Viewing page 627 of 661

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

(3
1861 Dec 29 + [[Sunday]]

the land passage from this Bay to Frobisher's.
We learn that Smith (Robt. S.) froze his face when going from here to the other Bay, though not seriously.
News comes to us to-day that Ook-sin one of the Innuits at the head of this Bay has killed a Rein-deer.  Lamb & Comstock are with this party.  Said party are quite successful in killing many patridges.
Capt B. relates that a few years ago the Innuits in Northumberland Inlet finding the coffin of a white who had died took out the corpse & used the wood for their own purposes.  Thus we see that the graves of the dead of Kod-lu-narns are not respected by the natives.
This Morning the Innuits who went out sealing yesterday came aboard.  They did not get back till late last night.
They say they were on the new ice down the Bay - as far as "French Head" when the gale came on - they immediately run for their lives fearing the ice would break off & drift away sea-ward.  They but narrowly escaped for just as they made the old ice, the new broke & started, moving 

[[end page]]
[[start page]]

(4
1861 Dec 29 + [[Sunday]]

off by the increasing gale.
Sharkey came near being drowned by falling through the ice.
Ebierbing & many other Innuits were of this party of sealers who so narrowly escaped.  Not an uncommon calamity among the Innuits to be caught out on the ice when a flow breaks off & drifts away.
Some two years ago a large number of Innuits living then at Toong-wine went out far on the ice toward the middle of Frobisher Bay [[underlined]] Walrusing. [[/underlined]]  A gale came up drove off the ice with these Innuits on it.  For 4 days & nights of the severest Winter weather were these Innuits & their dogs exposed to death's terrors.  Finally the tide crowded the flow to the coast of the "Extreme land between Rescue & Frobisher Bays (where I made a trip last Spring being accompanied by Ebierbing & Kood-loo) when said Innuits made their escape.  [[underlined]] The dogs had all died by the severity of the cold while every Innuit survived. [[/underlined]]  They made their way back over the land crossing over the ice between the Islands down that way.
"Sampson" (Koo-choo-ar-choo) wept almost constantly while thus exposed for he felt that he was the 

[[end page]]
[[start page]]

(5
1861 Dec 29 + [[Sunday]]

one that induced the Innuits to go out the morning they did.  The weather was anything but good but "Sampson" induced them to go where the calamity finally overtook them.  Sharkey was one of that party.  The Innuits made no Igloos for there was no snow on this new ice!
Another lot of Innuits depart to-morrow.  With them go many of the forward hands to live this Winter.
Keeney has not yet returned to his Budington Bay companions.  I believe he is now stopping till some of the Innuits get through moving that he may have some of their dogs to carry him back.  There is no great anxiety exhibited on his part to hurry back.  It would be no bad act to revive the common remark of last Winter when one had been out to live with the natives experiencing hard times.  'He's been to Bob's' - So of Keeney, whose oft repeated declaration just before he, Morgan, Bill & "Nimrod" started off, was that 'it would be a long time before you'd catch him back'.  [[underlined]] Keeney's been to Bob's & back in three days! [[/underlined]]  Of course K. has fair, or rather assumed (far-fetched) excuses for returning to soon.
To-night, Mate Rodgers came down saying that a strange light was to be seen now & then N.E. in the horizon - that Capt B. was on deck still looking at it.  I hastened up.  Quick as I 

[[end page]]
[[start page]]

(6
1861 Dec 29 + [[Sunday]]

looked in the direction pointed out, I comprehended the cause.
One moment, quite a light flashed up as if from the top of the mountain - another moment dark.  It was a storm rising, its light trembling - the unequal atmosphere veiling & unveiling the Star.
I have several times before observed this peculiar appearance.  It is perhaps quite probable that the Aurora has much to do with this.
Breakfast = Fried Whale, Coffee & Bread
Dinner = Dough-Nut-pie = [[image: drawing of pie]] = contents "Peach Sauce"
Supper = Coffee & Sea bread

Monday Dec 30th 1861

29.550  AM  -15  N.W.  Light - Snowing
29.55  M  -8°  N.W.  " [[ditto for: Light]]  Cloudy
29.525  PM  -14°  N.W.  " [[ditto for: Light]]  [[underlined]] Fine [[/underlined]]  (Aurora Fine)

News again this Morning from the party head of this Bay.  Ook-sin has killed another Took-too!  Shot still another (thus 3d) but the latter ran away.  He hopes to find the same to-day for by the blood was able to track the deer a long distance.
I suffer much with the cold - [[underlined]] I am poor [[/underlined]] - this accounts for it.  If I had pemican