Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/27

8 south-west, between Lok's Land and Hudson's Island, a channel that no white man (unless of Frobisher's expedition) ever saw before—a channel that probably no Innuit of any late generation had ever visited. The next day, June 9th, we pursued our journey down through Dr. Kane's Channel, which connects Frobisher Bay with Field Bay; the extreme land, which I especially desired to visit, lying from five to seven miles to the east of the lower or southern termination of said channel. The sledge went swiftly, bounding from snow-wreath to snow-wreath, but I managed to pencil down my notes as we rode along. Never did I see a more interesting sight than that now presented. Wherever my eye turned, seals appeared in great numbers on the ice by their holes; and, as may be supposed from what I have previously said of the Innuit character, it was quite hopeless to expect that my companions, or the dogs, would attend to my wishes in getting forward. No; a "seal-hunt" was inevitable; and away we went at the rate of ten miles an hour, bounding like deer over the smooth ice, and were quickly among the animals, dealing death around. It was the work of but a few moments; and the very notes from which I now write were recorded as I sat by a seal-hole, the water of which was crimsoned with blood, some of which still marks the page before me. Around me was a scene of death. Our captured seals were now so many that my Innuit companions did not know what to do with them. They appeared almost crazy with joy, at least so far as they are capable of showing signs of extravagant delight in matters of this kind.

Ebierbing said that, "although they had all dreaded this land, it was a good land, and now he was not sorry he had come. There was plenty land—plenty water—plenty seal—and nobody there!" In addition to the numerous seals, we soon afterward came across polar bear-tracks, and could see where Bruin had torn up the sea-ice in his path. But just then we would not stop