Igeark-too signifies spectacles, and because Lieutenant Schwatka always
wore eye-glasses he was known to the natives as Igeark-too-aloo. His
companion, the 'Herald' correspondent, was known by a less
dignified appellation. A similarity between his name, as they
pronounced it, and the English word "mosquito,"--or, as they called it
"missergeeter"--led them to distinguish him by the Innuit name for
that little pest, keektoeyak-aloo--as "Joe" would translate it "a big
mosquito." They make no distinction in gender, often the same name
being applied to men and women. There were a man and a woman at Depot
Island each named Shiksik (ground squirrel), and you had to distinguish
which one you intended when you spoke of either.
They seldom take the trouble to make explanations, and a singular
mistake occurred once at Depot Island in that way. On one of the small
islands, near the mainland and Hudson Bay, Lieutenant Schwatka saw, in
the fall of 1878, a very fine looking dog, called E-luck-e-nuk, and
asked its owner's name. He was informed that it belonged to Shiksik,
and, as the old woman of that name was in the camp and he knew of none
other, he offered to buy it from her for his dog team. She consented to
the proposed transfer very readily, and said it was a very fine dog
indeed, she had no doubt it would give entire satisfaction.
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