Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/289

268 discovered frozen in the ice some thirty miles distant, and were transported to the house by means of dogs and sledges. The bone burned well, being full of oil, and it was easily cut up with an axe.

An incident connected with the transport of this bone is worthy of record. One day in February, a younger brother of Captain Quayle, with a companion, set out for the bone dépôt on a dog-sledge. On their return a furious snow-storm came on, and the dogs, as well as the men, lost their way. Darkness overtaking them, they determined to rest till morning under the lee of an island, but during the whole night it was a terrible battle for life. The only salvation for them was in pounding each other, wrestling, tumbling, kicking, &c. Occasionally the "death-sleep" would be found creeping over them, when all their strength and resolution were called into action in the manner just described. The next day they arrived in safety at the house. The stock of provisions left with the party was exhausted before any ship arrived, but whale-meat, seals, venison, and ducks were found in abundance. The natives also were very kind, sharing with them whatever game they found. Thus they lived until September, 1852, when Captain Parker, in an English whaler, took them away. On March 27th another man came near being frozen to death. Strangely enough, it was Bruce, the very companion of the unfortunate Brown! It appeared that Bruce, who was still under attacks of scurvy, had again gone to the Innuit settlement at Oopungnewing, but one morning suddenly determined upon returning to the ship. Esquimaux "Bob," with whom he was staying, insisted upon his remaining that day, as the weather was too bad. But no; Bruce would go, and at once started off alone. Seeing that the white man was apparently bent on his own destruction, or did not know what he was about, the dark-skinned but spotless-hearted and noble-minded Esquimaux "Bob," being himself unable to leave, engaged an Innuit woman, whom we called Bran New, to accompany Bruce