THE GOING OF THE SUN 109 



greatly. Sipsu presented me with two hind quarters 

 of deer, and Kudlar's kooner made me a pair of fine 

 warm hareskin slippers. Trout, freshly caught from 

 one of the ponds, were presented to me, as well as 

 some ptarmigans; the latter were not plentiful, and 

 therefore something of a luxury. 



The day following our return a great feast was 

 held in Kulutinguah's igloo. Every man, woman 

 and child in the settlement except me was there, and 

 I felt very lonesome lying in bed in the shack. But 

 I contributed biscuit, of which Eskimos are very fond, 

 and lent them my kettle, which I filled with tea. The 

 main feature of the feast, I was advised, was an 

 uncooked seal. 



Two days of northerly wind started the ice-pack 

 driving southward, and as I lay in bed I could hear, 

 like rumbling thunder, grounding icebergs and the 

 floes jamming and crushing against the land. This 

 thunderous roar served to accentuate and bring more 

 forcefully home to me an appreciation of the desola- 

 tion of my surroundings. 



The Eskimos visited me regularly, creating fun 

 in their good-natured way, and their visits served to 

 ease the tedium of my confinement. When I had 

 been in bed three days Tongwe came in to have a look 

 at my feet and encourage me with the assurance that 

 they were getting along very well. Like an expert 

 in such things she trimmed off with scissors all dead 

 flesh and loose skin. 



Early in November I was around again, though 

 with very tender feet. The men were anxious to take 



