Life with the Esquimaux/Volume 1/Chapter XII

by Charles Francis Hall

CHAPTER XII.

Writing under Difficulties—No Fire or Lamp—Only two Inches of Black Skin for Food—Ravenous Hunger of the Dogs—Ebierbing's Return—A Seal captured—Supplies from the Ship—Great Consumption of Food at a time—Old Ookijoxy Ninoo's Dream—Tobacco-juice useful—Watching for the Seal—Innuit Endurance of Cold—Mode of cooking and partaking of Innuit Food—Burning the Fingers with cold Brass—First Reindeer seen—Author visits Kowtukjua, Clark's Harbour, and Ookoolear, Allen's Island—Tookoolito's Sadness—Quick Journey—Plaintive Look of a Seal—Arrive at the "George Henry."

At this time, though I kept in general good health and spirits, I was fast losing flesh. But almost worse than want of food was the want of light and fuel. On several occasions, the only way I had to keep myself from freezing was by sitting in bed with plenty of tuktoo furs around me. The writing of my journal was done with the thermometer + 15° to less than 0, while outside it was from - 25° to - 52°. During the day I several times went up the hill to look for Ebierbing's reappearance from the vessel, but no signs of him met my eye, and the night of January 24th (fourteen days from the ship) saw us with our last ration of food, viz., a piece of "black skin" 1¼ inch wide, 2 inches long, and ¾ of an inch thick. It was under these very "agreeable" circumstances I went to sleep, hoping to dream of better things, even if I could not partake of them. "Better things" fortunately did arrive, and in a way that I could partake of them.

At midnight I heard footsteps within the passage-way to our igloo. Intuitively I knew it was Jack with ook-gook—seal-blubber. I sprang out of bed and drew back the snow-block door. There was Jack, his spear covered with pierced seal-blubber hanging in strips like string-dried apples. I had allowed my poor starving dog "Merok" to sleep within the igloo that night, and, directly I had opened the door, on his scenting the luscious fat, quicker than thought he gave one leap—a desperate one, as if the strength of a dozen well-fed animals were in him. In an instant I grappled with the dog, and made great efforts to save the precious material; but, though I actually thrust my hands into his mouth, and though Tookoolito and Punnie also battled with him, Merok conquered, and instantly devoured that portion he had seized.

This misfortune, however, was not single. Before Jack could get his well-loaded spear and himself into the igloo, all the other dogs about the place were around him, fighting for a share of what was left. They succeeded in obtaining nearly all before we could drive them away, and thus the good portion intended for us from what Jack had procured was lost to us, but not to the dogs! Jack, who was of Ugarng's party, and had brought this as a present, returned to his own igloo, and left us disconsolate to ours. "Better things," therefore, in that case, were not for us; but, nevertheless, as I have said above, they did arrive, and that speedily.

Not before 9 a.m. did I again leave my tuktoo bed and go outside the igloo to look around. Naturally and longingly my first glance was in the direction whence I expected Ebierbing. In a moment my eyes caught something black upon the almost universal whiteness. I looked again and again. It moved, and immediately my heart leaped with joy as my tongue gave utterance in loud tones to Tookoolito within, "Ebierbing! Ebierbing! He is coming! he is coming!" The response was, "That is good;" and I—merely adding, "I go to meet him"—bounded away as fast as my enfeebled body would allow.

I soon found, however, that if progress was to be made toward him, I must do it by slow degrees and patient steps. "Black skin," in homoeopathic quantities, daily taken for food, had but kept my stomach in sufficient action to support life. All the strength I now had was mostly from the beef-steaks of dear Ohio, eaten and moulded into human fat, muscle, and bones before leaving my native home. But this remaining strength was very, very small, and thus my efforts to get on soon nearly exhausted me.

After a great struggle through the deep snow, I at last got within hailing distance, and sang out to know if it was really Ebierbing, as the party I had seen was no longer advancing. No reply came to my question, and I immediately hastened my feeble steps to see the cause. A moment or two brought me near enough to be convinced. It was Ebierbing, with the sledge and dogs, but so exhausted with his labours that he had been obliged to throw himself down, completely overpowered. Soon I was by his side grasping his hand, and, with a grateful heart, thanking him for the really good deed he had performed in thus coming alone with the relief I saw before me.

In a short time the loaded sledge was examined, and I found a box of sundries sent from the ship, as also a very fine seal, caught that morning by Ebierbing himself. There was likewise a quantity of whale-meat, brought from Rescue Harbour for the use of our dogs.

Directly Ebierbing could renew his journey, we started together; but the dogs and both of us were hardly able to get the sledge along. Finally we reached the shore ice, and here we were so exhausted that not one inch farther could we drag the loaded sledge. Kunniu, wife No. 2 of Ugarng, seeing our condition, hastened to give assistance, and with her strong arms and our small help, the sledge was soon placed high on the shore by the side of the igloos.

Ebierbing's first and most earnest call was for "water." This was supplied to him, and then we commenced storing our new supplies. The seal was taken into the igloo—the usual place for a captured seal—and the sledge, with its contents, was properly attended to. Of course the news of Ebierbing's arrival with a seal "spread like wildfire," and in our quiet little village, consisting of three igloos, all the inhabitants with exhausted stomachs—including my own—were prepared for wide distension.

The seal weighed, I should say, about 200 lbs. and was with young. According to Innuit custom, an immediate invitation was given by the successful hunter's family for every one to attend a "seal feast." This was speedily done, and our igloo was soon crowded. My station was on the dais, or bed-place, behind several Innuit women, but so that I could see over them and watch what was going on.

The first thing done was to consecrate the seal, the ceremony being to sprinkle water over it, when the stalwart host and his assistant proceeded to separate the "blanket"—that is, the blubber, with skin—from the solid meat and skeleton of the seal. The body was then opened and the blood scooped out. This blood is considered very precious, and forms an important item of the food largely consumed by Esquimaux. Next came the liver, which was cut into pieces and distributed all around, myself getting and eating a share. Of course it was eaten raw—for this was a raw-meat feast—its eating being accompanied by taking into the mouth at the same time a small portion of delicate white blubber, which answered the same as butter with bread. Then followed distributing the ribs of the seal for social picking. I joined in all this, doing as they did, and becoming quite an Innuit save in the quantity eaten. This I might challenge any white man to do. No human stomach but an Innuit's could possibly hold what I saw these men and women devour.

Directly the "feast" was ended all the company dispersed. Tookoolito then sent around bountiful gifts of seal-blubber for firelamps; also some seal meat and blood. This is the usual custom among the Innuits, and, undoubtedly, is a virtue to be commended. They share each other's successes, and bear each other's wants. Generally, if it is found that one is short of provisions, it may be known that all are. When one has a supply, all have.

After the feast and the gifts were over, we had leisure to attend to ourselves, and in what "great good humour" we were soon to be found! Our lamps were all aglow and our hunger sated. I then took up the letter sent me by Captain B——, which added to my pleasure in its perusal.

SEALING IN THE WINTER.

It appeared, by what I read, that every one on board the ship, as also the natives in the two villages, had given us up for lost during the gale we encountered when encamped on the ice. From the long absence of all information about us, and the fact that the same gale had broken up the ice in Field Bay, it was concluded that we had been driven out to sea, and probably had perished. Koodloo's wife never expected to see him again; and old Ookijoxy Ninoo, the grandmother of Ebierbing, said she dreamt about him in such a way that his death was almost assured to her.

My information from the ship told me that the natives in both villages were still badly off, not having caught one seal since our departure.

I must now mention, briefly, how Ebierbing obtained the fine seal he brought with him. On his way to the ship he discovered a seal-hole, but, being hurried for time, he merely erected a small pile of snow near at hand, and squirted tobacco-juice as a mark upon it. On his return, he readily found the hole by this mark, and, though he felt the necessity of hastening on to our relief, and had received instructions from the captain to hurry forward, yet he determined to try for the prize by spending the night in attempting to gain it. Accordingly, binding my shawl and various furs around his feet and legs, he took his position, spear in hand, over the seal-hole. This hole was buried in two feet of snow, and had been first detected by the keen sagacity of one of the dogs with him. Ebierbing, while watching, first thrust the spindle shank of the spear a score of times down through the snow, until he finally hit the small aperture leading through the ice. It was a dark night, and this made it the more difficult, for, in striking at a seal, it will not do to miss the exact spot where the animal comes to breathe—no, not by a quarter of an inch. But, to make sure of being right when aiming, Ebierbing put some dark tuktoo hair directly over it, and thus, after patiently watching the whole night long, he was rewarded in the early morning by hearing the seal blow. In a moment more he captured it by a well-directed aim of his spear.

The next morning, January 26th, the Innuits Ugarng, Ebierbing, and Jack all separated for some place where they hoped to get seals. I supplied them as liberally as I could with my provisions, and then myself remained behind to proceed with certain observations I daily made in reference to determining positions, and otherwise noting down particulars concerning the locality around me.

The rations sent me from the ship were examined and placed in safety from the dogs, but not from the truly honest Innuits, for such precaution was not needed; and then I tried to go on with some work. But it was colder than we had yet experienced, the thermometer being that night (the seventeenth of my igloo life) 75° below the freezing point! Remembering that our sealers were out on the ice, and, as they had said, would each be watching for a prize, I shuddered, fully expecting they must be frozen to death; but what was my surprise and pleasure in the afternoon to see Jack and Ebierbing return, each with a seal—the one captured about midnight, the other early in the morning.

Ebierbing admitted that he had felt the cold very much while watching, and, though well wrapped in furs tied around him, could hardly prevent his feet from freezing. As to his nose, that did get touched by the frost, but he soon remedied it by smoking a Yankee clay pipe "loaded" with Virginia tobacco.

Ugarng returned in the evening unsuccessful.

Another "seal-feast" was of course made, and on this occasion I supped on seal soup, with about two yards of frozen seal's entrails (very good eating) as a finish to the affair.

These seal suppers I found to be most excellent. The seal-meat is cooked in a pan suspended for three or four hours over the fire-lamp. Generally it is boiled in water—half of it sea water—and blood! When ready, it is served up by first giving to each person a piece of the meat. This is followed by a dish of smoking-hot soup, that is, the material in which the seal has been cooked; and I challenge any one to find more palatable food in the United States. It is ambrosia and nectar! Once tasted, the cry is sure to be "More! more!"

The seal-meat, I may state, is eaten by holding it in both hands, the fingers and the dental "mill" supplying the offices of both knife and fork. This mode of eating was known before such instruments were thought of. Among the Innuits generally, the following practice prevails: before the igloo wife hands any one a piece of meat, she "soups" it all over, that is, sucks out all the fluid from the meat that would probably otherwise drip out. Farthermore, if there be any foreign matter upon it, such as seal, dog, or reindeer hairs, she licks them all off with her pliant tongue.

On January 29th we had the cold so severe that the thermometer showed, during the night and in the morning, 82° below the freezing point! yet, strangely, I had experienced more severe sensations of cold when the temperature was at zero than at this low state. Still it was cold, and bitingly cold! How Ebierbing and the other men—who had again left on the previous evening—could keep to their watch during that cold night was to me marvellous; yet they did so; and when Ebierbing returned about 9 a.m. without success, he told me that he was unwearied in his watchfulness all through the dreary time. At midnight a seal had come to breathe, but he was not so ready or so smart—probably was too much frozen—as to strike in time, and therefore lost it.

Sometimes the wives accompany their husbands sealing, even in such weather.

Recording my own experience of igloo life at this time, I may here say that, having then spent twenty nights in a snow house, I enjoyed it exceedingly. Now, as I look back at the past, I find no reason to utter any thing different. I was as happy as circumstances permitted, even though with Innuits only for my companions. life has charms everywhere, and I must confess that Innuit life possesses those charms to a great degree for me.

On the 31st we had a stranger visit us—a boy called Noo-ok-kong—who arrived from a spot one mile west of where our first igloo had been erected. He had found us out, and stated that he left behind, at the stopping place, Mingumailo the angeko, with his two wives. They had started for that spot a short time preceding us, but now, having been a long while without food, he came to see if we could supply him. The lad had an abundance given him, and never before did I see such an amount of gorging as I did then by that boy.

Next day Ugarng departed on a visit to the ship, and with sundry presents of seal-meat, &c. from Ebierbing to his aged grandmother and friends. I also sent a letter to Captain B——, preferring to remain until I had completed all my observations. While taking some of these, however, I "burned" my fingers most sadly by laying hold of my brass pocket sextant with my bare hand. I say burned them, because the effect was precisely the same as if I had touched red-hot iron. The ends of my finger-nails were like burnt bone or horn; and the fleshy part of the tips of my fingers and thumbs were, in appearance and feeling, as if suddenly burnt by fire.

On the 3d of February we caught sight of some reindeer on the ice, making their way slowly in single file northward, and eventually coming within a quarter of a mile of our igloos. I had given my rifle to Ebierbing on the first sight of them, that he might try his skill in killing one; but, owing to the charge of powder being too small, he missed, and the reindeer, alarmed, darted off with the speed of the wind, much to our regret.

That night, about 12 o'clock, we were aroused by a call from some one evidently in distress. The cry came from the passage-way just without the igloo, and was at once responded to by Ebierbing telling the stranger to come in. He did so, and who should stand before us but Mingumailo the angeko! He spoke feebly, and said that he was very ill, thirsty and hungry; and that he, with his family, had had nothing to eat for nearly one month! Immediately a pile of frozen seal-meat was pointed out to him, with permission to eat some, and, quick as lightning, the famished man sprang to it like a starving bear. But how he did gorge! He swallowed enough, I thought, to have killed six white men, yet he took it without any apparent discomfort. Water was supplied to him, and of this he drank copiously—two quarts went down his camel stomach without drawing breath! Seeing his tremendous attack upon our precious pile of fresh provisions, I really felt alarmed lest he meant to demolish the whole, and leave us without. To feed a hungry man was well enough, and a ready act on the part of all of us; but then for him to have a stomach as huge and voracious as any polar bear, and try to fill that stomach from our limited supply of food, was more than we could reasonably stand. I grew impatient; but finally the angeko gave in. He really had no power to stow away one piece more. He was full to repletion; and, throwing himself flat on the igloo floor, he resigned himself to the heavy task Nature now had to perform in the process of digesting the monstrous heap he had taken within.

After a time the angeko told us that one of his wives had accompanied him, but had gone into another igloo. The other wife kept with them as far as she could, when he was obliged to leave her till means of relief could be found. He had built an igloo for her, and then hastened on to our snow village. In the morning Noo-ok-kong, the Innuit lad, went with some food to her, and soon afterward brought her in, thus making an addition of no less than four hungry mouths to aid in consuming our supplies. To add to our dilemma, Ugarng returned on the following day bringing with him three more fasting beings besides himself. They were his mother, Ookijoxy Ninoo, his nephew Eterloong, and his niece Ookoodlear, all related to Ebierbing.

Ugarng, however, brought for me additional supplies from the ship; but I saw quite clearly that, whatever I might feel inclined to do for my late companions in their need, it would never answer to begin supplying all strangers that arrived, particularly the angeko, who was lazy, and living upon the credulity of his people. Therefore I determined to stop this as speedily as possible. The angeko, however, left us in a day or two for another place, where he and his wives were afterward found, again starving.

News from the ship told me that all were well on board, and that the natives had caught one seal, the captor being Koodloo, who had remained there when Ebierbing went with him on the first trip back to the vessel.

Sterry, of the ship's company, had been some time living at a place in Frobisher Bay, and had, with the natives, caught two walrus. Captain B—— intended going thither the next month with some men, to see what could be done the coming season in the way of whaling.

After this arrival, the usual daily incidents of our life were unvaried for some time. Occasionally seals were obtained, principally by Ugarng and Ebierbing, and then a grand feast of raw food took place.

The improvidence and thoughtlessness of the Innuit people are remarkable. If they can live bountifully and joyously to-day, the morrow may take its chance. This was repeatedly shown in the conduct of one and all during my residence with them in the igloos. Not even Ebierbing and Tookoolito were exempt from this failing. They would eat, and let others eat up all they had one day, though they—and, I must add, myself,—starved the next. In addition to this want of due consideration concerning food for their own home, Tookoolito was generous in the extreme, always giving when asked, and trusting to what might happen afterward for replenishing the supply. Ugarng's numerous family, consisting of no less than seven individuals, made incessant demands upon her and Ebierbing, and also upon myself, whenever it could he done by cajolery, or—as I often thought would follow—by intimidation. My own stores I freely gave to an extent that I considered advisable, and no more; but I frequently pointed out to my Esquimaux friends the necessity of husbanding what they obtained by their persevering and arduous labours. It was, however, of no use. Eat, eat, give, give, let go and never mind, seemed the principle that guided them; and, consequently, in a short time starvation again stared the whole village in the face.

Ebierbing, however, was a most persevering and indefatigable sealer. During that season he caught more seals than any other man; and on one occasion, by the aid of my rifle, which I had loaned to him, he succeeded in bringing back four seals, after having taken six, but two were lost. This was on an excursion he took by way of Clark's Harbour to Allen's Island. Ugarng had gone with him, and built an igloo near a narrow channel kept open by swift tides, discovered at that place. The angeko, staying at Clark's Harbour, would not stir from there, having found a deposit, formerly made by us in the ship, of whale krang, and upon this he and his two wives were living—that is, so far as he allowed the poor women to share with him. When, however, Ebierbing was returning with his great prize, this lazy, worthless angeko must needs join him to share in the feast which followed. I need hardly say that my own feelings toward the man were not of the most peaceable; but I was alone, and even my two Innuit friends yielded to the sway of their angeko; hence I was powerless to avert aught such a man might instantly command to be done, had I offended him.

When Ebierbing returned with the four seals he merely stayed long enough for the feast, and was off again, with the understanding to look out for me, as I purposed following him. This I did on the 16th day of February, being the thirty-eighth of my departure from the ship, and of my living thus wholly among the Innuits. The Innuit Jack was my companion, and we arrived at Kowtukjua (Clark's Harbour) about 3 p.m.

This place was where we had anchored in the ship during the previous fall, and where I nearly lost my life by the accidental pistol-shot on the 13th of August. I examined the locality, and then, at 4 p.m. started for Allen's Island.

We arrived at Ugarng's igloo about 7 p.m. and were welcomed by Kunniu, Ugarng himself being out sealing. Here I stayed until the 18th, aiding them as far as I could, and curiously watching the various efforts made to sustain and enjoy life by these singular people of the North.

In a future chapter I shall dwell upon this more largely; but now I must only say that great success attended Ugarng's exertions, and when we all started for the igloo village it was with a good store of food upon our sledge. We arrived in the afternoon, and, after the usual feast, passed the evening in social conversation.

I had now been forty-two nights in an igloo, living with the natives most of the time on their food and according to their own customs. I therefore considered that I had gained some experience in the matter, and having made several observations for determining the locality of places, prepared for my return.

I bade adieu to my Innuit friends in the village, and on the 21st of February left what I then called "my Northern home" for the ship. I was accompanied by Ebierbing, Ugarng, and Kunniu, and we had the sledge and dogs with us. The parting from Tookoolito was affecting. She evidently felt it; but the hope of herself and husband soon being with me again on my future excursions removed much of the disappointment she then felt at my going away. In fact, both she and Ebierbing were as children to me, and I felt toward them like what a parent would.

It was a fine day when we left the village at 7 a.m. and rapid progress was made. As we moved out into the bay, a glow of red light suffused the heavens at the eastern part of the horizon, and when we had made about four miles south the sun began to lift his glorious face, his darting rays kissing the peaks of the mountains around. Occasionally I looked back to the igloos where I had spent so many days—far from uncomfortable ones—among my Innuit friends; but soon they were out of sight, and my thoughts now turned wholly to the warm hearts that I hoped to meet on board that night.

At 9 a.m. we reached new ice, which started the sealers to try their hands once more for a prize. In ten minutes more Ebierbing had found a hole, and actually secured a seal! He hailed me to come, and, on reaching the spot, I was asked to pull the seal up while he enlarged the hole, that it might be drawn on to the ice. I did so; and as the beautiful, eloquent eyes of the victim met my sight, I felt a sort of shudder come over me, for it seemed to say, "Why disturb me here? I do no harm. Do not kill me! "But the great sealer, Ebierbing, with his spear, had already enlarged the hole, and, hauling the prize higher up, speedily ended its life by a few well-directed thrusts midway between the seal's fore-flippers. Not a struggle did the victim make. Its end was as peaceful as that of a lamb.

Ugarng had been unsuccessful; but the one prize of Ebierbing was something, and, after properly securing it to the sledge, away we went on our course again. At 10 a.m. we lunched on frozen seal, and our dinner was the same. We reached the land at 3 p.m. and crossed in two hours and forty-five minutes to Field Bay. A half hour's travelling upon the ice brought us to the ship, where I found all the crew ready to welcome me with outstretched hands, and, I am sure, kindly hearts. For a moment, on once more standing upon the ship's deck, I felt myself overpowered; but, speedily recovering, I returned the congratulations offered, and, after seeing my companions were attended to, I descended to the cabin, where numerous comforts of civilization awaited me. A warm supper was most acceptable. I was much fatigued with my journey; and, soon after a short conversation which followed, I gladly retired. Once more, then, did I enter my own little domicile, where I did not forget to return thanks to Him who had so preserved me in health and safety during that, my first experience of personal life among the native Innuit tribes of the icy North.