86 The First Musk-ox Hunt. lOdobcr, is64. 



wide, were lashed to the top of the runners by strong strips of wah'us- 

 hide. This play of the runners makes the Eskimo sled superior to all 

 others in its flexibility over hummocky ice. Their depth was 9 inches, 

 and the width of the sled outside of them, 3 feet. 



The four Innuits, Ou-e-Ia, Ar-too-a, Nu-ker-zhoo, and Oong-oo-too, 

 accompanied Hall, the dog team being made up of fifteen dogs. Un- 

 able to find the whale by reason of the quantity of pack-ice which had 

 been forced on shore, the paity crossed a bight and succeeded in satis- 

 fying the dogs from the carcasses of two bears, which were with difii- 

 culty uncovered from a frozen mass of stones. Making upon the rocks 

 a scanty meal from what they had brought with them without touch- 

 ing the bear-meat, they lighted their pipes and took a good smoke. 

 Then placing some provision within two deer skins which were made 

 up by thongs into rolls to be drawn by the dogs, they started on a 

 westerly course inland to visit some of the reindeer deposits. The 

 sled was left behind. 



A more exciting scene now offered itself. Ou-e-la soon discov- 

 ered the tracks of musk-oxen, and brought up the whole party by his 

 cries of '■'■ Oo-ming-mimg, Oo-ming-mimg." Quickly deciding that the 

 tracks were not very old, and that the animals might be sighted, they 

 entered on what the natives regard as their great hunt. The tracks 

 freshened. The animals were not, however, sighted during the day. 

 The party had to get up an igloo and retire to rest with but a scanty 

 meal of about 3i ounces for each man, part of which consisted of 

 "casino." 



Outside of the igloo, the thermometer showed 16° and inside, 25°; 

 a temperature pronounced uncomfortable by the four warm-blooded 

 Innuits and the one pale-face, all of whom slept closely sandwiched. 



