OF THE POLAR SEA. 



(35 



period were always scanty, and we were 

 occasionally restricted to one in the day. 



The Indian families about the house, 

 consisting principally of women and chil- 

 dren, suffered most. I had often requested 

 them to move to Akaitcho's lodge, where 

 they were more certain of receiving sup- 

 plies ; but as most of them were sick or 

 infirm, they did not like to quit the house, 

 where they daily received medicines from 

 Dr. Richardson, to encounter the fatigue 

 of following the movements of a hunting 

 camp. They cleared away the snow on 

 the site of the autumn encampments to look 

 for bones, deer's feet, bits of hide, and 

 other offal. When we beheld them gnaw- 

 ing the pieces of hide, and pounding the 

 bones for the purpose of extracting some 

 nourishment from them by boiling, we re- 

 gretted our inability to relieve them, but 

 little thought that we should ourselves be 

 afterwards driven to the necessity of eagerly 

 I collecting these same bones a second time 

 from the dunghill. 



At this time, to divert the attention of 



VOL, III. F 



