402 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



Febnfary administering to ner comfort until she should shew some symptoms of return- 

 ing energy, the want of which seemed at present to be. her principal complaint. 

 She was accordingly lodged in Captain Lyon's cabin, and together with a con- 

 sumptive looking boy named Allowseuk, who also stood much in need of a warm 

 and dry lodging, received every possible kindness and attention. The idea 

 which suggested itself respecting Kaga was that if, as we began to fear, the 

 condition of widows was as destitute here as in Greenland, it would be a 

 charity to endeavour to bring about a match between this her Takkee- 

 likkee-ta ; the first step towards which was to rouse her from her present 

 apathy, and then to give her such a portion as might add to her value and 

 respectability as a wife. The grief however which Takkee-likkee-ta continued 

 for some time to express for his late loss, prevented our hinting this scheme to 

 him for the present, and in the meantime the other unfeeling Esquimaux 

 were permitted to entertain any notion they pleased respecting our inten- 

 tions in bringing Kaga to the ships ; for a mere act of charity they either 

 did not or would not understand it to be. 



The Esquimaux who had occasional communication with the distant village, 

 having given us reason to suppose that they meant to bring Innooksioo in to 

 the ships, it became evident that some more systematic as well as extensive 

 means must be resorted to for the relief of their sick, than we had hitherto 

 thought of adopting. Captain Lyon's charity being already very highly taxed 

 with a most perverse and thankless patient, as Kaga soon turned out to be, 

 while the Fury's sick-bay began to swarm with lice to such a degree as to render 

 it necessary to turn our own men almost entirely out of it, I determined on 

 building a hospital within the Avails of our square expressly for the reception 

 of the natives ; and having proposed it to the officers on whom all the 

 trouble would necessarily devolve, a plan for the building, medical attend- 

 ance, and victualling was immediately settled, with a degree of cordiality 

 and zeal which I can never forget. A house was accordingly constructed 

 with spars, turf, snow, and canvass, twelve feet square, having a passage with 

 two doors, and containing five convenient bed-places for the sick, and a small 

 warming-stove in the centre. All our people being employed about it, Lieu- 

 tenant Nias completed the building in a couple of days, at no expense but 

 that of labour which could in no way be so well employed. The medical 

 and other attendance was arranged by Messrs. Edwards and Skeoch, and a 

 stock of sea-horse meat laid in by Mr. Hooper, to furnish any patients that 

 might be brought down to the ships. 



