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1861 Fri. Jan 25 Tuk-su into the very Igloo, the only place of deposit of a captured Seal. This was done by E. & myself tugging tandem fashion! I have said it was a fine Seal; - so it was weighing upward 200 lbs. Of course the news of E's arrival with a Seal "flew like wild fire", every inhabitant of our quiet little village consisting of three Igloos! Exhausted stomachs of Innuits & the writer's were all prepared for wide distension by Mrs Seal who proved to be entitled to the prefix (bring a mother with young) According to Innuit custom immediate invitations were sent around by the family of the successful Sealer to attend forthwith a "Seal Feast"! I was selected to make these invitation wh. I certainly done with effective haste, dignity & decorum for in response they all rushed Seal-ward [[underlined]] instanter! [[/underlined]] I returned after performing the honored trust & found Ebierbing & Jack ready with long bladed Seal Knives well whetted, ready for bloody work! The assembled was a cheerful but awful hungry one! The Igloo was filled - crowded indeed. My position was up on the bed behind a seated row of lady Innuits Nevertheless, I could peer over their shoulders & scan all the varied operations of Seal dissection. The "blanket" (the blubber with skin) was 1st seperated from the "Beef" & skelleton of the Seal - the body of the Seal was opened & blood scooped out wh. by the by is a precious element of Seal eating! Then came liver which was at once cut into pieces of a sufficient number for all & distributed. Wonga (Self) getting his share of it. Of course this was eaten raw, its eating being accompanied by taking into the mouth at same time a small piece of delicate white Ook-Sook (blubber) wh. answers the same as butter with Bread. Then followed the distributing ribs of Seal for Social picking! I proved myself Innuit, eating as the company did though I must make this confession - I dared not - [[underlined]] I could not eat as much [[/underlined]] as the Innuits did! I might challenge any White man's stomach to receive & hold it down what Innuits will! The "Feast" through, the party dispersed. Tuk-oo-li-too then sent around bountiful gifts of Ook-Sook (blubber for fire lamps) Seal meat & blood. This under certain circumstances is a beautiful virtue of Innuit custom. They share each others successes - each others deprivations. Usually when one is deficient in provisions - [[underlined]] all are! [[/underlined]] When one has a supply - [[underlined]] all [[/underlined]] [[end page]] [[start page]] 1861 Fri. Jan 25th [[underlined]] have! [[/underlined]] Now the fire lamps are aglow Now we are in "great good humor"! I should have said ere this that on placing defunct Seal in our Igloo this morning, I said to Ebierbing: Nou tima letter Capt Budington's? He pointed to the one he had brought me laying on the bed. The little string binding it within the wrapper was soon unlaced. My eyes mirrored these words: [[underlined]] 'Dear Friend Hall' [[/underlined]] I read a volume in this address. Though I knew Capt. B's. conduct toward me had ever bespoke that he cherished this sentiment for me, yet, at this particular time, under the circumstances, I felt overwhelmed at the re-assurance now warm from his hand & heart: a little farther along, I found these words: 'I am glad to hear that [[underlined]] you are alive [[/underlined]] & I am also sorry to hear that you are so reduced for food', adding this cheering thought "It is always darkest just before day". The Three words underlined, I found by Ebierbing's intelligence brought from the vessel, to have a more important & entended signification than I at first supposed. It seems that Capt Budington & all of his command - indeed all the Innuits of both villages at Rescue Harbor, [[underlined]] had given us up as lost by the gale of Jan. [[/underlined]] 11th & 12th!! From the long absence of all information from me & companions & [[strikethrough]] the small cause [[/strikethrough]] & from the fact as E. informs me same gale wh. kept us within the Igloo, we erected on the ice on the evening of Jan 11th, had broken up the ice of Rescue Bay by wh. the ice was soon driven away, they all concluded that we had met the fatality of being upon the ice on our way up that it had been broken up & we driven out with it Sea ward! The nuliana of Kood-loo never expected to see her winga (K) again. Ook-er-ju-i-ci the grandmother of Ebierbing (mother of Ugarny)
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Reviewed. Corrected.
