IMPROVIDENCE OE THE NATIVES. 



215 



out. To feed a hungry man was well enough, and a ready act on 

 the part of all of us ; but then for him to have a stomach as huge 

 and voracious as any polar bear, and try to fill that stomach from 

 our limited supply of food, was more than we could reasonably 

 stand. I grew impatient ; but finally the angeko gave in. He 

 really had no power to stow away one piece more. He was full 

 to repletion ; and, throwing himself flat on the igloo floor, he re- 

 signed himself to the heavy task Nature now had to perform 

 in the process of digesting the monstrous heap he had taken 

 within. 



After a time the angeko told us that one of his wives had accom- 

 panied him, but had gone into another igloo. The other wife kept 

 with them as far as she could, when he was obliged to leave her 

 till means of relief could be found. He had built an igloo for her, 

 and then hastened on to our snow village. In the morning Noo- 

 okkong, the Innuit lad, went with some food to her, and soon aft- 

 erward brought her in, thus making an addition of no less than 

 four hungry mouths to aid in consuming our supplies. To add 

 to our dilemma, Ugarng returned on the following day bringing 

 with him three more fasting beings besides himself. They were 

 his mother, Ookijoxy Ninoo, his nephew Eterloong, and his niece 

 Ookoodlear, all related to Ebierbing. 



Ugarng, however, brought for me additional supplies from the 

 ship ; but I saw quite clearly that, whatever I might feel inclined 

 to do for my late companions in their need, it would never an- 

 swer to begin supplying all strangers that arrived, particularly 

 the angeko, who was lazy, and living upon the credulity of his 

 people. Therefore I determined to stop this as speedily as pos- 

 sible. The angeko, however, left us in a day or two for another 

 place, where he and his wives were afterward found, again starv- 

 ing. 



News from the ship told me that all were well on board, and 

 that the natives had caught one seal, the captor being Koodloo, 

 who had remained there when Ebierbing went with him on the 

 first trip back to the vessel. 



Sterry, of the ship's company, had been some time living at a 

 place in Frobisher Bay, and had, with the natives, caught two 



walrus. Captain B intended going thither the next month 



with some men, to see what could be done the coming season in 

 the way of whaling. 



After this arrival, the usual daily incidents of our life were un- 



