Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/136

Rh boots and mittens than any other women of the country. This chewing process will be described at another time; but I may here observe that it is one of the principal modes of making the skins pliable, and changing them into any desired form. It is a labour always performed by females, never by men. The Innuit women also washed clothes, and soon became so proficient that they could do them as well as Americans. One morning I gave my clothes to be washed by a woman called Nukertou, and by the evening she returned the articles to me completed and in good order. Ugarng gave me an excellent pair of native boots, made by one of his wives, and, in return, I presented her with some brass rings, which the women greatly prize for doing up the hair.

Wishing to visit some of the innumerable islands that lay scattered about the bay, and also place my dogs on some place best suited for them, where the remains of a whale were found, I took three Esquimaux boys and little Kimmiloo in the boat with me to pull. I accomplished my errand, and, on the return, much enjoyed the sight of my crew, including the girl (all fresh types of the Iron race of the North), smoking with pipe in their mouth, and, at the same time, pulling heartily at the oars!

On Monday, August 20th, after tea, the captain, myself, Smith, Sterry, Morgan, and Bailey took a boat, and went out a ducking. The wind was blowing fresh from the northwest, therefore we beat to windward. On the way we killed five ducks—a sport that was exciting enough, though not remunerative, five or six shot having to be expended in killing one duck. While tacking, I lost my venerable hat—the one I punctured with a pike when raising it high in the air on top of the first iceberg I visited. On the 21st of August, at 7 the Rescue was got under way for the purpose of taking a party of us over to an inlet on the opposite side of Field Bay. It was intended by the captain to examine this and other places to see their availability for fishing depôts, and I gladly took the opportunity of accompanying him.