Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/333

 CHAPTER XVII.

following day, May 21st, 1861, Ebierbing and Mingumailo returned from their deer-hunt. They had been successful, having shot with a rifle of mine three deer, one of which was lost, and the other two were secured. It appeared that Ebierbing first shot one of a group of eight which they came across. It struggled and fell before he could approach the spot, but rose again and ran away. In a moment more, however, he managed to shoot another, and Mingumailo a third. Thus was secured to us several hundred pounds of fresh meat—venison. The deer were killed high up in the mountains, and the two hunters had to carry the carcases (portions at a time) a distance of two miles down to the sea-ice, where they made a cache by piling on heavy stones. What they could carry of it to the ship they did, and all of us on board had an excellent feast. About this time we heard that some Innuits had arrived at Sampson's settlement from the "Sekoselar" mentioned in a note at page 186. The news made me still more anxious to proceed on my exploring trip, but various causes tended to prolong my delay, and, even when ready for the excursion, I was unable to proceed farther than a day's journey.

The Esquimaux are good as guides, as companions, as