Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/216

Rh weak and suffered so much that she could hardly move. I gave her medicine, which soon relieved her, and for this I received many thanks; but I thought her end near. I could see by her wasted form and utter prostration that she had not long to live. Perhaps, had she received such early attention from her own people as is shown among families in civilised life, she might have survived; but from no one did she get this, and only by chance did her illness reach my ears. I have before mentioned her kindly nature, ever ready to do anything she could for all of us on board without looking for fee or reward, and, so long as she had strength, she was to be seen at some friendly task; but her absence was not particularly noticed, owing to the fact that Innuits are of a character so thoroughly independent that they come and go just as they please. On the present occasion, Nukertou was living in an igloo occupied by Shimerarchu (Johnny Bull), with his wife Kokerzhun, and her little sister Kimmiloo. The latter came in while I was speaking to Nukertou, and when Tookoolito left, the girl showed much attention to her. The sick woman lay on skins of the reindeer placed on the snow platform opposite the entrance of the igloo, and, though in the usual condition of Esquimaux when in bed, said she felt quite warm. The medicine, and perhaps the kindly words, had done her good. But some days afterward I found her snow bed had become unfit for sleeping upon. Some unusually high temperature of the weather for that time of the year, added to the heat—though not much—of her own body, had melted the snow couch, and she had sunk in an awkward position. Accordingly, one day (December 21), assisted by her friends, I made her a fresh bed by procuring blocks of drifted snow, crushing them finely as flakes, and making the same into a soft, smooth basis, upon which was placed the usual layer of the small dry shrub, and on top of that some reindeer skins. This, then, was the new bed for poor sick Nukertou, and for a time she seemed more comfortable. But neither the attentions of Tookoolito or myself