, 1888-01-08
ADRIFT ON ICE.

The Gceno OF the adventure that | shall
relate IL in North Hudson's bay. and the
time was late in February, 1879. / had
been among the natives Of this region OF
the great bay-the Iwillik Eskimo-sinco
tho fall before getting ready for II glcdge
journey to King Williams Land, in tho
Arctic ocean, which these natives had
said could best ho started in the carly
spring, and ! had therefore set the first
week in April na about Tho timc Of our
departure.
Ono of tho most necessary articles OF
supply for such n sledgc journey was oil
20 cook II food, 10y the native method,
and give ms light Mt night, and tho seal
and walrua in the bay wcro the sources
ON which we depended for this material.
The contemplated slcdgc trip was TO bo
M overland one, and until wo stood ON
the shores of the Arctic sea, probably n
month or two after starting, no oil pro-
ducing animal could be mot, and wo
therefore urged our hired Eskimo TO DO
prompt in getting VA n good supply.
Then there came In n superstition Of these
seal and walrus hunters that they cannot
catch these animals or eat their flesh
until tho reindeer meat of tho fall
hunting season had been disposed
OF, and, as Il vcnison supply
was large this particular autumn,
u wa0 well along In January
before the change wa made. This was
o!iowcd by one of those li%yporborcnn
hurricanes whuse predominating feature
N'a1 conai5tcncy, and after its three weeks
of borcal blowing was over, aud we were
nearly Gturycd in our leo I~nlacca, we
Crlwlcd mi and stared the situation in
the face that il was hardly two months
u-til our departure, with no oil ON hand
and little likelihood of being able to pur-
Chaee any of the natives in their depleted
condition. My own natives therefore
went TO work with u will 10 supply the
deficiency, working carly and lato and
tJ,iHs many risks OF the treucherous leo
tLl- they otherwise would not have done.
1t vag Ia taking ono too many Of these
risks That the material for my story was
furnished me.
%lsqucc8ilS and NannoolS Qho Elbow
and the Polar Bcnr)wcrc two us faithful
sud Trustworthy wllrus hunters 10 were
10 lc found in tie whole lwillik tribe of
Eskimo, and this saying was no small
compliment in Itg line, for the namo
Iyillilt means walrus eating Eskimo, from
vac tHstlHS lAAAAAti'A u Aii'pN AAlIliAltAlA hlllgaA |
h. this tribe, and which really formed
thor chief supply Of food. Ikquccsik
VIZ in fact over anxious to see that every
thing in general and the walrus oil in
Particular would DO ready for the trip on
time. FOR though an lwillik by adoption
uinco ho Wa a 10y, ho was by birth n
NaiJChillul;, II band that lived on tho
Polar sea, where we would probably visit,
T.; 7! he showed n true patriotic desire to
Vi i his native land.
Ey the Goth or 25th of February it was
quite evident that lkqueesik's unusual
energy would no properly rewarded If
tn weather only remained good, but this
WIZ something in which no reliance could
b. placed whatever, although my Net
fc,.illuk walruS hunter openly avowed
that good weather or bad weather he was
ruiug 10 see that, as far as oil was con-
,c.ned, We should have no delay in start
in.
sure enough. u storm camo tearing
down from the northwest that looked MS
ii It had come to stay for u while; and, as
LUol Is tbs word, Ikquecsik, with Nan
nook and = Il or 15-year-old brother of
tho fOruer-Ahwanak by name-sallicd
out in the fierce blast to tackle any wal
rus that might bc found out enjoying
eCch weather. Although during these
fierce OF shore winds, the walruses gen
orally 80 sailing out to sea on the cakes
If ice hat break off from the edge of the
shore ice, our two hunters We're lucky in
EgijnE an old one that had found it CON
vCuirut 70 stay at homo, and as part pay
ugut for their exposure in such fearful
vcaCECr they found it easy to dispatch
TIC brute by taking advantage Of the din
Tic wind was making. To cut up his
C-rgasE wls bUr the work Of n few mo-
ILcEts. bu-, short Is it was, it was long
y-pu-l for the tide, then rising rapidly,
o. LIFT tho treat field Of shore ice 4 foot or
SO more anil elevate It clear Of the reef,
which s1tt.-r lad acted as d huge brake to
hold iE % the land. and with a ripping.
roaring noise, like the close vollsy of
Iauskatry from a battalion Of men or the
crash Of q near thuudsrboIt cleavinE the
air- thev heard this rgld II ice on hich
thay stood rsaring loose from the main
shore, and by the time they reached the
crack 900 wards away. It had become
SO large that i5 would have Leen
. dangerous experiment. 70 attempt 10
hap across tgr IN Ls nerpotuaLlT ice
La-Fn waters the Eskimo Is q stranger u
the art Il swimming They tod and
IooLEl lE each other for a uIuutr grin
mig 4 sort IT zickLy smile that tho eau
calIan repeats when he cEl5es h= silk
beaver down q muddy street On d windy
day in Tho presence OF q large and aP-
TrccI2tIFc ~luaIeuce. They werg adrlfC
IL one Of King Fr1st' uIen-Cf-war with
cUa rudder. sail or compass zrI- worst
cG all, they dId not know how long they
had becu drafted for. An Inspection TO-
,,-l-el the craft co be about 800 yards
long over all, about 200 yards LEAN, with
III e IL