SLEDGE JOURNEY. 



497 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



Commencement of Sledge Journey up Frobisher Bay. — Parting with Tookoolito. — 

 Crossing the Pass. — Arrival at Oopungnewing. — Search for the "Anvil." — A 

 Seal-feast. — A Walrus Hunt. — Spearing the Walrus. — Building an Igloo. — In- 

 nuit Puppies. — Arrival at Brewster Point. — A young Seal. — Unsuccessful At- 

 tempt to catch the Mother. — Trip up Newton's Fiord. — Out all Night. — An ex- 

 tempore Igloo the fourth Encampment. — Dog Comforters. — Caught in a Storm. 

 — Peril and Fatigue. — Safe Return to the fifth Encampment, same as the third. 



On Tuesday, the 1st of April, 1862, 1 started on my exploring 

 sledge trip up Frobisher Bay, to which allusion has already been 

 made (see page 471). Some of the officers and crew of the George 

 Henry were proceeding to Oopungnewing with a whale-boat and 

 whaling apparatus lashed to a sledge drawn by dogs, and I took 

 the opportunity of transporting my material over the Bayard 

 Taylor Pass, proposing to go on from Oopungnewing with the 

 ship's sledge. 



The party consisted of nine persons, four belonging to the 

 ship's company, four Innuits, and myself, and at 7 A.M. we start- 

 ed from the ship. Our team of dogs was a good one, numbering 

 nineteen, all in excellent order, and in two hours we made the 

 land, commencing the journey across the Pass. Tookoolito, who 

 had been of great assistance to me in making my preparations for 

 this journey, had promised to see me in the morning and bid me 

 good-by ; but she overslept herself, and I was disappointed of 

 seeing her. After making three quarters of a mile, on looking 

 back I saw an Innuit far behind, but supposed it to be one of 

 our party whom our quick movement had left in the rear. Pres- 

 ently one of the ship's company called my attention to the fact 

 that Tookoolito was hastening after us. I knew at once that the 

 noble-hearted woman was anxious to see me, in accordance with 

 her expressed purpose of the previous evening. Turning back, I 

 met her laboriously working her way along among the hum- 

 mocky ice, quite exhausted with her exertions. As soon as she 

 could speak, she said, " I wanted to see you before you left, to 

 bid you good-by." I thanked her, expressed my regret for the 

 trouble she had taken, and asked where her babe was. She 



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