Seeing how intent I was upon this, Kokerjabin readily answered my inquiry as to what it really was. In reply, she said "it was solid ice, and never had she known it to change its appearance, either in summer or fall."
This was enough. I immediately concluded that there were glaciers over there, and certainly the one I then looked at appeared to be not less than fifteen to twenty miles long. But, as I afterward visited the locality, I shall reserve farther mention of them till I come to another part of my narrative.
About dusk we reached the south point of the island Nouyarn,[1] where we had expected to find an Innuit village, the place of our intended visit. But, to our disappointment and vexation, the settlement was not there. Within two hundred fathoms of the shore we saw sledge-tracks leading from the land out into the bay, and thence northward and westward. Here, also on the ice, we saw two double-barrelled guns standing up in the snow, and an Esquimaux lamp; but not a human being besides ourselves was there. We knew not what to do. Dark and cold, we should undoubtedly suffer much if unable to get shelter. What could we do? We might, for a while, follow the sledge-tracks, but not long, as the darkness was upon us. Eight o'clock, and we had neither shelter, food, nor light. Even to keep warmth in us for a moment, it was necessary to be in action, or the chances were we should freeze; and to remain so all night, we might perish. Sterry proposed that we should return to the igloos we had left in the morning, but to this Kokerjabin and myself objected. The best thing we could do, as I thought, was to follow the tracks, and, if not meeting with Innuits, build an igloo and make the best of it. This was agreed to, and again we started forward, Kokerjabin leading the way, which she did most admirably, guiding us here and there among numerous inlets, without once being in the wrong or confused.
The moon had now risen from her sea-bed, but looked as if guilty of some wicked act, being both horribly distorted and
- ↑ Lat. 62° 55′ N. long. 65° 52′ W.
