Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/220

Rh must remain imbedded in the ice through another winter, I determined to make, as soon as possible, a sledge journey up Frobisher Bay for the purpose of effecting a complete exploration of every bay and inlet in those waters, and also of investigating still more closely the matters connected with the Countess of Warwick's Sound. Previous to this, however, it became necessary for me to make a shorter trip to Jones's Cape, in order to obtain reindeer skins by trading with the natives; these I wanted for bedding and winter dresses for myself and for Ebierbing and Tookoolito, and to bring home with me to the United States. On Tuesday, December 10th, I went over to Ebierbing's tupic to see him about going on this excursion with me. While talking with Tookoolito I asked her to go with me to see the old Innuit whose name is Kar-ping, for I wanted to talk with him. Before we started there came into the tupic a young Innuit with Tookoolito's infant, its whole length stuck into the leg of a pair of tuktoo kodlings—breeches. The fur turned inside made a warm envelope for the body of the child, otherwise naked, except for a tuktoo cap and jacket. Tookoolito then sent the young man who brought the infant for old Karping, who soon came in. He had quite a stock of gray whiskers and mustache, and I should think he was from sixty-five to seventy years old. Tookoolito acted as my interpreter, and I cautioned her not to assist the old man by any remarks of her own. I first asked, "Have you ever heard of a place called Kodlunarn?" He replied, "I have. It is a small island, and near Oopungnewing." "Why is it called Kodlunarn?" "Because white men lived there, and built oo-mi-ark-chu-a"—ship. "Did you see the kodlunas who lived on Kodlunarn and built ship there?" Raising up his eyes, with wonder pictured in them, at the question, he said "Argi." He then proceeded to say that it was a long time before he was born; he knew nothing about it but what his old father and mother told him. I asked him how the white men could build a ship in the Innuit country where trees did not grow,