Toolooah was out hunting on the 23d of February, when a pack of about
twenty wolves attacked him. He jumped upon a big rock, which was soon
surrounded, and there he fought the savage beasts off with the butt of
his gun until he got a sure shot, when he killed one, and while the
others fought over and devoured the carcass, he made the best of the
opportunity to get back into camp. It was a most fortunate escape, as
he fully realized.
On the 25th we were detained in camp by a storm, which Toolooah took
advantage of for hunting. He saw a reindeer not far from camp, and was
soon astonished to see another Inuit following the same animal. The
stranger, when he saw Toolooah, ran back to his igloo; but Toolooah let
the reindeer go and followed the man, whom he found to be a Kinnepatoo
acquaintance named Tsedluk. From him he learned that Depot Island was
only two igloos, or three days off, with long marches and light
sledges. We moved up to Tsedluk's igloo the following day, and bought
some meat from him, as game was scarce beyond. Here we cached all our
heavy stuff, and with light sleds and forced marches reached Depot
Island on the 4th day of March, by way of Connery River, which we came
upon on the 2d. The mean temperature for the past month had been -44.8
degrees, and the coldest recorded -69 degrees Fahrenheit.
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