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1861 Feb 13th Fri

I had dared to hope.

But what gave me much satisfaction was learning that Ebierbing had killed them all himself & [[underlined]] that too with my rifle! [[/underlined]]   Not 4 only had he shot but 2 additional wh. were lost by flowing tide sweeping them under the ice before he could secure them.

When I met Ange Ko's wives & learning from them that he was coming too then I concluded that they had seen the loaded sledge of E. & come down, [[underlined]] instanter, [[/underlined]] to pay us a visit & help eat up this acquired provision.  It is a fact as anticipated in my journal of a few days ago that they have returned to eat & drink of the labors of others.  They have been living on stinking Whale meat ever since they left us without making any fair efforts to get anything else.  Would Angeko labor half as hard in sealing as he has been obliged to to cut away the ice to open of the whale carcase at Kow-tuk-ju-a he would now be abundantly supplied with the best kind of provision to wit Seal meat & its accompanyments!

It is decidedly too bad for I know the over generous hearts of my friends will give, [[underlined]] give [[/underlined]] to these parties even at the sacrifice of their own comforts & necessities thus unthinkingly prolong the ultra indifference of Angeko to gaining his own & that of his wives livelihood by honest efforts.

By VIII 1/2 OClock Eve we arrived at the Igloos with this precious load - a liberal portion of which in due time was within the hungry mouths of ever resident here.  The 4 Seals were at once drawn into the Igloo of the persevering successful sealer, Ebierbing, who on 

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1861 Feb 15th Friday

partaking of a Bowl of hot coffee of Bread & met all of wh. I cheerfully supplied him, sent around invitations to as many as could be accomodated to a Seal Feast.  Of course I was present & done my share in the eating & observing line.  This through each Igloo was at once supplied with Seal Meat, Ook Sook & seal blood, [[underlined]] in abundance, [[/underlined]] by the hand of Tuk-oo-li-too.  Thus did E's labors again arrest that which was fact progressing in the stomachs of the Innuits here - hunger!  When all pertaining to E.'s timely arrival had been variously acted upon & discussed we (T & E.) made the arrangement that I & Jack take the dogs & Kummiti in the Morning & return to Oo-Kood-lear.  Stop there one day & then bring down whatever seals Ugarny may have captured.  U. & Kunnia returning with us.  The plan was to visit Kow-tuk-ju-a feed up the dogs on the Whale there & then cross over to O.

Jack ([[space]]) was at once called upon to be in readiness for the trip - therefore to-morrow early I am off on a Seal excursion to the open sealing waters at the North!

Ebierbing at the earnest solicitation of Ugarny took the liberty of leaving my Rifle with my Balls & Ammunition with him.  Considering that U. is one who will exercise great care of it & that it might be the means of securing several more seals than would be gained without it, I said to E. that I was very glad he left it.  This relieved him of a deep anxiety which I perceived he had at heart.

Ebierbing arrived at Kow-tuk-ju-a on his way to Oo-Kood-lear a little after Meridian.  He there met Angeko & wives.  The former he induced to accompany him to the sealing point to wh. he (E) was directing his