Ilatsiak - 45
When David arrived back in Agayuq’s camp no one was about. Entering the snowhouse he discovered everyone asleep as if it was the middle of the night. Slipping out of his clothes, he climbed into his customary spot against the snow wall and closed his eyes. After a few minutes he heard Agayuq’s voice talking to him in a low whisper.
“You have returned, but things are not well...”
David opened his eyes and looked at the man lying a few feet away from him under the blankets of caribou skins. “The ship people are dying everywhere, Agayuq. Something terrible is happening.”
“I have heard this too.” Agayuq stared at David with unaccustomed frankness. “Other people have told me this, but I was shy to tell you. Last winter when we were in Boothia, people visited and told your mother the ship people were not well. They said that some had died even last summer, but I don’t know.”
“You should tell me these things. Maybe we could have helped them.”
“Yes I should have told you, but how can we help the ship people? They are not like us. They don’t live our way or eat our food like you do. They fight among themselves.”
“Still, they are people. Maybe they could change...” David whispered back.
“Yes, that is so. But they could be dangerous to us. This is not an easy land to live in. Besides, we believe that you were given to us, unlike them. We are too few to help the ship people. They are so many, and many people now fear them because they are sick and fight among themselves...” There was a pause. Agayuq was thinking. Suddenly he looked up and staring ahead he said, “They will soon be gone. People are saying the ones still not sick are using their boats to move all their supplies to the south coast. They are making trips back and forth pulling their boats on big sleds. Maybe they have already gone. No one knows for sure.”
David looked at him in shock. Left, already? Had he been left behind by the expedition? Was his fate sealed now forever? It looked that way. Maybe it was best, he didn’t really know, but he felt his heart freeze for a moment. It seemed so final.
David closed his eyes. Agayuq was right. The expedition members would not accept help from the Inuit anymore than they’d come looking for him again. He remembered clearly the comments and jeers made about the people they had encountered in Greenland during the transfer of supplies. The remarks about superiority of the English, how filthy and foolish the Greenlanders could be. They were called ‘savages’. Then too, there was the talk from the officers belittling anyone who wished to adopt ‘native’ methods of travel and survival. There seemed to be so little common ground. He could still hear Shanks boasting of what he would do if any dirty Eskimos showed up at the depot of supplies they were supposed to guard. He was very graphic in his desciption as if he were speaking about animals, not people. Even if Agayuq and others went and offered help it would be scofted at and they would be rebuffed. It was pointless. Perhaps what he had seen was not as bad as it seemed. Most of the expedition was probably safe and sound on board the ships and the men he had seen were perhaps only a scouting party which had somehow got into trouble, or maybe they had got trapped in a storm while on an exploratory mission from the ships. Still, it was a horrible fate which seemed so pointless given how well equiped the ships were and how close to their goal they were. A few more miles and they’d be free to sail away to the west and the Pacific. Surely the stories Agayuq had heard were wrong or at least confused.
“You have returned, but things are not well...”
David opened his eyes and looked at the man lying a few feet away from him under the blankets of caribou skins. “The ship people are dying everywhere, Agayuq. Something terrible is happening.”
“I have heard this too.” Agayuq stared at David with unaccustomed frankness. “Other people have told me this, but I was shy to tell you. Last winter when we were in Boothia, people visited and told your mother the ship people were not well. They said that some had died even last summer, but I don’t know.”
“You should tell me these things. Maybe we could have helped them.”
“Yes I should have told you, but how can we help the ship people? They are not like us. They don’t live our way or eat our food like you do. They fight among themselves.”
“Still, they are people. Maybe they could change...” David whispered back.
“Yes, that is so. But they could be dangerous to us. This is not an easy land to live in. Besides, we believe that you were given to us, unlike them. We are too few to help the ship people. They are so many, and many people now fear them because they are sick and fight among themselves...” There was a pause. Agayuq was thinking. Suddenly he looked up and staring ahead he said, “They will soon be gone. People are saying the ones still not sick are using their boats to move all their supplies to the south coast. They are making trips back and forth pulling their boats on big sleds. Maybe they have already gone. No one knows for sure.”
David looked at him in shock. Left, already? Had he been left behind by the expedition? Was his fate sealed now forever? It looked that way. Maybe it was best, he didn’t really know, but he felt his heart freeze for a moment. It seemed so final.
David closed his eyes. Agayuq was right. The expedition members would not accept help from the Inuit anymore than they’d come looking for him again. He remembered clearly the comments and jeers made about the people they had encountered in Greenland during the transfer of supplies. The remarks about superiority of the English, how filthy and foolish the Greenlanders could be. They were called ‘savages’. Then too, there was the talk from the officers belittling anyone who wished to adopt ‘native’ methods of travel and survival. There seemed to be so little common ground. He could still hear Shanks boasting of what he would do if any dirty Eskimos showed up at the depot of supplies they were supposed to guard. He was very graphic in his desciption as if he were speaking about animals, not people. Even if Agayuq and others went and offered help it would be scofted at and they would be rebuffed. It was pointless. Perhaps what he had seen was not as bad as it seemed. Most of the expedition was probably safe and sound on board the ships and the men he had seen were perhaps only a scouting party which had somehow got into trouble, or maybe they had got trapped in a storm while on an exploratory mission from the ships. Still, it was a horrible fate which seemed so pointless given how well equiped the ships were and how close to their goal they were. A few more miles and they’d be free to sail away to the west and the Pacific. Surely the stories Agayuq had heard were wrong or at least confused.
Labels: Ilatsiak
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