NIGHT-TRAVELING ON THE ICE. 



263 



was. In reply, she said " it was solid ice, and never had she known 

 it to change its appearance, either in summer or fall." 



This was enough. I immediately concluded that there were 

 glaciers over there, and certainly the one I then looked at ap- 

 peared to be not less than fifteen to twenty miles long. But, as I 

 afterward visited the locality, I shall reserve farther mention of 

 them till I come to another part of my narrative. 



About dusk we reached the south point of the island Nou- 

 yarn,* where we had expected to find an Innuit village, the place 

 of our intended visit. But, to our disappointment and vexation, 

 the settlement was not there. Within two hundred fathoms of 

 the shore we saw sledge-tracks leading from the land out into 

 the bay, and thence northward and westward. Here, also, on the 

 ice, we saw two double-barreled guns standing up in the snow, 

 and an Esquimaux lamp ; but not a human being besides our- 

 selves was there. We knew not what to do. Dark and cold, we 

 should undoubtedly suffer much if unable to get shelter. What 

 could we do ? We might, for a while, follow the sledge-tracks, 

 but not long, as the darkness was upon us. Eight o'clock, and 

 we had neither shelter, food, nor light. Even to keep warmth in 

 us for a moment, it was necessary to be in action, or the chances 

 were we should freeze; and to remain so all night, we might per- 

 ish. Sterry proposed that we should return to the igloos we had 

 left in the morning, but to this Kokerjabin and myself objected. 

 The best thing we could do, as I thought, was to follow the tracks, 

 and, if not meeting with Innuits, build an igloo and make the best 

 of it. This was agreed to, and again we started forward, Koker- 

 jabin leading the way, which she did most admirably, guiding us 

 here and there among numerous inlets, without once being in the 

 wrong or confused. 



The moon had now risen from her sea-bed, but looked as if 

 guilty of some wicked act, being both horribly distorted and red 

 in the face! But- the higher up she got, the better was her ap- 

 pearance, and the greater was her usefulness to us night-travelers. 

 At length, about half past ten, and when we had gone some three 

 miles farther, Kokerjabin brought us to a small island called An- 

 nu-ar-tung, where she expected to find the Innuits. 



We listened ; we strained our eyes for an igloo light, but in 

 vain ; not a sound, not a glimmer of any thing we had hoped for 

 met our ears or our eyes. Still, we determined to be thoroughly 



* Lat. 62° 55' N., long. 65° 52' W. 



