On the 26th, a southeast wind brought a heavy fall of snow in
flakes much larger than before. The thermometers on the ice at
noon stood at 23 deg. in both aspects. We heard from Illumea, who came
to see her son Okotook, that a part of the natives had gone still
farther to the westward upon the ice, one spot not affording
sufficient subsistence for the whole of them. Our patient felt
much the better for a comfortable night's lodging, and now
submitted with great patience to the application of a blister,
though I believe his confidence in our mode of cure was afterward
shaken for a time by the pain which it occasioned. Both he and
Iligliuk, however, seemed very sensibly to feel the comforts and
advantages of their present quarters; and a "coyenna" (thanks) now
and then fell from their lips. Nothing could exceed the attention
which the latter paid to her husband; she kept her eyes almost
constantly fixed upon him, and seemed anxious to anticipate every
want.
One of Okotook's brothers had arrived from the huts, bringing with
him some walrus-flesh to tempt the appetite of the invalid, whose
stomach, however, very fortunately for his complaint, was not
disposed to this kind of delicacy. When his brother was about to
return, Okotook took it into his head to send his son away with
him, probably because he heard they had the day before killed two
seals, which afforded better feeding than we had to give him; be
this as it may, we were not sorry that he went, and the boy
himself seemed no less pleased; for, without playfellows or
amusement of any kind, his time hung very heavily on his hands
while he remained on board.
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