8th.  Our people went out to look for reindeer, and no prospect of our proceeding to sea appearing, they resolved to stay out all night.

9th.  Jonas returned and reported, that they had seen reindeer, but were not able to shoot any.  Paul and Thukkekina went to-day to the western mountains, and staid over night.

10th.  Brother Kmoch went to the westward to look for birds.  He saw a large flight of sea-fowl, but they were extremely shy, and would not permit him to get near them.  From the hills around us, we perceived that the entrance into the bay was completely blocked up with ice; and towards the sea, nothing but one continued field of ice appeared.  We sighed and prayed to the Lord to help us in this time of need.  Jonas went out in his kayak, and shot an ugsuk, not far from our tent.  Towards evening, we saw a fire made by our reindeer-hunters, at the western extremity of the bay, and they fired their pieces to give us notice, that they had got some game, and that we should fetch it with the small boat.

Okkiksuk therefore went, and found them completely overcome with fatigue, having dragged their game, across the mountains for a considerable distance.  The Esquimaux are indeed able to carry burdens up and down hill, under which most Europeans would sink, but when they kill a deer far inland, it is hard-earned food, by the trouble of carrying it home.  Paul had shot two reindeer, of which we received a portion.  Brother Kohlmeister had been on the other side of the bay, and returned with a large parcel of plants and flowers, the examination of which afforded him much amusement.

The Esquimaux now boiled a large kettle full of seal’s flesh, of which we were invited to partake.  This we did, and thought it a very palatable mess, particularly as we had tasted no fresh meat since we had left the North Ikkerasak.  The prejudice of the Europeans against seal’s flesh, consists mostly in imagination.  The dirty kettle in which the Esquimaux boil it, is indeed not calculated to excite an appetite, but the meat, when eaten fresh, tastes much like beef; when cold, it acquires an oily taste; nor durst a person, not accustomed to it from his childhood, make a practice of eating it, as it is of a very heating nature, and would soon bring on serious disorders.  It generally prevents sleep, if eaten at supper.

12th.  The wind became West, and cleared the bay of the ice.  Brother Kmoch and Jonathan went to the opposite shore and found winter-houses, one of which had been inhabited last winter; two others were in ruins.  They climbed the highest eminence towards Nachvak, but saw nothing but drift-ice, covering the sea, with but few spots of open water, to the north.

13th.  It blew hard from the West.  David and Okkiksuk crossed the bay to explore the state of the ice from the hills.  In the evening they returned with intelligence, that the sea was cleared of ice to the northward.  David had caught a netsek, (a small species of seal), and we had taken a good draught of trout in the net before our tent.