514 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



" Miner," and her son, " Charley," removed from Oopungnewing 

 a few weeks before this time, Tweroong was unable to walk, and 

 had to be carried on a sledge. After going a few miles up Fro- 

 bisher Bay, an igloo was built for her, when she was placed in it, 

 without any food, and with no means of making a fire-light, and 

 then abandoned to die alone. A few days after some Innuits 

 visited the igloo and found her dead. 



The next day, April 19th, in the afternoon, I received an invi- 

 tation from old Petato to come into her igloo and partake of a 

 seal-feast. Taking Henry Smith along with me, I accompanied 

 Oosookarlo to the place indicated. We found Petato seated on 

 her dais, with an immense stone pot hanging over the full blazing 

 ikkumer ; the pot was filled with smoking-hot seal and seal soup; 

 Sharkey, Kopeo, his wife and infant, and several young Innuits, 

 were there, awaiting the "good time coming." Petato, the pre- 

 siding genius, took out a piece of the seal with her hands and 

 gave it to me, doing the same by the others. Before I had half 

 finished mine, the old lady handed me another and a larger piece; 

 but, without difficulty, I did ample justice to all of it. Henry de- 

 clared he never partook of a meal he relished more. The second 

 course was seal soup, of which Petato gave me a huge bowl full ; 

 this is the nectar of a seal-feast. After I was supplied, another 

 bowl, of a capacity equivalent to four quarts, was placed on the 

 floor for the dog to wash with his pliant tongue ; when he had 

 lapped it clean, outside as well as within, it was filled with the 

 luscious soup, which the Innuits at once disposed of, taking turns 

 at the bowl. 



Later in the evening, as I was seated in my own igloo sur- 

 rounded by my company, I heard a loud Innuit shout just out- 

 side. As quick as thought, Kooj esse, Sharkey, Tunukderlien, and 

 Jennie sprang for the long knives lying around, and hid them 

 wherever they could find places. My first thought was that a 

 company of warlike Innuits were upon us, and I asked Kooj esse 

 the meaning of all this. He replied, "Angeko! angeko!" Im- 

 mediately there came crawling into the low entrance to the igloo 

 an Innuit with long hair completely covering his face and eyes. 

 He remained on his knees on the floor of the igloo, feeling round 

 like a blind man at each side of the entrance, back of the fire- 

 light, the place where meat is usually kept, and where knives 

 may generally be found. Not finding any, the angeko slowly 

 withdrew. I asked Koojesse what would have been the conse- 



