AUTHOR PARTIALLY SNOW-BLIND. 



273 



CHAPTEK XVI. 



Snow-blindness. — Month of May. — Ship released from her Ice-fetters. — A spirited 

 Scene. — Sledge-dogs at full Speed. — "Bob," the Angeko. — Falling Igloos. — An- 

 ecdote of Bob. — Terrific Encounter with a Bear. — A Toss in the Air. — A power- 

 ful Innuit. — The aged Woman, Ookijoxy Ninoo. — Tookoolito Interpreter. — Im- 

 portant Information. — Traditions relating to White Men very many Years ago. — 

 Ships with many People had arrived. — Two Innuit Women taken away. — Five 

 Innuits killed by White Men. — Five White Men among the Innuits. — Written 

 History confirmed by Oral Tradition. — Barrow's History of Arctic Discovery.— 

 Eelics of the White Men to be found.— Wood, Coal, Brick, Iron.— Innuits must 

 possess the Truth concerning Franklin's Expedition.— More Information.— The 

 Dreaded Land.— Preparations for Summer Work.— Illness of Tookoolito.— Ex- 

 ploration at Head of Field Bay.— Dangerous Traveling on the Ice.— Pools of 

 Water formed. — Arrive on Land. — Extensive View. — A beautiful Grassy Plain. 

 — Comparison with Greenland. — Lands behind the Coast, at this Part, very fer- 

 tile. — Keindeer numerous. — Return to the Ship. 



Directly after my arrival on board, on April 29th, 1861, 1 had 

 a good wash, which I stood much in need of. I then found that 

 snow-blindness had come upon me. During the journey I had 

 felt some difficulty in sighting the way, but did not experience 

 any pain. Now, however, my face burned as if on fire, and my 

 eyes were intolerably painful. My cheeks were much the color 

 of tanned hide, and all about my features gave unmistakable ev- 

 idence of exposure to severe weather. 



That night I again enjoyed the luxury of taking off my skin 

 dress, which I had not been able to do for the previous eight 

 days. But my snow-blindness, which is attended with most ex- 

 cruciating pain, allowed me little rest, and the next morning found 

 me so bad that I could hardly do any thing. 



It was now the last day of April, 1861, and many symptoms 

 of a change from winter to summer (the only real changes during 

 the year in arctic climes) were observable. True, a heavy snow- 

 storm was prevailing, but the weather was much milder than it 

 had been, and the ice was beginning to yield. In the morning 

 the ship was released from her ice-fetters, and had lifted herself 

 up full two feet, showing how much lighter she had become 

 through the consumption of stores since the period of freezing in. 



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