In various other parts of the island
we soon after met with similar relics no better disposed of; but we had
yet to learn how little pains these people take to place their dead out
of the reach of hungry bears or anatomical collectors.
The account we gave of our visit to the shore naturally exciting the
curiosity and interest of those who had not yet landed, and the ice
remaining unchanged on the 24th, a couple of boats were despatched from
each ship, with a large party of the officers and men, while the ships
stood off and on. On the return of the boats in the evening, I found
from Lieutenant Reid that a new family of the natives had arrived to-day
from the main land, bringing with them a quantity of fine salmon and
venison, of which some very acceptable samples were procured for both
ships. Being desirous of following up so agreeable a kind of barter, I
went on shore the next morning for that purpose, but could only procure
a very small quantity of fish from the tent of the new-comer, a
middle-aged, noisy, but remarkably intelligent and energetic man named
_T=o=ol~em~ak_. After some conversation, we found from this man
that, in order to obtain a fresh supply of fish, three days would be
required; this prevented my putting in execution a plan of going out to
the place where the fish were caught, which we at first understood to be
near at hand.
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