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1861 Tues Nov 12
To-day Mate Rodgers came down into the Main Cabin with a [[underlined]] back load [[/underlined]] of Whale Beef obtained from the Innuits who had just opened one of their deposites. When this was placed in [[underlined]] cache [[/underlined]] a few it had a very strong putrescent smell - but on opening it to-day fresh & sweet. The freezing of Whale meat seems to deprive it of all obnoxious wh. it has after the Whale has been dead two or 3 days. The whale Beef Rogers brought down pierced with [[?Oonar]] resting on shoulders
Bean soup for dinner - evening. Lunch minced whale & "Black-Skin"
Yesterday a few Innuits went down to Rescue Harbor to visit the grave of Nukerton. It seems Innuits have many peculiar forms that they go through in paying their last respects to the dead. They took down small pieces of took-too skins (fur on) & tood-noo. When there they stood around her grave where the following took place. Quite a large flat stone was over the grave. On this the Innuits placed what they had carried there took-too fat & fur. Then one stepped up took up a piece of took-too slicing off a piece & eat it cutting off another piece & placing it under a stone by the grave. Then the cheoing (Knife) was passed with one hand to the other - both hands being thrown behind the person - this form of exchanging knife from one hand to the other was continued for perhaps a minute the motions being accompanied by constant talk [[underlined]] with the dead [[/underlined]] (?) Then a bit of took-too fur was placed under the stone along with tood-noo with an exclamation signifying: 'Here Nuk-er-ton
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1861 Nov 12 Tues.
is something to eat & something to keep you warm! Each Innuit went through the same form. But little remains of noble Nuk-er-ton's mortal part - few bones & the hair of her head. The hungry dogs broke into the snow tomb where were her remains last Winter & eat the flesh quite off.
{See remarks pertaining to this subject on pages (1) (2) & (3) of Nov 15th}
Wednesday Nov 13th 1861
29,575 AM E.S.E. 4 g {For a few moments this AM clouds opened a light narrow streak near the horizon S.E.}
29,550 M E.S.E. 4 o s
29,525 P.M. S.E. 5 u o
This Morning, went over to the Tupik of Kning-u-ar-ping & traded with him for another Took-too skin. Those I had were too small to make my suit complete. Gave him Box "Water proof caps" (250) Little powder & cheap knife. Also got of him the leg pieces of Took-too of which I am to have a pair of Kod-lins made Innuit custom.
To make a pair it takes 16 to 20 leg pieces. The alternate shades - colors of a pair made thus presents a pleasing appearance. The work to make them is 5 times greater than though made of the regular Took-too skins.
Carried the same over to Tupik of Tuk-oo-li-too who is going to attend to the making of my native Winter suit. She & Koo-ou-le-arny will make it. I believe most of those in the steerage have Took-too furs obtained of the Innuits sufficient to make each a complete Winter dress.
For dinner minced Whale meat. The usual for Lunch Black Skin. Morning meal uniformly Bowl Coffee & Sea bread with piece salt junk or salt Pork.
While in the tupic of Ning-u-ar-ping, I became interested in the play of 2 Innuit boys with a toy harpoon & piece of punctured leather - the latter representing a seal. While one held the seal shaking it beneath a hole made by encircling the thumb & fore finger, the other with the carefully poised harpoon darted it through said hole into the punctured leather making fast to it - then followed seal attempts to get free!
