Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/184

 worn while alive. A few were covered with an old sledge or some pieces of wood, but far the greater number were entirely exposed to the voracity of dogs and wild animals. The bodies here lay with the heads turned north-east, towards the extremity of the point; and many of them appeared so fresh, that my followers caught the alarm that the cholera or some other dire disease was raging among the Esquimaux. We had landed half-way between a winter village and a summer camp of these people, situated about three miles asunder; and, as it was very early in the morning, they were, perhaps, roused from their slumbers by our shouts when the British standard was first planted on their shores. It will be remembered by those conversant in northern voyages, that, in August 1826, Mr. Elson, who commanded the Blossom's barge, judged it imprudent, from the hostile demeanour of the natives, to land on this point, and that his observations were taken on an iceberg near the shore. On the present occasion, whether from astonishment or suspicion, none of the Esquimaux ventured towards us. Trusting to the superiority of our arms, and the effect of a frank and confident bearing, I resolved to anticipate the meeting. The yourls near the extremity of the point appeared very numerous, but I could not, through