Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/78

Rh in his new harbour, two and a half miles off, taking with me Koodloo and other Innuits as my boat's crew. We soon arrived, and after the first greeting between us, I mentioned my desire to take Koojesse with me instead of Ebierbing, who was too sick to go on my Frobisher Bay trip. The arrangement was made, so far as concerned Captain B (he having pre-engaged Koojesse's services), and, after a short stay on board, I departed. There was some difficulty in getting back to my Innuit home, owing to both wind and tide being against me, and, when the island was reached, my boat could not be hauled up on account of low water. I was therefore obliged to keep on the watch nearly all night, to guard against the danger of losing her. The night was a stormy one; the rain, at times, descending in torrents, and the wind blowing furiously. Every now and then I enveloped myself in an oil-suit, and went down to watch the condition of the boat. The tide would soon be up so far as to enable us to draw her on the beach; so, thinking that all was right, I laid myself down to rest. About 2 of the 3d, however, I was aroused by invalid Ebierbing, who said that, from the noise, the sea was beating on shore. Immediately I went down to the boat, and, finding it in a precarious condition, called up all the natives, and with their aid at once had her dragged above reach of the sea. This done, I again retired to my couch, and slept soundly till the musical voice of Angeko Jennie once more aroused me. Looking round, I saw she was renewing her professional practice over her patient. Tookoolito and Suzhi were seriously, I may say solemnly engaged in the exercises, enthusiastically making their responses to Jennie's ejaculations. The effect upon the suffering patient, Ebierbing, was, as before, quite beneficial. On Sunday, the 4th of August, while in the tupic, I learned something that surprised me. On the previous day myself and some Innuits had gone ducking and sealing without any success. Now I was told that our ill luck was on account