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*verso*
24
Foot note

In the leads and shore waters. The highest
Northing in which I have seen the Trichechus
was in Lat 78o.52 off Lady Franklin Bay.
- While thus following the tides and feeding
amidst the floating pack they are unapproachable
by the Esquimaux - whose [depriation?] of
the Kyak confined the hunter to the ice.
It is at this season the late summer or [Ausak?]
// note. [Ausak?] - After all ice has melted a sort of 5th Season
preceding the new congelation of the fall - the derivation
is according to Petersen from [Aupok?] to melt K.//
that the 4th method of hunt comes into
play. The Walrus during late July and early August are in the habit
of resorting to the rocks - probably for sexual
purposes. They are then extremely alert
and watchful but the Esquimaux note
carefully their seats and concealing themselves
with care await with patient
silence the return of the animal when
he is harpooned and caught as by the
ice fishing.

The Usuk (P.Barbata) or largest
seal of this region is invaluable to these people
for harpoon lines harness &c. &c. One of
these was killed on the day of my arrival
not as an Atluk or breathing hole seal - but
emerged upon the ice - All seal thus exposed
whether [net seider?] - Usuk or (more rarely seen)
Spraglet (Spotted Seal P. Vitulina) are called
Utok - (a term applying equally to their hunt
but unknown in S. Greenland K.// This reappearance
of the Utuk was a source of congratulation -
a sort of Jubilee - The little Children Cried
Two white whale had been killed further S.
near C. Robertson - some of the [?] of
this animal - reached me - It was delicious
and deserves its antiscorbutic celebrity -
This substance - elsewhere described is

*recto*

25
skin with its appended blubber of any whale -
It must be highly albuminous as it tastes
like the white of eggs - and when fried resembles
oysters and by a whitened opalescense
shows indications of coagulation.
Judging recently from the results of a plate of Matak about
a foot square which was dealt out among
our most serious cases of haemorhagic
scurvy I place it at the head of the
antiscorbutic list - Its tendency to heal
[sore] fungous gums is a noticeable feature.

Around Northumberland and to the
Id. the white whale is a subject of regular pursuit -
[of this more in an other place] - The seal
are also more numerous - and the Uria
and Eider valuable sources of supply.

My departure from Leiper Bay was
hastened by the sudden appearance of Hans - with news
pf the sickness of Mr. McGeary. I met Hans
a [little beyond] while out Walrus hunting near Life Boat Cove and learned
by a letter from Dr. Hayes - [who had volunteered]
[to attend to Mr McG during my absence] -
that his nausea had augmented with spasm
hiccup &c. resembling Strangulated Hernia - in a word he feared the very
worst - [A more fatiguing ride or rather]
[? never fell to lot of feeble man.] I had
a load of meat on my [our] sledge - and was
therefore unable to make good speed with
our four tired dogs. [Mitok and myself]
rode & ran by turns and reached the
brig - 50 miles {after meeting Hans} - {in seven
hours-} I was so exhausted coming from
the bright glare without to our lamps within
every thing seemed blue and the flying
flies were are thick before my eyes as
lamp black - McGeary to my intense relief
was over the crisis of his attack - which
I think must have been the passage of
a gall stone - through the Chole[dock?] gut -

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