A CORN OF WHEAT 261 



On Wednesday the weather became cold and 

 windy, but on Thursday it calmed down again, and 

 " I went to see Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Noble's agent, 

 who remained at the post. He had intended to 

 go with the others on the salmon-fishing expedition, 

 but he changed his mind at the last moment, as 

 he was feeling unwell. There were consequently 

 seven men in the boat instead of eight, viz., Captain 

 Clisby, Mr. Parker, Mr. Hall, and four Eskimos. 

 The object of my visit to Mr. Sheridan was to arrange 

 for a trip to-morrow to a place called Noujakhalik, 

 some three miles from here. 



" The people were anxious to get some shell fish 

 which are found in the sand at low water at Nou 

 jakhalik, and I was feeling the need of one day's 

 change. 



" On Friday, August 14, the weather was very 

 fine, and we got together a crew of Eskimos and 

 made a start. We reached our destination, and 

 had been ashore about three hours when an Eskimo, 

 who had been to the north in his kayak hunting, 

 came to us with the awful news of his having found 

 a boat with a dead body inside ; he also stated most 

 positively that the boat was the very one in which 

 our friends had sailed on the Tuesday. 



" I was utterly overcome with the horror of the 

 news, and could only kneel down and try to cast the 

 awful burden upon the Lord. 



" Gathering the people together, we pulled some 



