distinguish them as private property.

The Moslem traders of Benin are said to navigate on their great rivers, and the Eastern branches which join the Kadarko, the Shoanka, and Shaderbah. Some of these rivers open a communication with a tribe of heathens named Gargari, who live in tents, and are not black, but a red skinned people, yet they are not of the Arabian stock. The best breeds of horses and mules come from these parts.

"Gaman, and particularly its provinces of Ponin, Safoy, and Showy, contain the richest gold mines known to my informers, in this or any other part of Africa; who by way of illustration say, that in Ashantee, Dinkera, and Wassau, the veins of metal are found at the depth of twelve cubits, (twenty-two feet) below the surface, but in these Gaman provinces at five (nine feet.) The ore is dug principally out of large pits, which belonged to the late king, in the neighbourhoods of Briquanti and Kontosoo. The gold from these parts, according to specimens which were shown to me, is of a very deep colour, mixed with red gravel and pieces of white granite. It all falls under the denomination of rock gold, and is considered of more intrinsic value than that of Ashantee, although the latter as it passes for current, is mostly pure. The gold of Gaman, i. e. the pit gold, is sometimes brought to the Ashantee market in solid lumps, imbedded in loam and rock, which together would probably weigh fourteen or fifteen pounds troy, and of pure metal might possibly yield, if separated from the dross, about one

pound or one pound and a half. But even this, as I was credibly assured, is no sample adequate to convey a just idea of the richness of the mines, many of which, and of the richest in ore, are either dedicated to the national gods, or are deemed, as in Ashantee, too sacred to be cut into. Other specimens, which bore the most perfect natural appearances, were displayed daily before my eyes, in solid lumps, which the caboceers wore attached to the wrists, during and after the Adai custom, and which would, in some instances, I am inclined to think, weigh as much as four pounds. The dust gold of Gaman, which is collected by washing in the beds of torrents during the rains, the same as in Ashantee, Fantee, and Ahanta, is also higher coloured, cleaner, and better than what is gathered in any other country."

16.-Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific; performed in the Years 1821-22-23, in H.M.'s Ships Fury and Hecla, under the orders of Captain Parry. Published by Authority of the Lords of the Admiralty.

Completely prepared at all points and for all circumstances, the vessels sailed in May 1821, accompanied by the Nautilus transport; and on the 2d of July. having previously unloaded and dismissed that auxiliary carrier, they were off Resolution island at the Mouth of Hudson's Straits. On the 16th, they sent their last letters to England by a whaler; and within five days were visited by a tribe of Esquimaux belonging

to

to the Savage Islands in these Straits. These people were how ever acquainted with Europeans, and not, we lament to say, the better for their intercourse. They were greedy barterers, and not very honest; though only one instance was remarked of their en deavouring to swerve from a bar gain after they had licked (their usual custom) the article received in traffic, and thus, as it were, ratified the exchange.

Capt. Parry states that they "possessed in an eminent degree the disposition to steal all they could lay their hands on, which has almost universally been imputed to every tribe of Esquimaux hitherto visited by Europeans. They tried, more than once, the art of picking our pockets, and were as bold and unembarrassed as ever, immediately after detection. It is impossible to describe the horribly disgusting manner in which they sat down, as soon as they felt hungry, to eat their raw blubber, and to suck the oil remaining on the skins we had just emptied, the very smell of which, as well as the appearance, was to us almost insufferable. The disgust which our seamen could not help expressing at this sight, seemed to create in the Esquimaux the most malicious amusement: and when our people turned away literally unable to bear the sight without being sick, they would, as a good joke among themselves, run after them, holding out a piece of blubber, or raw seal's flesh, dripping with oil and filth, as if inviting them to partake of it. Both the men and women were guilty of still more disgusting indecencies, which seemed to afford them amazing

diversion. A worse trait even than all these was displayed by two women alongside the Hecla, who, in a manner too unequivocal to be misunderstood, offered to barter their children for some article of trifling value, beginning very deliberately to strip them of their clothes, which they did not choose to consider as included in the intended bargain.

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Upon the whole, it was impossible for us not to receive a very unfavourable impression of the general behaviour, and moral character, of the natives of this part of Hudson's Strait, who seem to have acquired, by an annual intercourse with our ships for nearly a hundred years, many of the vices which unhappily attend a first intercourse with the civilized world, without having imbibed any of the virtues or refinements which adorn and render it happy."

Proceeding up Hudson's Straits to the head, the expedition was entirely baffled in endeavouring, through every inlet, to penetrate to the Polar Sea, by any opening to the north of Southampton Island. It thus lost the season, amongst a few unimportant bays and creeks, to which names were given, and of which the only consequence is, that future trials în that direction need not be made. The non-existence of a passage through Repulse Bay was determined.

The vessels now returned towards the East, several boat expeditions were attempted, and they finally were laid up in winter quarters, at a very short distance to the north of their summer's labours.

"In reviewing (the author sums up) the events of this our first sea

son

son of navigation, and considering what progress we had made to wards the attainment of our main object, it was impossible, however trifling that progress might appear upon the chart, not to experience considerable satisfaction. Small as our actual advance had been towards Behring's Strait, the extent of coast newly discovered, and minutely explored in pursuit of our object in the course of the last eight weeks, amounted to more than two hundred leagues, nearly half of which belonged to the continent of North America. This service, notwithstanding our constant exposure to the risks which intricate, shoal, and unknown channels, a sea loaded with ice, and a rapid tide concurred in presenting, had providentially been effected without injury to the ships, or suffering to the officers and men; and we had now once more met with tolerable security for the ensuing winter, when obliged to relinquish further operations for the season. Above all, however, I derived the most sincere satis faction from a conviction of having left no part of the coast from Repulse Bay eastward in a state of doubt as to its connexion with the continent. And as the mainland now in sight from the hills extended no farther to the eastward than about a NNE. bearing, we ventured to indulge a sanguine hope of our being very near the north-eastern boundary of America, and that the early part of the next season would find us employing our best efforts in pushing along its northern shores."

In their winter's abode they found that the apparatus for heating between decks answered every expectation; and to "kill the

A

1

time," besides killing foxes, hares, &c. &c. they established a theatre for dramatic representations once a fortnight; had occasional concerts; and for a better purpose, a regular school, and divine service every Sunday, in common to both ships. But the grand resource from ennui was the visit of a tribe of Esquimaux in the month of February.

"The party we at first joined were seated on a high hummock of ice, with their spears in their hands, looking out for seals. After we had talked to them for a few minutes, Okotook suddenly started up and set off along the edge of the ice, without giving us or his own companions the least warning. The latter seemed so much accustomed to this, that they took no further notice than by immediately following him, and we did the same; the whole party walking at a very quick rate, and the natives keeping their heads constantly turned towards the sea to look out for seals. After being thus engaged for an hour and a half, we judged, from the motions of a party at some distance beyond us, that they had game in view. As we approached them, Okotook evidently began to be apprehensive that we, who did not understand the matter, would spoil their sport. To prevent this, he did the most civil thing that could well have been devised, which was, to send his companions one by one to the spot, and to remain with us himself, keeping us at such a distance as to allow us to see their proceedings, without alarming the animal they were in pursuit of The other seven Esquimaux, now forming one party, disposed themselves into a single line, so as to

make

make as small an appearance as possible in the direction in which they were going, and in this manner crept very cautiously towards the margin of the floe. On a sudden they all stooped down quite low, to hide themselves, and continued thus a quarter of an hour, during which time, they prepared their lines and spears; and then, when the animal appeared to be intercepted from their view, again took the opportunity of gaining a few paces upon him in the same cautious manner as before. When they had been thus occupied for a full hour, alternately creeping and stooping down, the seal which had been lying on the ice took the water, and they then gave up their chase. During this time, Okotook could scarcely restrain his impatience to be nearer the scene of action; and when we produced a spy-glass, which appeared to bring his companions close to us, he had no words to express his surprise and satisfaction. In a short time he held it as steadily as we did, and explained by signs every motion he observed.

"As soon as they had given up the seal they had been watching, the whole party seemed with one accord to turn their steps homeward, in which direction, being that of the ships also, we were by this time not sorry to accompany them. We were now between three and four miles north-east of the ships, and full a mile and a half from any part of the shore. In the open water beyond the floe, the tide was running two knots to the northward, and as the ice on which we stood had been formed only within the last fortnight, and a sheet as substantial as this had before been carried away by the

stream, it was impossible not to feel some apprehension lest we might thus be detached from the shore, an accident that has been. known to happen to Esquimaux ere now, and has probably more frequently befallen them, when none have survived to tell the tale.

"As we returned towards the land, we came to a small rising on the level surface of the floe not larger than a common mole-hill, and of much the same shape, at which one of the Esquimaux immediately stopped. His companions, still walking on, called us away, explaining that what we saw was the work of a seal, and that it was probable the animal was about to complete his hole and to come upon the ice, in which case the man would endeavour to kill him. We watched the man at the hole, however, with a glass, for more than half an hour, observing him constantly putting his head down towards the ice, as if in the act of listening for the seal, but without otherwise changing his position; after which, he followed us on board without success.

"If, however, a man has any reason to suppose that a seal is at work beneath, he immediately attaches himself to the place, and seldom leaves it till he has succeeded in killing the animal. For this purpose, he first builds a snow-wall about four feet in height, to shelter him from the wind, and, seating himself under the lee of it, deposits his spear, lines, and other implements upon several little forked sticks inserted into the snow, in order to prevent the smallest noise being made in moving them when wanted. But the most curious precaution to the same effect consists in tying his

own

own knees together, with a thong, so securely as to prevent any rustling of his clothes which might otherwise alarm the animal. In this situation, a man will sit quietly sometimes for hours together, at tentively listening to any noise made by the seal, and sometimes using the keip-kuttuk, an instrument hereafter described, in order to ascertain whether the animal is still at work below. When he supposes the hole to be nearly completed, he cautiously lifts his spear, to which the line has been previously attached, and as soon as the blowing of the seal is distinctly heard, and the ice consequently very thin, he drives it into him with the force of both arms, and then cuts away with his panna the remaining crust of ice, to enable him to repeat the wounds and get him out. The neitiek is the only seal killed in this manner, and, being the smallest, is held, while struggling, either simply by hand, or by putting the line round a spear with the point stuck into the ice. For the oguke, the line is passed round the man's leg or arm; and for a walrus, round his body, his feet being at the same time firmly set against a hummock of ice, in which position these people can from habit hold against a very heavy strain. Boys of fourteen or fifteen years of age consider themselves equal to the killing of a neitiek, but it requires a full-grown person to master either of the larger animals.

"After distributing a number of presents in the first four huts, I found on entering the last, that Pootooalook had been successful in bringing in a seal, over which two elderly women were standing, armed with large

knives, their hands and faces besmeared with blood, and delight and exultation depicted on their countenances. They had just performed the first operation of dividing the animal into two parts, and thus laying open the intestines. These being taken out, and all the blood carefully baled up and put into the ootkooseek, or cookingpot, over the fire, they separated the head and flippers from the carcass and then divided the ribs. All the loose scraps were put into the pot for immediate use, except such as the two butchers now and then crammed into their own mouths, or distributed to the numerous and eager by-standers for still more immediate consumption. Of these morsels the children came in for no small share, every little urchin that could find its way to the slaughter-house, running eagerly in and between the legs of the men and women, presenting its mouth for a large lump of raw flesh, just as an English child of the same age might do for a piece of sugar-candy. Every now and then also a dog would make his way towards the reeking carcass, and when in the act of seizing upon some delicate part, was sent off yelping by a heavy blow with the handles of the knives. When all the flesh is disposed of, for a portion of which each of the women from the other huts usually brings her ootkooseek, the blubber still remains attached to the skin, from which it is separated the last; and the business being now completed, the two parts of the hide are rolled up and laid by, together with the store of flesh and blubber. During the dissection of their seals, they have a curious custom of sticking a thin filament of skin, or

of