left her. The bedding was extremely scanty. Over her limbs was naught but an old sealskin jacket, over her body and shoulders the shreds of a tuktoo skin and piece of an old blanket. As I turned back the covering from her shoulders, I saw that she was reduced to 'skin and bones.' As I looked upon her tattooed face, it was youthful and fair; even a smile was there, as if the King of Cold had fastened upon her at the very moment when her spirit welcomed the white-winged angel from heaven. "I know not how long I tarried in this that had been her living tomb, and was now the tomb of that only which is earthly. But at last I raised myself through the opening in the dome by which I had made my entrance, and, with the assistance of my Innuit friend, proceeded to cut out snow-blocks and place them over the excavated place in the igloo. Having secured it as well as we could, thus reburying, as it were, the dead, we turned our faces to the sledge and dogs, and were soon on our way to the ship." On Saturday, March 1st, news arrived by Koodloo of the ill success attending him and Ebierbing on their seal-hunts at Tookoo-li-to Inlet, and of the starving condition of their families. I thereupon determined to return with Koodloo and carry food to relieve them, and also to effect arrangements to have Koodloo and Ebierbing, with their families, remove to Field Bay. We started with eight dogs attached to our sledge, but the deep yielding snow made our progress at first very slow. Our course for the first four miles was nearly due north, when we struck the land on the east side of Grinnell Mount; thence, for a distance of fifteen miles, our journey was inland, first traversing a chain of lakelets embosomed amid mountains. When about three miles inland on our way, we came across an igloo nearly buried in snow; it was one that had been made a half-way house by Ebierbing and his party in going up. After this our way wound in and out among the mountains, up and down the steep sides, the sledge often nearly running over the dogs, till we came to Tookoolito Inlet, where we expected to find Ebierbing, his wife, and Koodloo's family. "Isaiah," the little son of Koodloo, was seen coming out to meet us, and soon afterward we reached the igloos. Tookoolito gladly welcomed us, her husband being out over a seal-hole. The next day, March 3d, finding that Ebierbing had not yet come in, Koodloo and I went in search of him with dogs and sledge. When within three cables' distance of where he was still seated beside the seal-hole, having been there since the previous morning, he signified to us not to approach nearer, lest we should frighten the seal, as it had come up and given a puff. We then returned to the igloo and remained for another night. On the morning of March 4th Ebierbing had not returned, and I went once more to look for him, but soon discovered him approaching. He had been two and a half days and two nights at that seal-hole, patiently sitting over it without food or drink! and he had not caught the seal either. On returning to the igloo some soup and other food was given him, and he then expressed a determination to go and try again. On the evening of March 5th I was again at the ship, Ebierbing, his wife, and infant having accompanied me. I left a supply of my pemmican for Koodloo and his family, until Ebierbing should return with the dogs and sledge for them. The last half of the month of March I was chiefly occupied with preparations for the sledge journey which I proposed making up Frobisher Bay, and to which I have before referred. I conclude this chapter with an extract from my diary of January 8th, concerning a subject which was always present with me, and to a consideration of which I gave many thoughtful hours: "This P.M. I have called on my Innuit friends Ebierbing and Tookoolito. They are going to accompany me to the United States. I take them with the object of having them as interpreters on my still proposed voyage to King William's Land and Boothia Felix. Among the Innuits who spend their lives in the vicinity of the places named, there exists the history of Sir John Franklin's expedition from about the time the Erebus and Terror became beset in the ice, near King William's Land, to its final dispersion, and of all events connected therewith. I repeat: the history of Sir John Franklin's expedition exists among the Innuits now living on and in the vicinity of King William's Land, Montreal Island, and Boothia Felix Peninsula. I am almost positive that if I can be so blessed by the Power that overrules all things as to make a successful passage to the field of my desired operations, I can, after a time, accomplish such a work as shall make it a matter of astonishment to the civilized world that the same has not been done before." SLEDGE JOURNEY. 497 CHAPTER XXXII. Commencement of Sledge Journey up Frobisher Bay.—Parting with Tookoolito.— Crossing the Pass.—Arrival at Oopungnewing.—Search for the "Anvil."—A Seal-feast.—A Walrus Hunt.—Spearing the Walrus.—Building an Igloo.—Innuit Puppies.—Arrival at Brewster Point.—A young Seal.—Unsuccessful Attempt to catch the Mother.—Trip up Newton's Fiord.—Out all Night.—An extempore Igloo the fourth Encampment.—Dog Comforters.—Caught in a Storm. —Peril and Fatigue.—Safe Return to the fifth Encampment, same as the third. On Tuesday, the 1st of April, 1862, I started on my exploring sledge trip up Frobisher Bay, to which allusion has already been made (see page 471). Some of the officers and crew of the George Henry were proceeding to Oopungnewing with a whale-boat and whaling apparatus lashed to a sledge drawn by dogs, and I took the opportunity of transporting my material over the Bayard Taylor Pass, proposing to go on from Oopungnewing with the ship's sledge. The party consisted of nine persons, four belonging to the ship's company, four Innuits; and myself, and at 7 A.M. we started from the ship. Our team of dogs was a good one, numbering nineteen, all in excellent order, and in two hours we made the land, commencing the journey across the Pass. Tookoolito, who had been of great assistance to me in making my preparations for this journey, had promised to see me in the morning and bid me good-by; but she overslept herself, and I was disappointed of seeing her. After making three quarters of a mile, on looking back I saw an Innuit far behind, but supposed it to be one of our party whom our quick movement had left in the rear. Presently one of the ship's company called my attention to the fact that Tookoolito was hastening after us. I knew at once that the noble-hearted woman was anxious to see me, in accordance with her expressed purpose of the previous evening. Turning back, I met her laboriously working her way along among the hummocky ice, quite exhausted with her exertions. As soon as she could speak, she said, "I wanted to see you before you left, to bid you good-by." I thanked her, expressed my regret for the trouble she had taken, and asked where her babe was. She |