They seldom take the trouble to make explanations, and a singular mistake occurred once at Depot Island in that way. On one of the small islands, near the mainland and Hudson Bay, Lieutenant Schwatka saw, in the fall of 1878, a very fine looking dog, called E-luck-e-nuk, and asked its owner's name. He was informed that it belonged to Shiksik, and, as the old woman of that name was in the camp and he knew of none other, he offered to buy it from her for his dog team. She consented to the proposed transfer very readily, and said it was a very fine dog indeed, she had no doubt it would give entire satisfaction. Some time during the winter, after the hunters had all returned from the reindeer country, a little old man offered to sell Lieutenant Schwatka a very fine large dog for one pound of powder and a box of caps, and, when requested to produce his dog, brought in E-luck-e-nuk. The Lieutenant recognized the animal at once by a broken ear and a loose-jointed tail, and, smiling graciously, told the would-be dog seller that the dog already belonged to him by purchase from Shiksik for a similar price, to her in hand paid about six weeks prior to the present occasion. The old man did not seem to understand the matter very clearly and went out for an interpreter, whom he found in "Esquimau Joe." The latter then stated that the dog in question belonged to the person then present, and when Lieutenant Schwatka indignantly asserted that every one in camp declared the dog belonged to Shiksik at the time of purchase, Joe remarked, "At's all right; he name Shiksik, too." As an example of the simplicity of the Innuit character, it should be remarked that when the purchase was originally made, all the people looked complacently and admiringly on without a word of explanation, though they well knew the mistake, merely remarking the unexampled generosity of Igeark-too-aloo. Under such adverse circumstances does the barterer ply his traffic with the Esquimaux.