Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/176

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

the singularly shaped bay, of which we had now completed the tedious circuity and on which I conferred the appropriate title of Fatigue Bay. After turning Point Tangent, I obtained a meridian altitude of the sun, which determined the latitude to be 71° 9′ 45″ N.; longitude, by the reckoning, 154° 52′ W. We immediately after traversed an inlet, a quarter of a mile wide, in oar portable canoe. On the bank three Arctic foxes were sporting, and allowed us to approach pretty near before they ran into their holes. We saw many tracks of reindeer, still pursued by the two hunters, who had very lately been successful, for we found the remains of a fire, beside which lay the head and antlers of a deer. After travelling about ten miles, and wading through many a salt creek, the waters of which were at the freezing temperature, the land, to our dismay, turned off to the eastward of south, and a boundless inlet lay before us. Almost at the same instant, to our inexpressible joy, we descried four Esquimaux tents, at no great distance, with figures running about. We immediately directed our steps towards them; but, on our approach, the women and children threw themselves into their canoes, and pushed off from the shore. I shouted "Kabloonan teyma Inueet," meaning, "We are white men, friendly to the Esquimaux;"