A TALK WITH KAR-PING. 



471 



It was at once noticed that the Innuit Shevikoo was bathed in 

 tears, and such of the other Innuits as comprehended the words 



of Captain B seemed much hurt. How true that every one 



likes his own country best. Shevikoo was one of the noblest of 

 his people ; he could not repress the flood of tears that burst forth 

 on hearing his native land thus spoken of. 



As soon as it was fairly decided that the George Henry must re- 

 main imbedded in the ice through another winter, I determined 

 to make, as soon as possible, a sledge journey up Frobisher Bay 

 for the purpose of effecting a complete exploration of every bay 

 and inlet in those waters, and also of investigating still more 

 closely the matters connected with the Countess of "Warwick's 

 Sound. Previous to this, however, it became necessary for me to 

 make a shorter trip to Jones's Cape, in order to obtain reindeer 

 skins by trading with the natives ; these I wanted for bedding 

 and winter dresses for myself and for Ebierbing and Tookoolito, 

 and to bring home with me to the United States. 

 , On Tuesday, December 10th, I went over to Ebierbing's tupic 

 to see him about going on this excursion with me. While talk- 

 ing with Tookoolito I asked her to go with me to see the old In- 

 nuit whose name is Kar-ping, for I wanted to talk with him. Be- 

 fore we started there came into the tupic a young Innuit with 

 Tookoolito's infant, its whole length stuck into the leg of a pair 

 of tuktoo kodlings — breeches. The fur turned inside made a warm 

 envelope for the body of the child, otherwise naked, except for a 

 tuktoo cap and jacket. Tookoolito then sent the young man who 

 brought the infant for old Karping, who soon came in. He had 

 quite a stock of gray whiskers and mustache, and I should think 

 he was from sixty -five to seventy years old. 



Tookoolito acted as my interpreter, and I cautioned her not to 

 assist the old man by any remarks of her own. I first asked, 

 "Have you ever heard of a place called Kodlunarn?" He re- 

 plied, "I have. It is a small island, and near Oopungnewing." 

 " Why is it called Kodlunarn ?" " Because white men lived there, 

 and built oo-mi-ark-chu-a" — ship. "Did you see the hodlunas 

 who lived on Kodlunarn and built ship there ?" Kaising up his 

 eyes, with wonder pictured in them, at the question, he said 

 "Argi." 



He then proceeded to say that it was a long time before he was 

 born; he knew nothing about it but what his old father and 

 mother told him. I asked him how the white men could build a 



