INNUITS DRIFTED TO SEA ON ICE. 



245 



him under, but his gun, powder, and every thing else belonging 

 to him was carried away. She also told me that the angeko, 

 whom I have formerly mentioned as being so lazy, had, with his 

 two wives and this same "Jack," nearly perished by being driven 

 out to sea on some ice that broke away. They had gone on a 

 sealing excursion several miles up the coast, northerly and east- 

 erly of where I had spent my time during the trip of January and 

 February. All at once the ice on which they were became de- 

 tached, and away they drifted to sea. In a few days wind and 

 tide set the floe back again, and thus they escaped a terrible 

 death. 



Ebierbing related to me several incidents of the fearful expo- 

 sure of his Innuit friends, who had, at various times, been swept 

 away from land on the sea-ice. 



In the winter of 1859, the Innuit "Sampson" and a party of 

 fifteen others, were out walrus hunting on the ice in Frobisher 

 Bay, when a gale came on, and drove the ice out to sea. Escape 

 was impossible. On and on the ice moved. The despairing In- 

 nuits erected an igloo, and then awaited their fate. The cold was 

 so terribly severe that most of the dogs perished. Two survived 

 for some time, but had finally to be eaten as food. Thus for 

 thirty days the Innuits continued, until at length the ice upon 

 which they were floating united to some near the land, and they 

 were enabled to reach an island in the bay. Thence they got 

 upon the main shore, and returned to their families alive, but such 

 skeletons in form that they were hardly recognizable by their 

 friends. One of the party, from weakness, had fallen into the sea, 

 but was taken out again, his garments immediately freezing hard 

 upon him. The Innuits Sharkey, Kop-e-o, whom I called " Dick," 

 and most of those now at the lower village, were of this com- 

 pany. 



Another incident mentioned to me was that a party of Innuits 

 a few years ago went out on the sea-ice walrus hunting, and, be- 

 ing driven away from land, were unable to reach it for three 

 months ! Fortunately for them, however, they did not suffer as 

 the others had done. Walruses were caught, and thus they were 

 enabled to exist. 



Not a winter passes but similar occurrences take place among 

 the Innuits. Indeed, during our stay in Eescue Harbor several 

 persons were carried away on the ice, but in a day or two after- 

 ward succeeded in getting ashore again. 



