Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/238

Rh nothing to eat—no more light—no heat—must wait till get seal." While I waited, the second wife came in and said Ugarng was still watching over a seal-hole. Jack soon afterward returned without success. Sad—very sad! My own state was bad enough, and I felt it severely; but I could not bear to witness the wants of the poor people around me, having no power to relieve them, unless Ebierbing should soon come back with some provisions from the ship. All that I had to eat was my piece of black skin, and this I relished. Indeed, I could have eaten anything that would have gone toward keeping up the caloric within me, and make bone and flesh. One night I asked Tookoolito if I might try the taste of some blackened scraps that hung up. I knew that she had reserved these for the dogs, but nevertheless I had an uncontrollable longing for them. I was very hungry. Tookoolito replied that she could not think of my eating them—the idea made her almost sick; therefore I did not urge the matter more; but soon afterward I saw they were gone, Punnie (Ugarng's third wife) having taken them, and passed the whole into her own stomach! Ugarng came in late again unsuccessful, and Tookoolito gave him a cup of tea, such as it was, for, owing to the absence of proper light and fuel, it could not be well made. Directly he had it, off he went once more to try for seal. The next morning Ebierbing had not returned, and we were all at our wits' end to find something to eat. At length Tookoolito made out to cut off some of the white from a piece of black skin. From it she "tried" out sufficient oil to use for heating some snow-water, which, when warmed, was thickened with Indian meal, a few handfuls having been found remaining of the small quantity I had brought with me. The quantity of meal did not weigh above two ounces, yet it seemed to "loom up" as it was incorporated in the tepid water,