It seemed as if nothing
now could prevent the accomplishment of our desire. As long as we were
dependent upon the snow the prospect was growing more and more dubious;
but with the salt-water ice beneath us, we felt assured of reaching our
destination in due season. We remained one day at Montreal Island, to
look for the remains of the cairn spoken of by Peowat, but every trace
of it had been removed, as he said.
[Illustration: THE NETCHILLIK AMBASSADRESS.]
The day we left Montreal Island two seals were killed, which were
the first since leaving Hudson's Bay. We found the distance from the
north-east end of the island much less than mapped, and went into camp
well up the coast, after killing three reindeer. We again took the
land, crossing the Oyle Point and Richardson Point peninsulas, which we
found much wider than mapped. In an inlet west of Richardson Point, or
"Nu-oo-tar-ro," as it is known by the natives, we ran into the first of
the Netchillik encampments, on the last day of May. The ceremony of
opening communication was similar to that with the Ooquee-sik-silliks a
few days before, with the exception that instead of remaining in their
igloos the men were drawn up in line of battle in front of them, and
sent out an old woman to find out who we were and what we wanted. If
our designs had been hostile, and we had killed the old woman, their
fighting strength would not have been reduced, and it would only have
been one less old woman to care for.
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