On the 4th November, when out looking for deer a little before day-light
in the morning, I observed a band of animals coming over a rising ground
at a quick pace directly towards me. I at first supposed them to be
deer, but on a nearer approach they proved to be wolves, seventeen in
number. They continued to advance at full speed until within forty
yards, when they formed a sort of half circle to leeward. Hoping to send
a ball through one of them, I knelt down and took what I thought a sure
aim at a large fellow that was nearest; unfortunately it was not yet
broad day-light, and the rascals all kept end on to me, so that the ball
merely cut off a line of hair and a piece of skin from his side. They
apparently did not expect to meet with such a reception, for after
looking at me a second or two they trotted off, no doubt as much
disappointed at not making a breakfast of me as I was at missing my aim.
Had they come to close quarters (which they sometimes do when pressed
hard for food) I had a large and strong knife which would have proved a
very efficient weapon. On my way home I shot three hares.
On the 5th two partridges were shot which very much resembled the tetrao
saliceti, but which I suppose to be the T. mutus. The parasitæ found on
them differed from those usually found on the willow grouse.
We began during this month to find that we could not afford fuel to dry
our clothes; I therefore adopted the plan that a celebrated miser took
to warm his food, by taking them under the blankets with me at night,
and drying them by the heat of the body. This, it may be supposed, was
not very agreeable, particularly when the weather became colder, for the
moisture froze during the day on the blankets, which sparkled with hoar
frost when I went to bed.
In the afternoon of the 9th we had one of the most severe snow storms
that had yet been experienced, and I was much alarmed at the non-arrival
of four men who had gone in the morning to examine some nets and set
others in North Pole Lake eight miles from the house. Guns were fired to
attract the attention of the party, who made their appearance at
half-past 8 P.M., when we had given up all hopes of seeing them until
the following day. They had been upwards of eight hours in coming as
many miles, and were like walking pillars of snow when they came in. The
four dogs they had with them were still missing, having run off with the
sled as soon as they smelt the house. On the following day they were
found entangled with one another, and the sled stuck fast against some
rocks. One or two of the dogs were completely covered up with snow, but
all safe.
About 2 P.M. on the 25th, two Esquimaux men and a boy, named Arkshuk
(Aurora Borealis), Took-oo-lak (the falling stick), and Che-mik-tee
(snuff), came to see us with deer-skin clothes, &c. for barter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account