340 



AKCTIC EESEAKCH EXPEDITION. 



others less interested in the Rescue than myself, her appearance so 

 often, and apparently in such mystic form, was enough to cause 

 annoyance, if not actual superstitious dread. 



All through that night great vigilance was needed in guarding 

 the vessel, for the ice pressed tremendously upon her, and in the 

 morning men were again at work cutting the floe. Finally they 

 succeeded in separating a part that strained most upon the cable, 

 and thus we escaped the greatest danger. 



On July 28th, in the morning, I went over to Whale Island and 

 brought Tookoolito on board, to continue the work begun some 

 time previous of getting up a vocabulary of the Innuit of these 

 regions for collation with Parry's, compiled on his second voyage 

 up Hudson's Straits. Tookoolito was very serviceable in this. 

 She gave me valuable explanations of words, and also expedi- 

 tiously interpreted into her own tongue portions of the " Progress- 

 ive Eeader" which I had previously presented to her. 



In reference to this really important matter, the following ex- 

 tract from my journal at the time may be here brought forward. 

 I said : 



" Oh that such a noble Christianizing work was begun here as 

 is now established in Greenland! What a valuable aid for it 

 could be found in Tookoolito ! Will not some society, some peo- 

 ple of civilization, see to this matter ere this noble race pass 

 away? * * * It seems to me that the days of the Innuits 

 are numbered. There are very few of them now. Fifty years 

 may find them all passed away, without leaving one to tell that 

 such a people ever lived." 



At this time the men that had remained at the whaling depot 

 were summoned on board the ship, and on the evening of the 28th 

 it was reported that some of them were coming. I went on deck, 

 and asked one of the sailors, whom we called " Spikes," who was 

 then on watch, where they were. He replied, He didn't exactly 

 know, but thought they might be that way — pointing to an island 

 southeast of us — for he heard voices in that direction. I listened, 

 and then gave a shout. But my first idea was that Spikes had 

 been mistaken, as the echoes of Innuit voices on Whale Island 

 were often heard. Soon, however, I was satisfied. An answer- 

 ing shout from white men came back to mine. A boat, therefore, 

 was soon manned by Smith, myself, Spikes, Bill, and young Smith, 

 and away we went in the direction whence the sound had come. 



We made a quick passage down the harbor as far as open wa- 



