I had to-day a visit from Okotook and Iligliuk, who, with their son, came in upon their sledge from the distant huts.  Being desirous of entertaining them well, in return for their late hospitality, we provided abundance to eat, and showed them everything about the ship that we thought likely to amuse them.  Of all the wonders they had ever seen on board, there was nothing which seemed to impress them so strongly with a sense of our superiority as the forge, and the work which the armourer performed with it.  The welding of two pieces of iron especially excited their admiration, and I never saw Iligliuk express so much astonishment at anything before.  Even in this her superior good sense was observable, for it was evident that the utility of what she saw going on was what forced itself upon her mind; and she watched every stroke of the hammer and each blast of the bellows with extreme eagerness, while numbers of the other Esquimaux looked stupidly on, without expressing the smallest curiosity or interest in the operation, except by desiring to have some spear-heads fashioned out by this means.  Iligliuk was always very much entertained also by pictures having any relation to the Esquimaux in other parts, and derived great entertainment from a description of any difference in their clothes, utensils, or weapons.  Of these the sail in an Esquimaux boat seemed particularly to attract her notice; but, in general, she had no inclination to admit the inferiority of her, own tribe to any other.  She was always extremely inquisitive about her own sex, whether Innuees[*] or Kabloonas, listening with eager attention to any account of their dress or occupations, and in common, I believe, with all the rest of the Esquimaux, wondered how we came to travel to their country without our wives.  The assurance that many among us were not married, they received with evident incredulity.

[Footnote:  Esquimaux.]

On the 13th, a number of the natives from the Winter Island huts formed a second detachment, and set off for the other village.  They carried their goods on sledges as before, even to the exclusion of poor old Hikkeiera, whom some of our gentlemen overtook crawling after his companions with a stick, and who, but for their remonstrances, might that day have finished his pilgrimage on earth.  They insisted, however, on his being placed on one of the sledges, which was accordingly complied with; but, on their arrival at the village, his companions left him lying there till their huts were built.  All the Esquimaux pressed our gentlemen very strongly to sleep at the village; but one of the women gave Mr. Bird an indifferent specimen of her hospitality, by picking his pocket of a handkerchief, though not so dexterously as to escape detection.  The few who visited the ships to-day told us that they were all about to leave Winter Island on the morrow; and Okotook and Iligliuk, who had not yet returned, came on board among the rest