Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/119

100 what they supposed to be seals, but which, as will shortly be seen, were quite another sort of game. I walked among gigantic old rocks, well marked by the hand of Time, and then wandered away up the mountains. There I came across an Innuit grave. It was simply a number of stones piled up in such a way as to leave just room enough for the dead body without a stone touching it. All the stones were covered with the moss of generations. During my walk a storm of wind and rain came on, and compelled me to take shelter under the lee of a friendly ridge of rocks. There I could watch Koojesse and his company in the boat advancing toward what was thought an ookgook and many smaller seals. All at once what had seemed to be the ookgook commenced moving, and so likewise did the smaller seals. A slight turn of the supposed game suddenly gave to all a different appearance. I then perceived a boat, with black gunwales, filled with Innuit men, women, and children, and also kias on each side of the boat. Seeing this Koojesse pulled in for me, and we started together for the strangers. A short time, however, proved them to be friends. The large boat contained "Miner," his wife Tweroong, To-loo-ka-ah, his wife Koo-muk (louse), the woman Puto, and several others whom I knew. They were spending the summer up there deer-hunting, and had been very successful. Soon after joining them we all disembarked in a snug little harbour, and erected our tents in company on Rae's Point, which is close by an island called by the natives No-ook-too-ad-loo.

The rain was pouring down when we landed, and the bustle that followed reminded me of similar activity on the steam-boat piers at home. As fast as things were taken out of the boats, such as had to be kept dry were placed under the shelving of rocks until the tupics were up. Then, our encampment formed, all parties had leisure to greet each other, which we did most warmly.