RESULTS OF THE HUNT. 
437 
off to the lower bay and hold the whole tribe as host¬ 
ages for the absent party. 
“ Brooks is wasting with night-sweats; and my iron 
man, McGary, has been suffering for two days with 
anomalous cramps from exposure. 
“These Esquimaux have left us some walrus-beef; 
and poor little Myouk, who is unabated in his affec¬ 
tion for me, made me a special present of half a liver. 
These go of course to the hospital. God knows they 
are needed there! 
“December 9, Saturday.—The superabundant life 
of Northumberland Island has impressed Petersen as 
much as it did me. I cannot think of it without 
recurring to the fortunes of Franklin’s party. Our 
own sickness I attribute to our civilized diet; had we 
plenty of frozen walrus I would laugh at the scurvy. 
And it was only because I was looking to other objects— 
summer researches, and explorations in the fall with 
the single view to escape—that I failed to secure an 
abundance of fresh food. Even in August I could 
have gathered a -winter’s supply of birds and cochlcaria. 
“ From May to August we lived on seal, twenty-five 
before the middle of July, all brought in by one man: 
a more assiduous and better-organized hunt would 
have swelled the number without a limit. A few boat- 
parties in June would have stocked us with eider-eggs 
for winter use, three thousand to the trip; and the 
snowdrifts would have kept them fresh for the break¬ 
fast-table. I loaded my boat with ducks in three 
hours, as late as the middle of July and not more than 
