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186 ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



The sick woman lay on skins of the reindeer placed on the 

 snow platform opposite the entrance of the igloo, and, though in 

 the usual condition of Esquimaux when in bed, said she felt quite 

 warm. The medicine, and perhaps the kindly words, had done 

 her good. But some days afterward I found her snow bed had 

 become unfit for sleeping upon. Some unusually high tempera- 

 ture of the weather for that time of the year, added to the heat — 

 though not much — of her own body, had melted the snow couch, 

 and she had sunk in an awkward position. Accordingly, one 

 day (December 21), assisted by her friends, I made her a fresh 

 bed by procuring blocks of drifted snow, crushing them finely as 

 flakes, and making the same into a soft, smooth basis, upon which 

 was placed the usual layer of the small dry shrub, and on top 

 of that some reindeer skins. This, then, was the new bed for 

 poor sick Nukertou, and for a time she seemed more comforta- 

 ble. But neither the attentions of Tookoolito or myself availed. 

 Gradually she declined ; and, though we administered to her such 

 food as was necessary (all the Innuit people, at this period, being 

 near a state of starvation, owing to a very bad season for seal- 

 hunting again), her death rapidly approached. 



On December 30th, I find the following in my journal concern- 

 ing her : 



"Invited Tookoolito to go with me and make a call upon sick 

 Nukertou. "We found her as yesterday. I had a talk with her, 

 Tookoolito acting as intrepreter. What a scene for my memory! 

 There sat Kokerzhun before her fire-lamp, drinking in every 

 word, as Tookoolito interpreted to sick Nukertou what I had re- 

 quested to be said. Tookoolito went on talking to Nukertou all 

 that I had taught her of God, Christ, heaven, the good, etc., and 

 there she stood, weeping over the form of her whom we all love 

 as a sister — noble Nukertou. 



"After this interesting interview Tookoolito and Kokerzhun 

 proceeded to the vessel, while I went to the former's igloo, and 

 obtained my spirits of camphor for the purpose of laving the tem- 

 ples of Nukertou. Here I remained, chafing the hot, tattooed 

 brow of this afflicted but resigned Esquimaux — here I remained 

 alone with this dear one, whose spirit may soon be in the pres- 

 ence of God and angels. Oh that she may go to that happy 

 land where all is rejoicing, and the song is Glory to God in the 

 highest !" 



The day but one afterward I paid my usual visit to Nukertou, 



