresh arrivals, that we could advance no farther in our reckoning." |
