Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/298

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team for one sledge. They were therefore of little use; and it became clear that, unless I obtained a fresh supply from the Esquimaux, any plan of sledge exploration which I might form must depend wholly upon the men for its execution. Men, instead of dogs, must drag the sledges.

The Esquimaux had disappointed me by not coming up to Etah; and, February having almost passed away without bringing reinforcements from that quarter, I had quite given up the expectation of seeing them, when a party of three arrived most opportunely. This gave me new encouragement; for, although I could not hope to replace the fine teams which I had lost, yet there was still a prospect of some much-needed assistance.

The Esquimau party comprised three individuals, all of whom I had known before. Their names were Kalutunah, Tattarat, and Myouk. Kalutunah was, in 1854, the best hunter of the tribe, and was, besides, the Angekok, or priest. He was not slow to tell me that he had since advanced to the dignity of chief, or Nalegak, an office which, however, gave him no authority, as the Esquimaux are each a law unto himself, and they submit to no control. The title is about as vague as that of "Defender of the Faith;" and the parallel is not altogether bad, for if this latter did originate in a Latin treatise about the "Seven Sacraments," it was perpetuated by a sharp sword; and so the title chief, or Nalegak as they call it, is the compliment paid to the most skillful hunter, and his title is perpetuated by skill in the use of a sharp harpoon.

The excellence of Kalutunah's hunting equipments—his strong lines and lances and harpoons, his fine