258 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



squeezed, the sleepers being numerous, and all in the same bed ! 

 There were nine of us, besides the infant at the breast — a boy 3-J feet 

 in height, of portly dimensions !. 



The order of our sleeping was as follows: Key-e-zhune, the 

 wife of Annawa, lay in her place by the ik-ku-mer or fire-light, 

 with " infant" Kohuk-jun between herself and her husband ; then 

 next to him was the child Oo-suk-je ; I lay alongside of the child, 

 Koojesse next to me ; then came Esh-ee-loo, with his wife Oong-a, 

 all of us facing upward. Then, with feet at our faces, were a 

 young man Innuit, and the little girl Kim-mi-loo, who lives with 

 Annawa. 



The space in which the ten were compacted and interwoven 

 was less than as many feet ! Of course, I had to sleep in my day- 

 dress, as no spare bed is kept in reserve for company, nor have 

 they a tuktoo covering more than they need for the family ; but 

 I got along through the night after a fashion. It was, however, 

 not very pleasant. Whenever I attempted to turn to relieve my 

 aching bones, a little boy by my side roared like a young lion, 

 awaking all the sleepers, and thus a confusion followed that would 

 have deprived me of farther slumber but for my great fatigue. 

 However, the night passed on, and early in the morning I slipped 

 out as a snake from his deciduous epidermis, and prepared myself 

 for a walk. 



The igloo was built at the base of a mountain, and up this I 

 ascended until, reaching its summit, I had a good view of the re- 

 gion around me. I was now where I had long hoped to be. Be- 

 low, and encircling the island, was a field of ice, making an excel- 

 lent footway for travel. To the south and the west were the 

 open waters of Frobisher Bay, its surface dotted over with broken 

 ice, which was quietly floating about. This however, just then, 

 was vexatious, as it prevented me from making my intended 

 sledge-journey to the westward. Kesolution Island and Meta In- 

 cognita were also in sight (the former visible on the horizon, prob- 

 ably by refraction) ; and at my back the bold mountains seemed 

 all but touching me, though some few miles distant. 



On the top of the mountain I found many small pieces of lime- 

 stone, and, while collecting some of them, Annawa and two other 

 Innuits joined me. They had come for the purpose of looking 

 out to see if any seals or walrus were near; and when, through 

 my glass, I discovered one, they were off immediately. Soon aft- 

 erward I perceived them on the ice prepared for the hunt. 



