Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/191

 and troops of seals were now sporting amongst the ice. The Esquimaux of Point Barrow have unquestionably an indirect trade with the Russians, whom they call "Noonatagmun." The old man readily took charge of, and promised to convey, a letter which I addressed to them, or to any other whites on the western coast, containing a brief notice of the success of the expedition; and I made him a small present to confirm his seeming good-will. We had no other means of marking our visit, the coast being destitute of wood or stone for the construction of a pillar on the shifting gravel; not to mention the inutility, perhaps danger, of the attempt, in the presence of more than a hundred savages, whose apparent friendship was, I believe, greatly owing to our being never off our guard. The configuration of Point Barrow afforded me a decisive opportunity of ascertaining the direction of the flood and ebb tides. Both were equally strong: the former coming from the south-west, and sweeping round the point; the latter retiring in the reverse direction. When we arrived, the morning tide had just turned, and the fall was fourteen inches. The moon being then three days old, the time of high-water at fall and change will be noon. The afternoon tide was still rising when we took our