The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1888-04-07
ADRlFr ON ICE.

ADNlFI YIN lOE.
The scene of the adventure that
shall relate Is in North Hudson's bay
and the time was late III February,
1879. had been among the natives Of
this region of the great Day-the
lwillik Eskimo-since the fall before
getting ready for sledge journey to
King williams Land, in the Arctic
ocean, which these natives had said
could best be started In the early
spIlng. and had therefore set the first
week in April as about the time Of our
departure.
One OF the most necessary articles Of
supply for such a sledge journey was oil
to cook our food. by the native method,
and give US light at night, anu the seal
aud walrus in the bay were the sources
on which we depended for this mate
rial. The contemplated sledge trip was
to be an overland one, and until we
stood on the shores Of the Arctic sea,
probably amontb or two after starting,
no oil producing animal could be met,
and we therefore urged our hired Es'
ki,ao to be prompt III getting us good
supply. Then there came in II super
stltion Of these seal and walrus ll,lntara
that they cannot catch these animals or
eat their flesh until the reindeer meat
OF the fall hunting season had been dis
posed Of, and, as our venison supply
was large this particular autumn, 1t
was well along in January before the
change was made. This was followed
by one of those hyperborean hurricanes
whose predominating feature was con-
sistency. and after its three weeks OF
boreal blowing was over, and we were
nearly starved in our ice palaces, we
crawled out and stared the situation in
the face that it was hardly two months
until our. departure. with no no oil on
hand and little likelihood Of being able
to purchase any Of the natives In their
depleted condition. My own natives
therefore went to work with will to
supply the deficiency, working early
and late and taking many risks on the
treacllerous ice that they otherwise
would not have done. 1t was In taking
one too many OF these risks that the
material for my story was furnished
me.
lkquecsik and NaDnock (the Elbow
and the Polar Bear) were two as faith
fnl and trustworthy walrls hunters as
were to be found in the whole Iwillik
tribs of Eskimo, and this saying was
no small compliment IN Its line, for the
name Iwillik means walrus eating Es-
kimo, from the large number of these
animals killed by this tribe, and which
really formed their chief supply of food.
Ikeueesik was In fact over anxious to
SEQ that everything IN general and the
walrus oil in particular would be ready
for the trip on time, for though an
Iwlllik by adoption since he was boy,
he was by birth Netschllluk, band
that lived on the Polar sea, where we
would probably visit. and he showed a
true patriotic desire to visit his native
land.
By the Goth or 25th of February it
was quite evident that Ikqueesik's un.
usual energywould be properly rewarded
IL the weather only remained good, but
this was something in which no reli-
ance could be placed whatever, al
though my Netschilluk walrus hunter
openly avowed that good weather or
bad weather he was going to see that,
as far as oil was concerned, we should
have no delay in starting.
sure enough, a storm came tearing
down from the northwest that looked
as il it had come to stay for while; and
as good as his word, Ikqueeslk, with
Nannook and q ID or 15-year. old
brother of the former Ahwanak by
name sallied out IN the fierce blast to
tackle any walrus that might be found
ouS enjoying such weather. Although
during these fl,rce OFF shore winds, the
walruses generally 90 sailing out to sea
on the cakes Of Ice that break off from
the eoge OF the shore ice, our two hunt
ers were lucky In finding an old one
that had found 1t convenient to stay 1T
home, and as part pay ment for their