an explosion, or some such catastrophe, as the immediate effect of the potion; nor did he venture to relinquish his hold till the taste began to leave his mouth.  The quantity of water which he drank in the course of the four-and-twenty hours is beyond conception; and the cabin fire could scarcely, by the melting of snow, furnish enough for their consumption.  These people are extremely particular as to the purity of the water they drink.  Some that had been melted in our steamer, and which I thought very good, neither of them would touch, or, at least, always spat out again.  If the water was much above the temperature of 32 deg., they also disliked it, and immediately put snow into it to cool it down.  Iligliuk, who came on board with one side of her hair loose, loosened the other also to-day, in consequence of her fancying Okotook worse, though it was only the annoyance of the blister that made him uneasy; for even in this sequestered corner of the globe dishevelled locks bespeak mourning.  It was not, however, with her the mere semblance of grief, for she was really much distressed throughout the day, all our endeavours not availing to make her understand how one pain was to be removed by inflicting another.

Captain Lyon being desirous of having some little clothes made as models of the Esquimaux costume, and thinking Iligliuk’s present leisure afforded her a good opportunity of making them, had yesterday obtained her promise that she would do so.  Okotook being now very much better, and she having herself resumed her usual gayety in consequence, I pressed her to commence her work, and placed the skins before her, when she said that she could not do them here, as she had no needles.  These being supplied her, she now complained of, having no t=o=okt~oo-e-w=all~oo (reindeer sinew), their usual thread.  This difficulty, unfortunately for Iligliuk’s credit, was as easily overcome as the other; and when scissors, pattern clothes, and all the other requisites were laid before her, she was at length driven to the excuse that Okotook’s illness would not permit her to do it.  Seeing us half laughing at the absurdity of these excuses, and half angry at the selfish indolence which prompted them, she at last flatly asserted that Okotook desired her not to work, which, though we knew it to be a falsehood, the latter did not deny.  We then supposed that some superstition might be at the bottom of this; but having, a little while after, by way of experiment, thrown Iligliuk some loose beads upon the table, she eagerly employed herself for half an hour in stringing them that not one might be lost; which proved that, where her own gratification or interest were concerned, Okotook’s illness was not suffered to interfere.  This anecdote shows, in a strong light, that deep-rooted selfishness, which, in numberless instances, notwithstanding the superiority of Iligliuk’s understanding, detracted from the amiability of her disposition.  The fact was, that she did not feel inclined so far to exert herself as to comply with Captain Lyon’s request; and the slight degree of gratitude and proper feeling which was requisite to overcome that disinclination was altogether wanting.