Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/233

212 we were so exhausted that I deemed it best to make a halt, and use a little more of the slender stock of provisions I had with me, and which, owing to our being so much longer on the way than expected, had become very low. Each of us, therefore, had a slice of raw salt pork and a quarter of a biscuit. This, however trifling, gave renewed strength, and again we pushed forward, hauling, scrambling, tumbling, and struggling almost for our lives. It was dark ere we got near the locality where our next encampment was to be made, and where, in fact, we intended to remain a while for the purpose of hunting and sealing, and myself exploring. At length we caught sight of an igloo which afterward proved to be Ugarng's, and, as soon as we saw it, fresh efforts were made to get nearer, but we found our passage more and more obstructed by the broken, upturned ice. Often the sledge was carried onward by making it leap over these impediments, sometimes from one point of ice to another, and at others down and up among the broken pieces. Finally we succeeded in reaching the shore ice, which we found all safe and sound, and in a short time more we were alongside of Ugarng's igloo, encamped on the southwest side of Rogers's Island, overlooking Cornelius Grinnell Bay and the mountains surrounding it. Immediately I ran into Ugarng's igloo, and obtained some water to drink, for I must mention that all day long we had been famishing on account of thirst. The material to make water had been abundant around us—beneath our feet, here, there, and everywhere—but not a drop could be obtained, owing to our fire-lamp and equipments not being in use. Thus it was most thankfully I received the warm-hearted welcome given me by Nikujar, family wife No. 1 of Ugarng, as she handed a cup of refreshing cold water. Then I remembered how, on one occasion at the ship, this same woman, with her infant, came and asked me for water, which I gladly gave to her, with something else. Now she gave it to me. I should mention that, in winter, water is most precious to the natives. It is made only by melting snow or ice over the