Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/162

 CHAPTER IX.

the reader may be advancing with me as I proceed with my narrative, and, at the same time, get an idea of some of the trials referred to near the close of the preceding chapter, I will here introduce the following extracts directly from my "rough-and-ready" note-book, written at the moment and upon the spur of the occasion:— "August 15th, 1861.—Start from eighteenth encampment at 6.15 wind light from the west, and cloudy. Both boats and two kias under way. 'Miner' has just shot a nowyer on the wing from his kia. First pop, down it comes. We are on the rocks first thing; 'bad beginning, good ending.' Under oars; the fifth oar cannot be used on account of the overloaded boat. Another Job's comforter on my shoulder, the sinister. Geese flying to the southward. Little girl Shoo-kok (whalebone) on board our boat. 8.45  land on a small island to bale the old leaky boat. This moment I ask Koojesse which way now, the many islands ahead making it doubtful which is the better course. He points across the bay to the other or north side. I suspected this was the way he was directing the boat. He acts the devil with me. My work on this, the Kingaite side, is ended. I said to him I cannot do the work I wanted to....