NATIVE VILLAGE ON THE ICE. 



219 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Irksome Change from a Snow House to the Ship's Cabin. — Native Village on the 

 Ice. — Scurvy on Board. — Best Cure for it. — "Tuktoo! Tuktoo!" — A Reindeer 

 Hunt. — Dogs in Chase. — Remarkable Sagacity and Courage of Barbekark. — The 

 Deer killed by him. — Great Struggle between them. — A Venison Feast for the 

 Ship's Crew. — Death of Blind George's Wife. — Some of the sick Crew sent to live 

 with the Natives. — The Innuit King-wat-che-ung. — His Kindness to White Men. 

 — Koojesse and Charley. — A sick Man's X)bstinacy. — One of the Sailors missing. — ■ 

 Search for him. — Severely cold Weather. — Most of the Party unable to keep up 

 the Search. — The Author and one Sailor persevere. — The missing Man's Tracks; 

 his erratic Movements ; he gets confused and goes Seaward ; has a Rest in the 

 Snow ; moves on again, and proceeds Miles from the Ship ; his Scramble round 

 an Iceberg. — Author and his Companion exhausted. — Temptation to lie down 

 and Sleep. — Sledge arrives from the Ship. — Search continued. — Tracks lead to 

 the Shore. — Signs of a fearful Struggle. — Discovery of the Body, frozen stiff. — 

 Ground too hard to dig a Grave. — Cover the Corpse with Ice and Snow. — Return 

 to the Ship. 



My first night (February 21st, 1861) on board the George Hen- 

 ry, after forty-three days away in an igloo, was a sleepless one ; 

 not from any want of comfort, but in consequence of the supera- 

 bundance of it. From the pure atmosphere of a snow house to 

 the warm, confined air of a small cabin, the change is great, and 

 I felt it extremely while undergoing the resulting "sweating" 

 process. 



The next morning I visited the crew to see how the men were, 

 and was sorry to find one or two cases of scurvy among them. 

 The legs of one man, from his knees down to his feet, were almost 

 as black as coal tar. In reply to a question put to me, I said that 

 forty-three days in an igloo among Innuits was, in my opinion, 

 the best cure for them. I then went on shore with Captain 

 B . 



My dogs were all well, and right glad to see me. The wreck 

 of the Rescue still existed, though much of its materials had been 

 used for fuel and other useful purposes. 



I found, astern of the George Henry, several igloos built upon 

 the ice, though but few of the natives remained here. Nearly all 

 the inhabitants of both villages had gone away to Frobisher Bay, 

 where they hoped more success would attend their exertions to 



