On the 7th I paid another visit to the huts, where I found scarcely anybody but women and children, the whole of the men, with the exception of the two oldest, having gone on a sealing excursion to the northeastern side of the island. One of the women, named Il=igliuk, a sister of the lad Toolooak, who favoured us with a song, struck us as having a remarkably soft voice, an excellent ear, and a great fondness for singing, for there was scarcely any stopping her when she had once begun. We had, on their first visit to the ships, remarked this trait in Iligliuk's disposition, when she was listening for the first time to the sound of the organ, of which she seemed never to have enough; and almost every day she now began to display some of that superiority of understanding for which she was so remarkably distinguished. A few of the women learned several of our names to-day, and I believe all thought us Angekoks[*] of a very superior class, when we repeated to them all round, by the assistance of our books, the names of all their husbands, obtained on board the preceding day. On our way back to the ships we saw a party of them, with their dogs, returning over the hill from the northeastward; and we afterward met another of eight or ten, who had walked round by the southeast point on the ice, all alike unsuccessful, after being out in the wind for six hours, with the thermometer from 18 to 22 degrees below zero. Thus hardly did these people obtain their daily subsistence at this severe season of the year.
[Footnote: Sorcerers or wizards, pronounced as written above in Greenland; but at Winter Island Ang-~et-k~ook; and by the people at Igloolik, An-n~at-k~o.]
A wolf being caught in one of the traps this evening, which was so close as to be easily watched from the ship, a party of the officers ran out to secure the depredator, and fired two balls into the trap at once to despatch him. Finding, after this, that he continued to bite a sword that was thrust in, a third shot was fired at him. The trap was then sufficiently opened to get his hind legs firmly tied together, after which, being considered tolerably secure, he was pulled out of the trap, which, however, his head had scarcely cleared, when he furiously flew at Mr. Richards's throat, and would certainly have done him some serious mischief had not that gentleman, with great presence of mind, seized the animal in his turn by the throat, squeezing him with all his force between both hands. This made the wolf relinquish his first attempt, and Mr. Richards only suffered by a bite in his arm and another in his knee, which, on account of the thickness of his clothes, were happily not severe ones. As for the wolf, he prudently took to his heels, though two of them were still tied together; and, being favoured by the momentary confusion, occasioned by his late rencounter with Mr. Richards, succeeded in escaping his pursuers. He was found dead the following day at the distance of three quarters of a mile from the ships.
On the 8th we were visited by a musical party of females, consisting only of a few individuals expressly invited for this purpose. A number of the officers assembled in the cabin to hear this vocal concert, while Mr. Henderson and myself took down the notes of their songs, for which, indeed, they gave us every opportunity, for I thought they would never leave off. We afterward amused them with our little band of flutes and violins, and also by some songs, with the whole of which they were extremely well pleased. I feared several of them, and especially Iligliuk, would go into fits with delight when we introduced into our song some of their names mingled with our own. While most of us were thus employed, Captain Lyon took the opportunity of making drawings of some of the women, especially of Togolat, the prettiest of the party, and, perhaps, of the whole village. She was about six-and-twenty years of age, with a face more oval than that of Esquimaux in general, very pretty eyes and mouth, teeth remarkably white and regular, and possessing in her carriage and manners a degree of natural gracefulness, which could not be hid even under the disguise of an Esquimaux woman's dress, and, as was usual with Togolat, the dirtiest face of her whole tribe. Her husband, Ewerat, a little ugly man of about five-and-forty, was the only individual among them laying claim to the title of Angetkook, and was, in reality, a sensible, obliging man, and a first-rate seal-catcher. They had two children, one of which, a little girl, Togolat still occasionally suckled, and, according to custom, carried in the hood behind her back; the other, a boy about eight years of age, quite an idiot, deaf and dumb from his birth, and squinting most horribly with both eyes.
Finding that these poor creatures were now really in want of food, for the men had again returned from an unsuccessful excursion, I was happy to avail myself of a hint given to me by Captain Lyon, to furnish them occasionally with a small supply of bread-dust, of which we had two or three casks in each ship. Our present party was therefore, in addition to other articles, supplied with several pounds, which they immediately expressed their intention to take home to their children. Several of them visited the ships as usual on the 9th, and among the rest Ka-oong-ut and his son Toolooak. The old gentleman was not a favourite with us, being the only one who had yet begun to tease us by constant begging. We had often expressed displeasure at this habit, which, after a day or two's acquaintance, began to be extremely troublesome; but I had to-day to take cognizance of his stealing a nail, of which I determined to take a rather serious notice, as it might otherwise lead to more extensive theft. I therefore collected all the other Esquimaux who were on board, and having in their presence expressed great indignation at this conduct, turned the offender away in disgrace. Some of those best acquainted with us were afterward taken into the cabin, where our sentiments were more fully explained to them. Among these I was not sorry to have Toolooak and Iligliuk, who would not fail to report at the huts all our proceedings, but who did not appear to consider themselves in the slightest degree implicated in their father's offence, or concerned in his disgrace. The people of the huts being much in want of food, we again distributed some bread-dust among them; taking care to send a portion to the infirm old man, Hik-k~ei-~er= a, by Ok~otook, the husband of Iligliuk, a fine, active, manly fellow of about two-and-thirty, who, as we were pleased to find the next day, had punctually executed his commission.
The Esquimaux went out on the 10th to endeavour to catch seals as usual, but returned unsuccessful after several hours' labour. As it was now evident that their own exertions were not at all times sufficient to procure them food at this season, and that neither indolence nor any idea of dependance on our charity induced them to relax in those exertions, it became incumbent on us carefully to attend to their wants, and, by a timely and judicious application of the slender resources we had set aside for their use, prevent any absolute suffering among them. We therefore sent out a good meal of bread-dust for each individual, to be divided in due proportion among all the huts. The necessity of this supply appeared very strongly from the report of our people, who found some of these poor creatures actually gnawing a piece of hard sealskin with the hair on it, while few of the huts had any lamp alight. It must be remembered that the failure of their seal-fishery always involves a double calamity, for it not only deprives them of food, but of fuel for their lamps. When this is the case, not to mention the want of warmth and light in the huts, they are also destitute of the means of melting snow for water, and can therefore only quench their thirst by eating the snow, which is not only a comfortless, but an ineffectual resource. In consequence of this, it was surprising to see the quantity of water these people drank whenever they came on board; and it was often with difficulty that our coppers could answer this additional demand. I am certain that Toolooak one day drank nearly a gallon in less than two hours. Besides the bread-dust, we also supplied them to-day with a wolf's carcass, which, raw and frozen as it was, they ate with a good appetite; and, indeed, they had not the means of cooking, or even thawing it. I cannot here omit a pleasing trait in their character, observed by our people who carried out their supplies; not a morsel of which would the grown-up people touch till they had first supplied the wants of their hungry little ones.
On the morning of the 12th, Okotook and his uncle Arnaneelia, a sensible and worthy man of about five-and-forty years of age, coming on board from their fishing, we showed them the stage and scenery that were just put up, and invited them and their wives to the play about to be performed this evening. They accordingly went back and brought the women, who understood they were to be present at some diversion, though they did not well know what. It was enough, however, with Iligliuk, just to make the motion of turning the handle of the organ, which, conveying to her mind the idea of music and merriment, was always sure to put her immediately into high spirits. As they came three or four hours before the performance of "John Bull" was to commence, they began to grow tired and impatient, especially when it became dusk, and candles were brought into the cabin. The men then explained that it would soon be dark, and that, in returning late to their huts, they should disturb the people who would then be fast asleep there. Finding that they grew uneasy, I made no objection to their returning, and sent them off loaded with bread-dust and some oil for each of their lamps. They remained long enough, however, to have a peep at Mrs. Brulgruddery, whose dress, when they were informed it was that of a kabl=o=ona nooll=e=e-~o (European wife), they were very anxious in examining, and seemed to grieve at going away without sharing the diversion which this and other preparations seemed to promise.
On the 13th, our friends at the huts were fortunate in procuring three seals, an event that created great joy at the village. Mr. Allison, who happened to be there when one of these prizes was announced, informed me that there was a general outcry of joy; all the Women hurried to the doors of the huts, and the children rushed to the beach to meet the men dragging along the prize. One of these little urchins, to complete the triumphant exultation with which this event was hailed, instantly threw himself on the animal, and clinging fast to it, was thus dragged to the huts. Each woman was observed to bring her =o=otk~oos~eek, or cooking-pot, to the hut where the seal was dissected, for the purpose of receiving a share of the meat and blubber.
On the 15th it blew a strong gale from S.W. to W.N.W., and the thermometer, either on account of the strength of the wind or its having occasionally some southing in it, rose to -4°, being the highest temperature registered in our journals since the 27th of December preceding. I had agreed with Okotook to accompany him on a sealing excursion, but the day proved too inclement, the Esquimaux not going out themselves, though it was not very often that the weather could prevent them. Considering it desirable to increase, by all the means in our power, the chances of these people giving information of us, we distributed among several of the men large round medallions of sheet copper, having these words punched through them: "H.B.M.S. Fury and Hecla, all well, A.D. 1822." These we suspended by a piece of white line round their necks, giving them to understand that they were to show them to any Kabloona people they might ever meet with in future. Similar ornaments, but of a smaller size, were subsequently presented to many of the women, having on them the words "Fury and Hecla, 1822."
Early on the morning of the 16th, observing a party of the Esquimaux, equipped with spears, passing near the ships, I joined them, accompanied by Mr. Bushnan and one or two others. Having crossed the point of the island, they walked over the ice to the eastward, where we did not overtake them till they had got above a mile and a quarter from the shore. This party consisted of eight persons, among whom we were glad to find Arnaneelia, Okotook, Toolooak, Pootooalook his elder brother, and one or two others whom we knew. They had by this time, however, separated into two or three different parties, stationed at the distance of half a mile from each other, along the edge of the floe, beyond which, to the eastward, there was clear water as far as we could see for frost-smoke.