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2)
1861 June 22d Sat.
Que-jes-se, for this place. The team consisted of my "Greenlanders": Barbekark, Me-nak, King-ok, Me-lac-tor & Me-lak, & three other dogs, making eight in all. ("Ee" is disabled by a large swelling on her shoulder.) Our load was light therefore when well under way made the usual time of day - teams in these regions - [[underlined]] to wit, 3 miles per hour. [[/underlined]] A thick fog darkened the heavens & the Earth. Of course, this prevented my taking sights on my way here, very much to my disappointment.
We saw many seals out on the ice but did not succeed in shooting [[insertion]] killing [[/insertion]] any tho' Que-jes-se made several attempts.
I was much amused at [[underlined]] the way [[/underlined]] we made a near approach to one seal - the incident I will here relate. At h7-m43 PM, R.H. Time, the dog Me-rak (brother dog of the notable BAR-BE-KARK!) a good sealer, saw a seal which he had scented some moments previous. Away he darted as fast as his now enspirited companion dogs would allow him. Que-jes-se at once saw what was up & set up a [[underlined]] peculiar, [[/underlined]] continued loud cry in which I joined. The flying dogs with Kummitie & our noise so alarmed poor Seal that it knew not what to make of it. The seal had his head over his hole yet high raised looking at the motly sight & listening to the pandemonium sounds which frightened it [[underlined]] near unto death. [[/underlined]] On we went, but when the dogs were within a few paces only, the seal regained his senses & down he went just in time to save his - [[underlined]] blubber! [[/underlined]] Que-jes-se says the young seals are often captured by such procedure as this - but seldom old ones.
Our course from vessel to "French Head" (the Bluff marking the spot where the Frenchman, John Brown, met his terrible fate last Winter by being frozen to death) was nearly [[underlined]] due [[/underlined]] South.
Que-jis-se (though a capital guide) after loosing sight of the land by the thick fog, kept on the course for some time but finally, I noticed a big sweep was being made round to sea ward - S.E. so much so that I asked him to stop a moment. I then placed my compass on the ice & pointed the direction, that little magic piece of steel said French Head was wh. indeed was 45° from the direction he was urging the dogs when I desired him to stop. At once he obeyed the course indicated by needle. A few moments after, we struck the tracks indellibly, but mysteriously marked on the ice by the sledges of last winter - I mean the winter just passed, tho' writing according to appearances
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1861 June 22 Sat.
of everything at the present time in these regions, one would say:- 'of this Winter'. These tracks were exactly in the right direction - agreeing with what Compass "said". [[underlined]] At h9-m10 P.M. [[/underlined]] we were even with French Head making [[underlined]] 2 hours - 26 minutes in crossing the Bay [[/underlined]] - & at the [[underlined]] speed, 3 nautical miles per hour it would make the distance [[underlined]] Seven & two-tenths miles. [[/underlined]] Arriving at the base, or near it, of said point, we turned, a short turn after, into the Bay penetrated last Fall by the "Rescue", [[underlined]] which reaches within a stone's throw [[insertion]] xx [[/insertion]] the waters of Frobisher Bay. [[/underlined]] Owing to hummoks packed in the channel through which we passed with the Rescue, we followed over a [[strikethrough]] point [[/strikethrough]] neck of land about 1/2 mile in distance which was covered with ice [[underlined]] submerged. [[/underlined]]
[[note]] xx I here qualify this by stating that at the very highest of spring tides the distance may then be within "a stones throw" but not so at ordinary times. Mar 18/64 Hall [[/note]]
The flotive qualities of the sledge as well as that of the load - [[underlined]] including us [[/underlined]] - made our passage by water very rapid, though not so comfortable as those of the aquatic kingdom might imagine. Coming up the Bay, Que-jes-se stopped three times to seal but was not successful. The great trouble with these Innuits is they attempt to get too near the Seal - say within [[strikethrough]] two or three [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] - 5 or 7 fathoms. Their fire-arms should be of a quality that would give them confidence in shooting Seal at far greater distances than those I have given. It was with great pleasure that I watched such motion of Que-jes-se as he progressed toward the seals in crawling-on by "hitches" (or Kicks) while down on his side flat on the ice. I was on tip-toe of excitement, for indeed, the Seal too was in my view. Que-jes-se would "hitch" along till seal would raise his head - then he (Q) would instantly cease & commence pawing with his right hand & foot talking "Seal-talk". On this seal would feel [[underlined]] "a charm" [[/underlined]] & raise its flippers, both "fore & aft", & roll over on its side & back as if perfectly delighted - then Q. would "hitch"-"hitch" along till seal head would pop up again, which usually occurs every few [[underlined]] moments. [[/underlined]] But the [[underlined]] near [[/underlined]] approaches I have indicated seemed to - indeed [[underlined]] they did break the charm [[/underlined[]] - so seal would give a plunge leaving the patient sealer to cry: 'E-E-E-uke!'
When making up the Bay - reaching down near Frobisher's - I noticed a lilliputian Igloo ahead newly made. I asked Que-jes-se what that meant: he said in reply: Wich-ou - which means wait awhile - A few moments brought us up along side. He stopped the dogs - jumped off the sledge & with one "grab" through the snow drew forth by one of its hind flippers a fine seal that he had killed when on his way up to theTranscription Notes:
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