Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/130

Rh After this I gathered a bouquet of flowers, some geological specimens, and returned.

On my way I again met Kudlago's widow and another Esquimaux woman. As we passed a place where some tents had formerly stood, Kok-er-jab-in called my attention, with tears in her eyes, to the spot where her husband had his tent when he bade her adieu on his visit to the States in 1859. She lifted up a portion of the back-bone of a whale which was bleaching near by, and said it was of one Kudlago had killed. Her tone, her manner as she spoke, was truly affecting, and I have no doubt she felt deeply the loss she had sustained. On August 11th, among the Esquimaux arrivals was Kudlago's idol—a pretty little girl. She looked sad for the loss of her dear father. But how her eyes sparkled in the afternoon when several things were produced that her father had carefully gathered for her! The account of her first arrival I find in my journal as follows:—

"Kimmiloo has just been Americanized. Captain B's good wife had made and sent to her a pretty red dress—a necktie, mittens, belt, &c.

"Mr. Rogers and I, at a suggestion from me, thought it best to commence the change of nationality with soap and water. The process was slow, that of arriving to the beautiful little girl, whom we at length found, though deeply imbedded layer after layer in dirt. Then came the task of making her toilet. With a very coarse comb I commenced to disentangle her hair. She had but little that was long, the back part from behind her ears having been cut short off on account of severe pains in her head. How patiently she submitted to worse than the curry-comb process I had to use! This was the first time in her life that a comb had been put to her head. Her hair was filled with moss, seal, and reindeer hairs, and many other things—too numerous to call them all by name. Poor thing! yet she was fat and beautiful—the very picture of health. Her cheeks were as red as the blown rose. Nature's vermilion was upon them.