Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/166

Rh of the same kind of exorcisms already described, were truly frightful, and to one sick as I was all but maddening.

Fortunately, the next morning, September 18th, we were again under way on the homeward trip. A fair wind sent us rapidly along, and we passed our late encampments, as also many other places familiar to me from our visits when coming up. At one place—west side Waddell Bay—Koojesse and the other Innuits landed to go in chase of some deer seen in the distance. We slowly followed in the boat, and came to a cove in the coast, where we saw them with a prize in hand. This deer—which made up the number thirty-nine now killed by my three hunters—was a very fine one, and in a short time we were all feasting on portions of its meat. When this deer was opened, old Toolookaah, with his broad hand, scooped up the warm blood and drank it, to the quantity of nearly two quarts. I joined in the eating, and partook of some toodnoo and marrow, the latter blood-warm, from the mashed bones of the tuktoo's legs. The most delicious part of the deer is the toodnoo or fat which is on the rump, and it is this part the Innuits first seek. After our feast, we packed up the remains and again started, arriving about dark at the place of our twenty-first encampment, on the south side of Tongue Cape—the same cape where we had our seventh.

The following day, September 19th, we made good progress downward, with nothing particular to note except the following incident:— Jack's wife, who was on board pulling at an oar, was suddenly taken with what I at first supposed to be a fit. She broke out into the wild singing which I have already spoken of as pertaining to the practice of ankooting. The scene at that moment in the boat was a strange one; Jack was steering, Annuarping sat close wedged by my side, Ninguarping was between Suzhi and the angekotress, holding the little dog Neitch-uk, two women were pulling at the oars, Koodloo sat upon a huge pile of skins at the bow, and the little boy reclined where best he could. They all started into immediate