c^ 
 
With Peary 
 near the pole 
 
 f 
 
 By Eivind Astrup 
 
 With Ii.i i'strations krom PnoTooRAriis and Sketchf.s 
 By the author 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE NORWEGIAN 
 
 By H. J. BULL 
 
 Xon&on 
 
 C. ARTHUR PEARSON, LIMITED 
 
 HENRIETTA STREET, W.C. 
 
 1S9S 
 

PREFACE 
 
 T ITTLE did I think when, a few years 
 "*^^ ago, sitting at the school-table striving 
 laboriously with my Norwegian exercises, which 
 were so limited in length and range, that I 
 should ever attempt the writing of a whole book ; 
 for I was by nature a sun-worshipper, and loved 
 a life in the open air far beyond books and 
 writing-desks. 
 
 But wonderful are the ways of fate. 
 
 It happened that for a couple of years 1 passed 
 beyond the pale of civilisation, and visited places 
 Vt^here none had ever been. These things I had, 
 of course, to describe ; and so I wrote some 
 letters telling of my travels to the Morgenbladet, 
 after which I considered all necessary results of 
 my strange adventures had been attained. 
 
6 Preface 
 
 But then people would come and ask me, 
 " When shall we get your book ?" Many were 
 even so friendly as to tell me that they would 
 be glad to read it ; so that there was nothing 
 for it but to retire to a quiet place, and play 
 the author The result of my literary activity I 
 hereby venture to place before the public, hoping 
 that they will not be too critical. 
 
 EIVIND ASTRUP. 
 
 Christiania 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 INTRODUCTION .... 
 
 CHAPTER IV, 
 A POOR COAST .... 
 
 CHAPTER y. 
 
 THE NATIVES OF SMITH'S SOUND 
 
 CirAPTER VI 
 
 HUNTING 
 
 I'AGE 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 THE TWO PEARY EXPEDITIONS j^ 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE SECOND PEAKY EXPEDITION .... ^7 
 
 48 
 
 73 
 
 90 
 
8 Contents 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 I'AOE 
 
 SLLUGK JOURNEYS OF THE ES(JUIMAUX. THE NORTH- 
 
 GREENLAND DOC 
 
 144 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 NORTHWARD ON THE GREENLAND INLAND ICE . .174 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 ON THE WAY TO NEW COASTS ; . . 2 1" 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 HOMEWARD THROUGH THE CLOUDS 236 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE ESQUIMAUX MANNER OF LIFE, CUSTOMS, CHARACTER, 
 
 MORAL AND SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES . . . 264 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 INTELLIGENCE AND ARTISTIC GIFTS, RELIGIOUS IDEAS, 
 
 CUSTOMS, ETC 291 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 TRAVEL TO MELVILLE BAY 324 
 
With Peary near the Pole. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 INTRODUCTIOX. 
 
 /^~\NE fine spring morning in the year 1891 
 ^-^ I was sitting in one of the large hotels 
 of Philadelphia, reading the latest news of the 
 world. Strikes, murders, and bank-robberies, 
 which filled the columns of the paper, interested 
 me but little. I was revolving bold plans in 
 my mind. 
 
 I wished nothing more than to get away from 
 the civilised world as soon as possible ; and, 
 animated with a vivid desire to try my streno-th 
 in new and unknown fields, I could no longer 
 restrain myself I had to be off to one or other 
 outpost of the world, if I would have my longings 
 satisfied. 
 
 My first thought was to make for the west 
 
10 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 coast of Africa, and thence, as o[)portunity might 
 
 serve, to penetrate into the interior of that vast 
 
 continent, among its many savage tribes. The 
 
 climate, certainly, had a bad name ; but in this 
 
 respect I did what so many others have done 
 
 and will do before and after me, I relied solely 
 
 on a healthy constitution. 
 
 No ; the newspaper did not much interest me 
 
 that April morning. I was just on the point of 
 
 putting it down, when suddenly my eye caught 
 
 a small paragraph in one of its corners : — 
 
 " Robert E. Peary, Engineer at the Naval Dockyard, is now- 
 engaged in fitting out his expedition to North Greenland. 
 As is well known, it is his intention to try to ascertain 
 the extension of Greenland northwards, by undertaking an 
 excursion on sledges over its snow-covered interior. His 
 companions on the expedition are not yet decided upon." 
 
 At the very moment that I finished this short 
 paragraph, my resolution was taken. I deter- 
 mined to offer myself as a member of the 
 Expedition. 
 
 I gave Africa the slip for the present, and 
 turned eagerly toward the Arctic regions, the 
 very quarter for Norwegian enterprise. It would 
 be magnificent for once to be able to gaze upon 
 
Introduction 1 1 
 
 those desolate, ice-covered landscapes, about 
 which I had so often read with keenest interest. 
 
 The same day, therefore, I sent to Lieutenant 
 Peary a letter, offering him my services on the 
 adventure. 
 
 Soon I received an answer, requesting me 
 to come and see hmi at the dockyard. How 
 well I remember the particulars of the half-comic 
 scene which was enacted during our first meeting! 
 As a school-boy, I was on the classical side, 
 and I therefore had, at the time I am speaking 
 of, an imperfect knowledge of English. How- 
 ever, in order to be able to express myself with 
 ease and elegance during our conversation, I 
 had cunningly furnished my two largest coat- 
 pockets with an English and a Norwegian 
 dictionary ; armed with these, and the required 
 doctors' certificates and testimonials, I entered 
 the corridors of the dockyard's office, certain of 
 victory. 
 
 A young man of African origin, the afterwards 
 illustrious " Matt," showed me into Lieutenant 
 Peary's working-room, where I was most heartily 
 received by the explorer. His whole appearance 
 
12 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 inspired me with absolute confidence. His tall, 
 lean figure was elastic and sinewy ; his filatures, 
 coarse but determined, were aglow with intrepid 
 resolution. 
 
 Scarcely had our conversation begun before I 
 found myself obliged to pull the friendly text- 
 books out of my pocket. With feverish quick- 
 ness I ran over the leaves during the remainder 
 of my visit, hardly ever finding the words I 
 wanted, but managing at last, in rather laconic 
 sentences, to give expression to what was in 
 my mind. 
 
 In the course of conversation, I noticed that 
 Mr. Peary's black servant now and then dis- 
 appeared through a side door with strange 
 grimaces, returning soon after with an uncom- 
 fortably serious and distorted face. He after- 
 wards admitted that this happened whenever 
 he lost control over his risible muscles as he 
 saw me consult my dictionary. 
 
 A couple of days after my first meeting 
 Lieutenant Peary, I was told that I had been 
 accepted as one of the tivt^ members of his 
 Polar Expedition. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE TWO PEAR Y EXPEDITIONS. 
 
 IN writing a short account of the two Arctic 
 expeditions in which I have had the 
 privilege of taking part, I will mainly try to 
 give my readers some glimpses of the surround- 
 ings amoiig which my own personal studies of 
 Greenland's northern regions were made. A 
 careful and complete account of the history of 
 these expeditions, with notices of the various 
 and regular scientific observations which we 
 secured, I leave to the leader of the two enter- 
 prises, the more so as he alone is in possession 
 of all materials necessary for such a work. 
 
 As an opening to the history of the first 
 Peary expedition, I give an extract from the 
 report which, after my arrival home in the 
 autumn of 1892, I laid before the Norwegian 
 Geographical Society, leaving out, however, 
 those parts which in later chapters will form 
 
 <3 
 
14 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 subjects of more complete description — as, for 
 example, the story of the North Greenland 
 tribes, and of life and nature in those cold 
 Arctic regions. 
 
 The North Greenland Expedition of 
 1891 — 1892. 
 
 Lieutenant Peary's plan for this expedition 
 was, shortly, as follows : — 
 
 " With a company of five or six members I 
 shall be landed at Whale Sound, on the west 
 coast of Greenland, in "jf 35' latitude, in the 
 month of June or July. We shall spend the 
 remainder of the summer and autumn in erecting 
 a hut for our wintering ; lay in an abundant 
 store of meat, make scientific investigations, 
 and excursions to the inland ice, and, if the 
 season is favourable, also establish a provision- 
 depot near the south corner of the Humboldt 
 Glacier. In the course of the winter we shall 
 prepare sledges, 'ski,' clothes, and travelling 
 outfit, and practise running on ' ski,' and 
 Canadian snow-shoes, for which purpose the 
 head of W^iale Sound is well adapted. 
 
The Two Peary Expeditions 15 
 
 " When spring begins, four or five of the 
 company will start over the inland ice for the 
 Humboldt Glacier, one or two remaining behind 
 to take care of the house. If good progress 
 is made, we shall continue from the Humboldt 
 Glacier to the head of Peterman-fjord. From 
 here two or three of us will push on, whilst 
 the others return to Whale Sound with the 
 necessary provisions for the home route. Those 
 in advance will continue to Sherard Osborne 
 fjord, go farther on to the head of De Long 
 fjord, and finally push on towards the northern- 
 most point of Greenland. When this is 
 reached, and its geographical position determined, 
 the party will return by the same route to 
 Whale Sound, and the expedition will take the 
 first chance to return to America." 
 
 This was Mr. Peary's plan, and as it was 
 laid down it was in the main carried out. 
 
 There were five members of the expedition. 
 Besides Lieutenant Peary, there was the surgeon, 
 Dr. Cook, a very active and energetic comrade 
 of about thirty, who, as the ethnologist of the 
 expedition, proved himself of great service 
 
1 6 With I eary near the Pole 
 
 during ourstay among the natives ; Mr. Gibson, 
 as a prominent sporting man and particularly 
 as a very skilled hunter, was of incalculable 
 service to our small company ; Mr. VerhoefC 
 the mineralogist, had contributed two thousand 
 dollars towards the expenses of the expedition ; 
 while I was the youngest of the company, 
 not having yet attained my twentieth year 
 when the expedition started. As a matter of 
 course we were all volunteers ; and " Matt," 
 the nigger, who for several years had been 
 Mr. Peary's servant, did not hesitate to follow 
 his master as our excellent cook. Our small 
 company was also cheered by the presence of 
 Mr. Peary's wife — a fact which, in America, 
 added not a litde to the prestige of our 
 enterprise. 
 
 On June 6th the expedition left New York in 
 the sealing-vessel Kite. Besides the members of 
 the expedition some scientists from Philadelphia 
 accompanied us, to make observations and 
 collect specimens during the voyage, intending 
 to return by the ship as soon as our small party 
 had been landed, 
 
The Two Peary Expeditions 17 
 
 After a rather tedious passage along the 
 coasts of North America and Newfoundland, 
 and through the Davis Strait, we at last, on 
 June 23rd, sighted the land of all our longing 
 and desire. 
 
 On the way northward along the west coast 
 of Greenland we called at a couple of the Danish 
 settlements, Goodhaven and Upernavik, where 
 we were treated with great friendliness and 
 hospitality by the Government officials during 
 our short stay. On July 2nd we were stopped 
 by pack-ice, which kept us imprisoned for three 
 weeks. The days seemed interminable, since we 
 were all impatient to reach our destination, the 
 point in Inglefield Gulf chosen for our winter 
 quarters ; and their monotony was only broken 
 by shooting seals and sea-birds. 
 
 On July nth Lieutenant Peary had the mis- 
 fortune to break his leg, receiving a fearful blow 
 from the small iron tiller underneath the wheel, 
 set in motion by the vessel going astern as the 
 rudder collided with a large ice-Hoe. He bore 
 his mishap bravely, but for four weeks he kept 
 his bed. Confident in himself and his enterprise, 
 
 2 
 
1 8 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 he looked upon the accident with the greatest 
 equanimity. 
 
 On July i6th we shot our first hear; and 
 during the following days saw several, without, 
 
 however, getting within range. On July 22nd 
 we again got clear of the pack-ice, and the 
 next day came in sight of those barren 
 coasts which through the coming winter would 
 surround us. 
 
The Two Puary 1 expeditions 19 
 
 The place Mr. Peary liad fixed on for 
 winter quarters was on the southern side of 
 MacCormick Hay, a few minutes south of the 
 78th degree of latitude. We arrived there early 
 on the morning of July 28th, and spent the day 
 in selecting the most suitable site for our station. 
 Towards evening we had finally chosen a dry 
 corner close to the beach, with a spring of fresh 
 water near at hand. During the next week 
 the ship's crew carried ashore all our provisions 
 and other equipments, whilst we began to build 
 our house, having brought with us all necessary 
 materials. It was twenty-two feet long, twelve 
 feet wide, and divided into a large and a smaller 
 room. Walls and roof were built with boards 
 one inch in thickness, protected on the outer side 
 with tarred felt. At a distance of a foot from 
 the inner wall was arranged another linino- of 
 common matchboard, on which were hung heavy 
 woollen blankets. Around the house wJ built a 
 stone wall, three feet high, upon the top of which 
 we placed the numberless cases and barrels in 
 which our provisions were packed. I'rom the 
 roof, and all round the stone wall, canvas was 
 
20 With Peary near the Pule 
 
 extended later in .ihe autumn, to form an enclosed 
 passage about the whole building, which, during 
 the severe cold of the winter, contributed con- 
 siderably to make the house itself warm and 
 comfortable. 
 
 On July 30th the vessel left us, Mr. Peary, 
 with his broken leg, having been brought ashore 
 on a litter constructed for the occasion. The 
 house by this time was only in need of a roof 
 
 It was not with any regret that we saw this 
 last connection with the civilised world disappear 
 by degrees on the horizon. We were now alone, 
 and could at our ease start the work we had 
 before us, and to which we had resolved to devote 
 ourselves during the next twelve months. 
 
 As soon as our house was completed we began 
 to tackle many other tasks, which had to be 
 finished before the winter set in. It was of 
 the first importance to get hold of some of the 
 Esquimaux living on Northumberland Island, 
 and to persuade them to settle near our house, as 
 in the course of the winter they could be of the 
 utmost service to us, particularly in the manu- 
 facture of skin dresses. 
 
The Two Peary Expeditions 21 
 
 On August 1 2th four of us formed a boat- 
 party and made for the island, where we found 
 some Esquimaux. The first meetin^r with them 
 was very singular, as we did not understand a 
 word of their language. At last we succeeded, 
 by means of signs and strange grimaces, in 
 making them understand our wishes. A family, 
 consisting of husband, wife, and two children, 
 agreed to go with us in our boat, and as soon 
 as we had them aboard we shaped our course 
 homeward, arriving on August 18th. Summer 
 was now far advanced, and we spent the re- 
 mainder of the season, with the exception of 
 a few short reconnoitring trips on the inland 
 ice, in hunting reindeer, that we might secure 
 a good stock of flesh for food and of skins 
 for clothing. 
 
 These hunting excursions were usually towards 
 the head of MacCormick Bay, and we rarely 
 returned empty-handed. In all we killed thirty- 
 four reindeer that autumn, before the darkness 
 hindered us. On October 26th the sun abandoned 
 us, not to return during the next four months, 
 and for more than half this time there was 
 
22 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 scarctily any tliffercncc in tlu: light of night 
 or day. 
 
 During this long spell of darkness vvc were 
 quite comfortahle in our cosy hut ; and, although 
 rather pinched for room, were all bright and 
 happv. 
 
 Wc. took three meals a day, of which th(; 
 last was the principal, consisting of roasted 
 reindeer and various kinds of vegetables, of 
 
 • which w(; brought with us a considerable quantity 
 in scaled tins. 
 
 The day was occupied with manual work of 
 one kind or another, since much had to be 
 done for our equipment for the great sledge 
 journey the following spring. Personally I 
 worked mostly as a joiner, and made sledges 
 
 ^ and "skis"; of the others, ]\Ir. Peary distin- 
 guished himself particularly as a highly-skilled 
 cutter, most of our skin-clothes being made from 
 his patterns, Dr. Cook came out as a tanner of 
 rare merit, whilst Mr. Gibson was busy as a 
 shoemaker. In these various practical occupa- 
 tions we attained by degrees such skill that many 
 a time we jokingly expressed a mutual doubt 
 
The Two Peary Expeditions 23 
 
 if cither one or other of our company had 
 ever done anything else in his former life than 
 tanning, shoemaking, planing, or cutting tailor's 
 patterns. 
 
 On Saturdays we used to clean the long stove- 
 pipe of the house, and when that job was 
 finished we had a very necessary warm bath in 
 an old petroleum barrel. This bath was taken 
 with or without an attendant, but usually two 
 or three friendly Esquimaux did the scrubbing 
 with soap and brush. On Sunday we would 
 don our more civilised dress ; but on Monday 
 morning we wisely set aside all vanity, and 
 crept into our skin-dresses again, which in pro- 
 portion to their weight offer the best protection 
 against cold. These were sewn by Esquimaux 
 women during the autumn, the skins having been 
 previously prepared in rude laborious Greenland 
 fashion, by crushing between the teeth and 
 masticating the previously dried skins. 
 
 Skin clothes, no less than others, are liable 
 to wear and tear ; our worthy doctor, however, 
 had the ingenuity to apply a corrective in the 
 form of a huge patch of bear-skin stitched on 
 
24 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 in thct part most exposed to wear, with th(i 
 long, hanging white coars(! hair ; this gave him 
 a most quaint appearance. 
 
 Much of our leisure time during the winter 
 was spent in reading newspapers and periodicals 
 a year old, and also in studying scientific notes 
 and books on travel in the Arctic regions, with 
 which we were amply provided. The evenings 
 were usually passed in gossip with the Esquimaux, 
 telling them tales about the distant southern 
 countries, to which they would listen eagerly 
 for hours. But if we asked them whether they 
 would go back with us in our ship, they answered 
 gravely that they would never leave their own 
 country of mountains and ice. 
 
 Often they sang and danced for us : a man 
 or a woman would step on to the floor making 
 the most weird grimaces and gestures, the actor 
 reciting more or less improvised songs of very 
 mystic meaning, accompanied by rhythmical blows 
 upon a gut-skin drum. Round about in a circle 
 the other Esquimaux would stand, and enjoy 
 themselves in perfect accord with us all ; Matt 
 in the meantime sitting behind on the edge of 
 
riic Two Peary Hxpcditions 25 
 
 his hunk playing hymn-tunes on a concertina 
 out of tun(,', as a kind of protest iigainst all 
 this paganism. 
 
 We received almost daily visits from other 
 Esquimaux during the winter months, especially 
 at full moon. Some of these woukl huild peculiar 
 dome-shaped snow-huts, where they took up 
 their lodgings ; whilst others, intending only to 
 stay with us a short time, were allowed to sleep 
 in rows on the floor in our quarters. At first 
 this close contact was far from pleasant, but the 
 force of habit helped us to put up with it ; and 
 by this familiar intercourse we soon learned to 
 know them and to speak and understand their 
 difficult language. 
 
 Christmas was of course a festival for us, as 
 for those at home, even if we had no sledge 
 excursions or balls. Christmas Eve was celebrated 
 by a sumptuous dinner. At six o'clock we sat 
 down at the little table, dressed in a very 
 parody of fashion, and attacked the dishes with 
 sharp-set appetites. 
 
 We then made way for our Esquimaux friends, 
 some of whom were with us at the time. Un- 
 
26 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 acquainted as they were with the use of knife 
 and fork, it was a sight to see them carefully 
 puttini^ the food into their mouths, half fearing 
 that the forks would pierce their cheeks. Full 
 of quiet fun, they seemed to amuse themselv(;s 
 most thoroughly. 
 
 Later in the evening we put on Christmas 
 masks, and I shall never forget the scene that 
 followed. Women and children shrieked in 
 terror ; and all, even the most courageous of the 
 men, disappeared through the hut's door with 
 astonishing rapidity. 
 
 This was the end of our Christmas Eve, and 
 not till far into the forenoon of the following 
 day were the good folk persuaded to come again 
 inside our doors. We explained to them the 
 secret of the masks, and when convinced of their 
 true nature they could not sufficiently express 
 their admiration for such ingenious toys. 
 
 l^efore Christmas and the new year we had 
 a succession of heavy snowstorms, and, as f'ar as 
 I can remember at the moment, the quantity 
 of snow that fell during the winter amounted 
 to considerably more than a yard in depth. 
 
Ihc Two Peary P^xpcditions 27 
 
 Wc ditl not notice th(! Aurora liorcalis often 
 in the winter nijrht ; for then the moon rtMiiain:: 
 in sight for six or seven days, spreading such 
 glory over the desolate ice-fields that we could 
 easily imagine ourselves livino- in some fairv 
 land where everything was made of shining 
 silver. 
 
 Some time in January we first noticed a 
 gleam of light towards the south, soon followed 
 by the dawn of a short day. On February 13th 
 we welcomed the return of the sun, after an 
 absence of a hundred and ten days ; and the 
 dark winter night, which had passed by more 
 quickly and more pleasandy than wv. had dared 
 to hope, was at an end. 
 
 After the return of the sun, the air became 
 milder every day ; but the two first months 
 of the new year were cold, with an almost 
 uniform temperature of about forty degrees 
 1k;1ow zero (Fahr.). The lowest temperature w(^ 
 had in the course of the winter was fifty-three 
 degrees below zero. 
 
 In the middle of T'ebruary it was warmer, 
 and rain came down in torrents ; but this soon 
 
28 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 changed again to the same low temperature as 
 before. 
 
 March and April were busy months for us, 
 
 
 ■y^„-^m^. 
 
 ^\ 
 
 
 iH 
 
 
 the.wintkRlQUARTers or the exi-edition (redcliffe house). 
 
 and our equipment was now rapidly advancing, 
 while we made several hunting excursions 
 and journeys for purposes of survey. Thus 
 Mr. Peary made a seven-days' sledge trip 
 round Inglefield Gulf, where he found, among 
 
The Two Peary Expeditions 29 
 
 other things, several glaciers of considerable 
 size. 
 
 At the close of April the last finishing touch 
 was given to our preparations for the trip on 
 inland ice. 
 
 By barter with the Esquimaux we secured 
 twenty of their most powerful dogs, to be used 
 for draught; and besides "ski," sledges, and 
 Canadian snow-shoes, we had sleeping bags, 
 made of reindeer-skins — which proved, however, 
 of little value, as we soon discovered that our 
 dresses alone were sufficiently warm to sleep 
 in, and the bags were left behind on the road. 
 We did not take with us any tent, on account 
 of the additional weight ; when going to sleep 
 we simply laid ourselves down upon the snow 
 to the lee of a sledge, whilst in a storm we 
 crept underneath a light tarpaulin. 
 
 Our cooking was done over a spirit lamp. 
 Pemmican — that is, dried and ground meat mixed 
 with tallow — was during the whole journey our 
 chief nourishment. We also carried biscuits, 
 some rank butter, and Knorr's pea-meal. We 
 started with sledges and provisions on April 
 
30 With Peary near the Pule 
 
 30th, and made our way from the head of 
 MacCormick Bay to the edge of the inland ice. 
 It was most exhausting labour ; for we had to 
 struggle partly through deep snow-drifts, and 
 partly over steep inclines covered with loose 
 stones ; each load was consequently small. On 
 May 13th we at last overcame all difficulties, 
 and before us lay the inland ice, sloping evenly 
 and gently in the sunshine. 
 
 On May 14th everything was ready for our 
 start, and the small party, consisting of Mr. 
 Peary, Mr. Gibson, Dr. Cook, and myself, set 
 off in good heart towards our distant goal, with 
 a team of only sixteen dogs, as four had died 
 during the previous day's hard work. 
 
 On May 24th wtt reached the Humboldt 
 Glacier ; and the party now divided, Mr. Gibson 
 and Dr. Cook, with two dogs, returning to our 
 winter quar' jrs, whilst Mr. Peary and I con- 
 tinued our course northwards. 
 
 The time that now followed was extremely 
 monotonous, though full of interest to an 
 explorer. 
 
 On June 27th, in about the eighty-second 
 
The Two Peary Expeditions 31 
 
 degree of latitude, we found ourselves at the 
 end of the Greenland inland ice, so we turned 
 towards the east coast, which we reached on 
 July 4th, the United States Day of Independence. 
 We discovered here a very wide and extensive 
 " fjord," which, in honour of the occasion, we 
 named Independence Hay. 
 
 That day we succeeded in killing five musk- 
 oxen, three full grown and two calves, the 
 meat of which was most valuable as food for 
 ourselves and for our starving dogs. 
 
 On July 8th we commenced the home track, 
 reaching an elevation of 8000 feet, and much 
 retarded by storms and deep loose snow. Our 
 mean speed during the seven last days was 
 thirty- two English miles a day over a fairly 
 good surface. Mr. Peary used during the 
 whole journey Canadian snow-shoes, whilst I 
 wore "ski." 
 
 By August 5th we had regained our winter 
 quarters, and shortly after we sighted the vessel 
 which was to take us home to America. Ninety- 
 seven clays we had spent on the Greenland 
 inland ice and traversed about eleven hundred 
 
32 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 and thirty miles. During seventy-six days 
 Lieutenant Peary and I had been alone, and it 
 was therefore quite a pleasant change to meet 
 and speak with other folk. 
 
 Before we started homeward a pitiful disaster 
 befell Mr. Verhoeff, mineralogist and meteorolo- 
 gist to the expedition, who had gone by himself 
 to look for minerals. It was his intention to 
 remain away for two days ; but as he had not 
 returned at the end of the third day the most 
 energetic search was made for him, unfortunately 
 without result. For seven days and nights the 
 search was continued in vain, and was at last 
 reluctantly abandoned ; for we were driven to 
 conclude that Mr. Verhoeffi trying to cross a 
 glacier, had fallen into one of its many crevices, 
 as his footprints were found in the snow on 
 one side of the glacier, whilst no traces of him 
 could be seen beyond. 
 
 Before concluding this rapid sketch of the 
 first Peary expedition, let me briefly sum up 
 its scientific results. Besides the discoveries in 
 Inglefield Gulf, and the correct determination 
 of the northernmost limits of Greenland inland 
 
The Two Peary Hxpeclitions 33 
 
 ice, as well as the definition of the form and 
 probable extension northwards of the whole 
 Greenland continent, based on the discovery of 
 Independence Bay, our thorough study of the 
 northernmost human race of the; world, about 
 whom so little had been known before, has a 
 very distinct interest and value, as have our 
 extensive collections of all kinds of Esquimaux 
 curiosities, minerals, plants, and birds, brought 
 home by the Kite to the Scientific Society of 
 Philadelphia ; while complete statistics were 
 drawn up of meteorological and tidal observations 
 taken durini^ the winter. 
 
 On August 24th the Kite slowly steamed out 
 of ■NlacCormick Bav, and it was with stranfje 
 feelings that at last we lost sight of those winter 
 quarters where we had spent so many happy 
 hours. Four ueeks later, after our sojourn of 
 fourteen months among desolate ice-fields, we 
 were again in one of the centres of civilisation. 
 ■;;:- * # * * 
 
 Scarcely three-quarters of a year had elapsed 
 after the conclusion of this first expedition 
 before the energetic leader was again moving 
 
 
 
34 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 northward at the head of a new Arctic enter- 
 prise, the object of which was to supplement 
 the discoveries on the north coast of Green- 
 land made by us during our first voyage. I 
 could not, of course, forgo this opportunity of 
 seeing again, and once more exploring, those 
 mystic stretches of land upon which on our 
 former voyage we had but touched, and where 
 our efforts and adventures had quickened our 
 zeal to press forward as explorers in the cause 
 of science. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE SECOND PEARY ARCTIC EXPEDITJOiV. 
 
 ON July 2ntl, 1S93, we left New York in 
 the se;iler Falcon, taking with us eight 
 Mexican mules of a strong and hardy l^reed, 
 intended for the transport of provisions from 
 our winter quarters to the edge of the inland 
 ice, a distance of about three and a half miles, 
 with a rise of about three thousand feet. In a 
 larc^e dove-cot were a number of line carrier 
 pigeons, presented to the expedition by a lady 
 friend. Mr. Peary intended to try these pigeons 
 as messengers to our winter quarters during the 
 sledge excursions in the interior of Greenland, 
 but they did not prove well fitted for this. 
 
 Besides the usual boats, we took a small 
 petroleuni-la.unch, which was expected to render 
 the expedition valuable servicers during the 
 summer excursions for hunting and surveying 
 purposes around .r winter cjuarters. This also 
 
 37 
 
38 with Peary near the Pole 
 
 proved to l)c ill-fittccl for Its work, on account 
 of its Hj:rht construction and poor engine. I\Ir. 
 Peary intended, when the sea should be frozen 
 during autumn, to work the engine of this small 
 craft at our house in connection with the dynamo 
 to produce electricity sufficient lor eighteen or 
 twenty lamps ; hut this plan again was never 
 carried out. 
 
 Our number at the start was fourteen, after- 
 wards increased to fifteen by Mrs. Peary, who 
 determined to accompany her husband to the 
 Arctic regions, where, during the autumn, she 
 gave birth to a child, which she succeeded in 
 brin^inof home safe and sound to the ci\'iHsed 
 world. With her came old Mrs. Cross, who 
 was to do service partly as cook, partly as nurse 
 to the expected child. 
 
 The following gentlemen accompanied us : — 
 Mr. Entrikin, engineer, Dr. Vincent, doctor to 
 the expedition, Mr. Baldwin, meteorologist, Mr. 
 Clarke, zoologist, Messrs. Lee, Davidson, and 
 Carr, and INIr. Swain, secretary and shorthand 
 writer. An artist, Mr. Stokes, was also with us, 
 prepared to sketch and paint Arctic scenes and 
 
The Second Peary Arctic F.xpcdition 39 
 
 [)Icturcs. Mr. Pciry's servant, IMatt, comi)letecl 
 the party. During our passaf^e northwards we 
 ealled at several F.nglish mission stations on the 
 east coast of Labrador, inhabited by Esquimaux, 
 to purchase slcdge-dogs, animals so essential Ibr 
 our success. 
 
 We gathered fully twenty dogs on this coast, 
 and then sha[)ed our course direct for Greenland. 
 By July 26th we sighted its lofty snow-clad 
 peaks, and on the same evening \vc called at 
 the Danish settlement Holstensborg, where 
 we secured some more dogs. Two days of 
 steaminc: brought us to the settlement of 
 Goodhaven, where we agLiin purchased some 
 powerful animals, and some more from the 
 district of Upernavik, so that our entire stock 
 was raised to eighty-nine, a number ample for 
 all emergencies. 
 
 By July 31st we were at the south end of 
 Melville Bay, so dangerous to v/haling ships, 
 but which we succeeded in traversing without 
 any mishap ; and two days later, on August 3rd, 
 the Falcon anchored near the head of Bowdoln 
 Bay, twenty miles east of our first winter 
 
40 \\"\i\\ l^cary near the Pole 
 
 quarters, ii spot well sheltered against wind jind 
 sea, and with easy access to the inland ice. 
 
 This was the place selected as our new station, 
 and now a busy time commenced. First we 
 carried ashore materials for the house, so that 
 the building could go forward, and then we 
 landed numberless casks and cases in which our 
 provisions were packed. 
 
 The house was soon roofed in. Its dimensions 
 were naturally somewhat larger than those used 
 for our quarters the previous year. The length 
 and width respectively were thirty-five and 
 fourteen feet, while the whole was divided into 
 several small rooms. Over it was fixed a double 
 glass roof, to make the days of disagreeables 
 darkness as light as possible, and to diminish 
 as fir as might be the necessity for unhealthy 
 artificial light. For heatino- the house and for 
 cooking, I\Ir. Peary had provided petroleum 
 instead of coal ; and on its completion he named 
 our new home Anniversary Lodge. 
 
 On August 20th the Falcon left us to return to 
 Newfoundland, and all communication between us 
 and the civilised world was from this time cut off 
 
The vSoconcl Peary Aretic Expedition 41 
 
 My ptirticLilar task was to bring up provisions, 
 weighing about five thousand pounds, from the 
 coast to the inland ice, and twenty natives were 
 told off to assist me in this work, which, according 
 to our original plan, should have fallen to the 
 share of the mules that were brouofht with us ; 
 but three only were alive of the eight that came 
 on board in Philadelphia, and these proved 
 themselves unfit for the wild unbeaten track. 
 
 The months of September and October were 
 occupied in hunting to secure the necessary 
 meat for use during the winter, and partly with 
 the erection of a provision depot on the inland 
 ice, in preparation for our sledge journey the 
 icjllowinijf sprinor. The endeavours of our hunters 
 were crowned with such success that about 
 seventy reindeer, and more than twenty walruses 
 were killed before the end of October. These 
 latter were in the course of the winter used as 
 food for the doo's. 
 
 The autumn was uncommonl)' mild, but rainy 
 and disaLTreeablt!. Not till the besrinnini^ of 
 
 O Oil 
 
 November did the ice freeze over i^)Ovvdoin 
 P)ay, exactly one month later than in 1891. On 
 
42 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 October 26th wc bade farewell to the sun for 
 more than four months, and our monotonous 
 winter life commenced. 
 
 A catastrophe happened a ftiw days later, 
 which might have had a serious intluence on 
 the fate of the expedition. A terrific tidal wave, 
 caused by the loosening of a large iceberg from 
 the vast glacier near our station, overflowed 
 the beach and the surroundings of the house to 
 a height of more than twenty feet above high- 
 water mark, tearing away in its resistless grasp 
 all the casks of petroleum, which during the 
 long winter were to heat and lighten our abode 
 and to cook our food. Happily four casks only 
 were completely crushed, though the remainder, 
 which were fished out, had nearly all sprung 
 leaks, which we did not discover till there had 
 been much waste. It became, therefore, necessary 
 to limit the daily consumption of petroleum, and, 
 worse still, the electric liahtincr had to be 
 abandoned. 
 
 With the commencement of winter came, as 
 usual, the friendly Esquimaux, who so heartily 
 helped us on all occasions, and often eave 
 
The Second Peary Arctic Expedition 43 
 
 us food for our dogs whilst their own were 
 
 starving. 
 
 November and December were devoted to 
 makmg final preparations for the projected spring 
 journey. Skins were dried, cut, and sewn 
 together for dresses and sleeping-bags. Sledges 
 had som-iihow to be made, as the sledge material 
 brought from America all proved to be useless, 
 whilst two of the three sledges I had brought 
 with me had been lifted high into the air 
 during a gale on the inland ice the preceding 
 autumn, and hurled down the adjacent mountain 
 slope. 
 
 Happily, from Norway we had brought several 
 extra pairs of ski, and with these I contrived 
 eight sledges, while Mr. Entrikin made a few 
 short imperfect ones produced from some seven- 
 feet ash boards. 
 
 On Christmas Eve we held high festival, and 
 the new year saw us at work with redoubled 
 energy. Frequent long journeys to the sur- 
 rounding Esquimaux settlements were now made, 
 to procure food for our South Greenland dogs, 
 of which about forty were still alive. Several 
 
44 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 hunting parties were also sent out after reindeer, 
 who seldom returned empty-handed. 
 
 The severest cold in the course of the winter 
 was registered in the beginning of February, 
 but it was not below thirty-five degrees Fahr., 
 as against fifty-three in 1891-2. The winter 
 was this year on the whole somewhat milder 
 than the previous one ; the spring, on the other 
 hand, was cold and late. On February 14th 
 we again greeted the uprising sun, and shortly 
 afterwards final purchases of sledge-dogs for the 
 projected journey were made. Of these the 
 natives had this year a superabundance, so that we 
 easily obtained about thirty good ones, bringing 
 the total up to over seventy. March 6th saw 
 the whole of our equipment brought to the edge 
 of the inland ice, and everything ready for a 
 start. 
 
 While at the depot, I was so upset by eating 
 some tainted pemmican, that I did not consider 
 it advisable to take part in the adventure, so I 
 remained there a couple of da)-s, and on 
 March 14th returned to the station with Mr. Lee, 
 who had had the misfortune to have one foot 
 
The Second Peary Arctic Expedition 45 
 
 seriously frozen, and was unable to put it to 
 the ground. 
 
 On Monday, March 26th, scarcely two weeks 
 after our return, Dr. Vincent reappeared with 
 Mr. Davidson, who had had one heel badly 
 frozen during the terrific equinoctial gale that 
 visited these regions on March 22nd and 23rd, 
 when the glass fell to nearly minus forty-nine 
 degrees Fahr. below zero — a register phenomenal 
 in such terrific wind. Several of the dogs were 
 found frozen to death when the storm abated, and 
 all were more or less suffering. This was the 
 last news I heard of the expedition till May ist. 
 Meantime I undertook a sledge journey to the 
 unexplored coasts of Melville Bay, which I had 
 long wished to visit, during which I succeeded 
 in making several interesting discoveries. 
 
 On my return to winter quarters, I found 
 Mr. Peary and his companions back from the 
 inland ice, with the pitiful result that the whole 
 journey had had to be abandoned. Many 
 dogs had died during the fearful gales ; and 
 Mr. Entrikin, whilst lashing together an im- 
 provised sledge, had had both feet frozen, so that 
 
46 
 
 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 
 ^\ 
 
 K'%.~Jr^ 
 
 h(j could scarcely use them. The rest of the 
 party were all in an exhausted condition, so that 
 it would have been too risky to persevere. 
 
 There is little to tell of the 
 remaining part of our sojourn 
 in Greenland during this ex- 
 pedition : suffice it to say that 
 the lonfjinof for the Falcon, 
 engaged by Lieutenant Peary 
 for the coming summer, 
 gradually grew very great. 
 
 One sunny evening at the 
 end of July two natives came 
 at last with the good news 
 of the arrival of a vessel. 
 Great was our feeling of 
 relief. Enthusiastic hurrahs 
 resounded through the cool 
 evening air, and echoes 
 thundered back from Mount 
 Bartlett's perpendicular rocks, slowly dying 
 away among the distant mountains. 
 
 The home passage by the Falcon, which 
 commenced soon after, was made quickly and 
 
 
 A I.ITTl.K KS(>riMAU. 
 
The Second Peary Arctic Ilxpedition 47 
 
 without accident, hut was throughout rather void 
 of interest. Mr. Peary remained at the winter 
 quarters to pass another year in those desohite 
 regions, having taken ashore provisions and 
 coals from the Falcons stores. Young Air. Lee 
 remained with him, as well as Matt, his ever 
 faithful servant. 
 
 -*r' 
 
 ^"^' 
 ■«.,**>*' .. 
 
o 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 A POOR COAST. 
 
 UR small merry brethren in the Arctic 
 regions represent an extremity of the 
 V human race ; an insignificant section of it, who 
 
 take up the battle of existence in regions which 
 to our eyes offer poor prospects for life's sus- 
 tenance, and where icy death would seem to reign 
 supreme. Sparingly scattered along the north 
 coasts of Europe, Asia, America, and Greenland, 
 and on islands north of America, they live out 
 their lives, easily contented, far from the noise 
 and bustle of the civilised world, protected from 
 the severe cold of Polar regions in their primitive 
 " gammer," or dark earth-huts, or behind the 
 "walls of a skin-tent, or under the vault of a 
 dripping snow-cave. Of these Polar tribes the 
 most northern are the Esquimaux, or " Innuits " 
 as they call themselves. 
 
 P>om the upper coast of America these restless 
 
 ^8 
 
A Poor Coast 49 
 
 people have by degrees spread over the northern 
 archipelago, and thence even over Smith's Sound 
 and Baffin's liay, to gain a looting in Greenland. 
 A natural curiosity and a longing for the unknown 
 has no doubt caused them to press forward, 
 while strong competition in the hunting-fields 
 farther south, and consequent disagreements, 
 have increased their rambling propensities. 
 
 These emigrations have been made partly 
 during the long, light summer days in their skin- 
 boats, i)artly in spring-time by the aid of the 
 dog-sledge, when the ice was still covering sound 
 and " fjord." On these voyages, especially along 
 the coasts far north, they must have been exposed 
 to extreme privations and trials. Xot everywhere 
 in these regions can one count upon a sure sup[)ly 
 of food by hunting, and if through a long period 
 this resource should fail, then famine and death 
 must follow. 
 
 Some twenty years ago a crowd of native men, 
 women, and children were travelling northward 
 along the west coast of Smith's Sound to look 
 for new hunting-grounds. On the coast of 
 Ellesmereland, particularly distinguished by its 
 
 4 
 
50 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 cold, lifeless character and severe climate, they 
 met with such ill luck that most of them 
 succumbed to hunger and privation. 'I'his was 
 told me by a couple of survivors, who succeeded 
 
 ,^ 
 
 Ar*- 
 
 TOWARDS NKW IIINIINO (JROUNUS. 
 
 in crossing Smith's Sound to the "Innuits" on 
 the Greenland side, among whom they are still 
 living. I have myself seen many graves in 
 regions now deserted. 
 
 In the course of these wanderings, extending 
 
A Poor Coast 51 
 
 over many centuries, a small number of the 
 ancestors of the [^resent Greenland po[)ulation 
 gradually settled on the east side of Smith's 
 Sound, at the point farthest north ; and it 
 was amongst the descendants of this hardy 
 race that the members of the two Peary ex- 
 peditions lived during the darkness of the long 
 weary months of winter, and through a bright 
 Arctic summer. 
 
 How thoroughly the " Innuits " at Smith's 
 Sound have chosen this desolate corner of the 
 world for their fatherland is proved by the 
 touching affection with which they still cling to 
 its cold, naked mountains, which to the eyes of 
 dwellers in the temperate zone have such a barren 
 and lifeless appearance. 
 
 When on a calm summer day we approached 
 the Greenland coast, reaching the tract at Smith's 
 Sound between latitudes 76' and 79^ we could 
 discern in the clear and pure air, even at a 
 distance of thirty to forty miles, those long, finely 
 curved snow-domes, which almost everywhere 
 crown the dark, fiat shores. Coming nearer, 
 we gradually noticed more and more of the 
 
52 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 uiuliilatiiijr moLiiitaiiis on the coast, wliich arc 
 seen at very great distances with remarkable 
 distinctness. 
 
 Distances are most deceptive on the Greenland 
 coasts, where thci eye lacks that guidance which 
 is afforded in more southerly and civilised regions 
 by such known objects as houses and trees ; so 
 that a distant and lofty mountain range will, in 
 North Greenland, have exactly the same a^ipear- 
 ance as a nearer and much lower hill, while the 
 air, which naturally varies in transjjarency, helps 
 these illusions. 
 
 We had a good instance of this when, in 
 the sealer Kite, we reached the opening at 
 MacCormick Bay, and found it covered by debris 
 of ice of the preceding year. In order to inspect 
 a promising hunting-ground for reindeer at the 
 head of the bay, the Doctor, Mr. Gibson, and 
 I determined to take an early walk over the 
 ice before breakfast. The surface was certainly 
 somewhat water-soaked, and full of holes, so 
 that we had a right to expect a wetting. But 
 then the distance was fortunately such a " mere 
 triile." Our little trip, however, did not come off 
 
A Poor Coast 55 
 
 Wc soon found that our progress over the ice was 
 hindered, and later measurement proved that the 
 excursion"on which we so cheerfully started before 
 breakfast would have extended over sixteen miles. 
 Only on close approach to the coast-mountains 
 can the traveller receive a correct impression of 
 their imposing grandeur and striking forms. As 
 a rule the height of the outer mountain-walls 
 varies between two and three; thousand feet, 
 rising in the terrace; formation so common in 
 North Greenland. Where the [)lateau's more or 
 less horizontal line is broken at short intervals, 
 the gaps are usually filled by steep glaciers, or 
 hanging masses of snow and ice. Sometimes, 
 during the summer, portions of these accumula- 
 tions will break loose, with a tremendous report, 
 tunibling down upon the incline of loose stones 
 or scanty layers of moss below. Through these 
 stony slopes the mountain brook in summer-time 
 takes its wild course towards the ocean, now 
 completely hidden beneath primaeval stone blocks, 
 now again pouring its crystal stream in the light 
 of day, shining merrily and brightly in the rays 
 of the polar sun. 
 
56 \\^ith Peary near the Pole 
 
 The chief characteristics of" the North Green- 
 land coasts are Q;irrantic Haciers, which stretch 
 towards the surface of the ocean from inland. 
 It is in the valleys alone that these; enormous 
 ice-streriHis are found, especially at the head of 
 fjords and bays, where the depression of the 
 country is particularly deep and wide. They all 
 originate from one common source — namely, the 
 immense ice-sheet, which throuq'h the snow-fall 
 of ages has gradually formed the interior of 
 Greenland. 
 
 Desolate is this picture of the interior. /Ml 
 the valleys are levelled, all the mountain-tops 
 with their domes and lofty peaks are buried in 
 their grandeur and glory beneath this cold, wide- 
 spread winding-sheet. Only now and then, near 
 the coast, some weather-beaten giants appciar 
 through this pall of snow, standing out as monu- 
 ments of the buried landscape. 
 
 How a material so solid and so brittle as ice 
 can move as a thick-flowing stream, is a difficult 
 problem to solve, but it is certain that large 
 glaciers as they push forward have such qualities, 
 the single ice molecules being turned into water 
 
A Poor Coast 57 
 
 through the pressure of the superincumbent layers, 
 and put into motion by the force of gravity. 
 
 No one can reahse the vastness of those 
 masses of ice of which tht; glaciers consist, 
 without having had the opportunity of seeing 
 them at close quarters. The glaciers of Europe, 
 some of which have been famous to a great 
 extent on account of their imposing size, would 
 scarcely be noticed among the North Greenland 
 ice streams. 
 
 Thes(! masses of ice are full of gaping fissures, 
 and usually end in a perpendicular ice wall of 
 more than thirty yards in height, above the level 
 of the sea, fretted with all kinds of fantastic caves 
 and grottoes, and enormous overhanging shelves, 
 that glisten with prismatic tints of green and blue. 
 
 The most striking specimen of a North Green- 
 land glacier is Humboldt, just a litde north of 
 Smith's Sound, the largest of all known glaciers 
 in the Northern Hemisphere, and only surpassed 
 in volume by the ice-stream discovered by Ross 
 in 1 84 1, in the Antarctic regions of \"ictoria-land. 
 This Humboldt glacier has the enornious width 
 of more than a hundred miles. 
 
58 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 If wc calculate the mean thickness at the: 
 outlet into the ocean at about two hundred yards, 
 and the mean speed of the whole ice-mass in 
 motion during one year at upwards of a hundred 
 yards, it is plain that hundreds of millions of 
 cubic yards of solid ice are in this way 
 yearly carried out into the ocean as floating 
 icebergs, that melt in warmer latitudes. When 
 an iceberg suddenly breaks away from such a 
 glacier the severance is always accompanied by 
 a deafening crash, no less appalling than the 
 roar of thunder, and the sea for a great distance: 
 round is set in heavy motion by its violent 
 rolling as it gains its equilibrium. 
 
 It was a plunge and reaction of this sort 
 that did us so much mischief in 1893, when old 
 Mrs. Cross was fully convinced that the day 
 of judgment at last was at hand, as, in utter 
 darkness, she heard the crash and upheaval, and 
 the consequent breaking of young ice, which 
 covered the inner harbour. 
 
 The next day was occupied with salvage work, 
 and picturesque and merry were the scenes we 
 witnessed on the ice-floes. Now a cask, saved 
 
A Poor Coast 
 
 59 
 
 with endless trouble, vanished in a moment of 
 inattention through the thin ice- crust, curtseying 
 deeply as it sank ; now one of our company 
 disappeared, with a plaintive cry, through tlie 
 
 A NORTII-GREKNI.ANn CI.ACIKR KACK. 
 
 treacherous ice-floor into wat(T sev(;ral degrees 
 below freezing point. 
 
 We have been discussinq; icebercfs and their 
 origin from gigantic glaciers ; let us now touch 
 on their dimensions. With respect to their usual 
 
6o AMth Peary near the Pole 
 
 height .ibovc the surface of the water, I believe 
 that among people in general there exist rather 
 erroneous ideas, thanks to the exaggerations of 
 many travellers. It is but seldom that an iceberg 
 extends hifjher above sea-level than the mast- 
 head of a modern sealing or whaling vessel — 
 say thirty or forty yards. This is particularly 
 true of those berQ;s which have retained their 
 horizontc'l position after breaking from the parent 
 glacier. If, however, a more or less pointed 
 corner rises in the air, this may tower a hundred 
 yards upwards. We have even seen some 
 giants rising to twice that height. 
 
 Some of these blocks of ice are but of the 
 length and width of a common ship's hull, while 
 others are large floating islands, where villages 
 might be planted on the surface. When we 
 endeavour to imagine such a mass of ice, we 
 must bear in mind that what we can see above 
 water is but a small part of the whole ; for a 
 piece of glacier ice will, in salt water, have 
 about seven parts of its volume beneath the 
 surface. 
 
 Now let us take a small trip inland, to gain 
 
A Poor Coast 
 
 6i 
 
 sight, if possible, of some of the few animals 
 that are hardy enough to thrive in these frost- 
 bound lands. 
 
 We have scarcely made many steps up the 
 
 THE "TAIXON" A.MONC; THl': l!liKC;.S. 
 
 beach before we get a glimpse of a pair of 
 snow-white dots, which seem to move far up on 
 a mountain precipice. Let us look well, to make 
 sure that these are two hares, for our senses 
 too often are misled in this new world, so wholly 
 
62 W^ith r^cary near the Pole 
 
 diftercnt from that in which we arc accustomed 
 to move. 
 
 I well remember how I was once stalking, 
 with all possible precaution, two greyish-white 
 hares, in the belief that they were two reindeer. 
 The one bewildering fact was, that both animals 
 seemed able to move their horns, just as if they 
 had been long ears. Was this a new and rare 
 specimen of the Greenland reindeer ? I was 
 not to remain long in uncertainty. A stone 
 yielded to the pressure of my knee, and, at the 
 noise of its fall, the two strange animals bolted 
 up the incline in such characteristic hare-fashion 
 that there could be no longer any doubt about 
 them . 
 
 One day during our last expedition, while 
 eating roasted hare for dinner, I told this story, 
 which till then I had guarded under the veil of 
 silence, with the unexpected result that from 
 others present at the table came a succession of 
 frank confessions, which entirely placed my small 
 delusion in the shade. One said that he had 
 suddenly retreated from a hare, fully believing 
 that it was an ice-bear he was near. This might 
 
A Poor Coast 63 
 
 l)c tolerattid, but when another boasted of mis- 
 taking a ptarmigan for a reindeer, we could not 
 but shout him down. 
 
 But we must resume our journey, following 
 the route up an even and comparatively wide 
 stretch of valley, bounded by dark mountains, 
 steep at the top, but lower down sloping evenly 
 outward. In the middle of this valley a brook is 
 flowing, now and then forming small glittering 
 pools, which enliven the landscape. The ground 
 we are crossing is covered for the greater part by 
 gravel or cobblestones, with a few green spots 
 at intervals, overgrown with mosses, grass, 
 and wild flowers of variegated colours. Some- 
 times we pass a mountain-crag, but cannot 
 discover any sign of minerals of special interest 
 or value, though everywhere we fmd traces in 
 the rocks of quartz, and other crystals in 
 different proportions. Old broken horns, which 
 we often notice on our road, give us good hope 
 that we may soon see some reindeer, though they 
 are not common in these tracts. If we do catch 
 sight of a herd we may presume, even if they 
 are ever so far off, that the bull on guard has 
 
64 
 
 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 been watching us for some time ; and when this 
 is the case they will soon take to their heels, 
 and seek refu^^e on the mountains, for they have 
 
 '^ ■■r^■■i^p^'^>P^r '-^^^^ 
 
 I ".■■'' 
 
 1:. ": 
 
 iJMi ■4il(|(i';'j| JjiV :/V| become very shy of late. 
 
 :/ 
 
 h^ 
 
 X..'^ 
 
 m: ' i\' borne years ago it was 
 dirferent. Duruig the 
 first Peary Expedition, 
 Mr. V^erhoeff, who was 
 more scientist than 
 hunter, was once so 
 engrossed in the study 
 of stones and minerals, 
 which he discovered on his wanderings, that he 
 suddenly found himself gathering his treasures 
 in the midst of a grazing herd. 
 
 Very hardy are these reindeer that knock about 
 
 k 
 
 Ta 
 
 A l;il (Jl- CRKKNLANlJ I'l.UKA. 
 
A \\)ov Coast 65 
 
 the Greenland mountains. Jkit nature has amply 
 protected them a<:yainst the severe climate. Their 
 winter coat is the warmest hair-clothing known ; 
 th(;y live always under the open sky, and so they 
 can endure the lowest temperatures and the most 
 violent gales. When we remember that darkness 
 reigns all through the winter, that the snow 
 conceals the scattered blades of grass on which 
 they feed, we are necessarily astonished at their 
 being able to thrive and multiply under such 
 unfavourable conditions. Happily for the rein- 
 deer, but little snow falls in normal winters, and 
 every snowfall being usually accompanied by a 
 stormy wind, a fair part of the grazing ground 
 remains available. 
 
 Here, too, the small polar fox is enjoying 
 himself to his heart's content, in view of the 
 happy days in store for him, and the fact that he 
 can always remain comfortably within doors, 
 when cold or wind outside are raging at their 
 worst. Reynard knows well enough how to keep 
 house for self and family, either between large 
 snow-clad crai^s, or down below the ice-crust in 
 some cosy and dry watercourse. The polar to\, 
 
 5 
 
66 Willi Pcarv near ihc Pole 
 
 which is hrownish-bliic, or rarely white, is 
 ccrtainlv much smaller than his illustrious brother 
 in the south ; but it does not follow that he is less 
 clever and cunnin<4. it has even been said that 
 durini^ tlu; summer, when timc:s are good, he 
 gathers stores for the coming winter. Before I 
 knew anything of this Arctic fox a.nd his cunning, 
 some of these animals very cleverly managed to 
 open the lid of a large tin case, which I had 
 neglected to weight with stones. The case was 
 filled with pemmican cut in half-pound pieces. 
 When I returned, five days afterwards, the case 
 was well-nigh empty, whilst a well-used fox track 
 explained who had been the impudent pilferers. 
 That the pemmican in this instance had simply 
 been transported as fast as possible to the dwelling 
 of the thief or thieves, there can scarcely be a 
 doubt. To have consumed it on the spot the 
 original finder would have had to send for all the 
 polar foxes in the neighbourhood for assistance, 
 a degree of considerate kindness for which it is 
 difficult to give him credit. 
 
 While the ice is frozen along the coasts, say for 
 about eight or ten months of the year, the fox 
 
A Poor Coast 67 
 
 will frequently take loiis^ journeys over the ice- 
 fields, doing brilliant business in the remains fnjin 
 the meals of the ice-bear, or from the game of 
 the Es(juimau.\. In Melville Hay I have even 
 encountered a fox more than twenty miles fnjrn 
 the nearest shore. When I first discovered him 
 he was in the act of consuming a youn"- seal 
 On our approach with a sledge and eight savage 
 dogs, he wisely let go his prey, disai)pearing in 
 the distance at a great rate. 
 
 It is an imposing sight to see a full-grown bear 
 when, light and supple as a cat, he is movin*r 
 torwards over the uneven surlace of pack-ice. 
 With regard to his courage and fury when 
 brought fice to face with man, opinions differ. It 
 is certain enough that a bear which has learned to 
 know the hunter will cjuicken his retreat at sicdu 
 of man. There are, however, instances where he 
 has not only pursued men, but even killed 
 without being first attacked. That the bear is 
 mquisitive in a high degree is certain ; and the 
 cool manner in which in earlier times it would 
 satisfy its curiosity speaks well for its courage. 
 One evening, during the passage of the A'//t', 
 
68 
 
 W^ith IV.'irv near the Pole 
 
 one of the cm^incers discovered a 1)ear far off 
 In a iiioment we were on deck, rilles in hand, 
 and soon saw I)ruin advancin<>' towards us at 
 a swinofiniif pace. So lono: as he continued to 
 approach it was, of course, useless to do anything ; 
 
 •■'r* 'l'.-» i-"-;-.- v"*^ *' 
 
 — ^ 
 
 , , ; ',3' 
 
 ^.— -y— ^; 
 
 
 :ji./--'! 
 
 
 ft 
 
 t:. '^■.•■■" 
 
 ^■5C»» 
 
 ■^m:f^'^- 
 
 ^- 
 
 
 .,;»^»- »*|. 
 
 
 ■■■■ vl 
 
 
 
 ■ »■-• »»■.■ 
 
 ' '1 
 
 ^i^:"--- 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 
 -i; 
 
 
 ^^MB'^^k'' 
 
 00mm 
 
 ijSii^-^'.fi*4. 
 
 NIGHT STRAGC.LKRS. 
 
 we remained, therelbre, quietly hidden behind the 
 l)ulw;irks. Nearer and nearer came the huge 
 brute. That such a strangely constructed mon- 
 ster .i:: a vessel might prove dangerous did not 
 seem to occur to the bear ; for when now and 
 then it stopped, scenting the air, it was only to 
 
A Poor Coast 69 
 
 resume its course towards us with increased 
 speed. 
 
 At last, at a distance of little more than fifty 
 yards, the first shot was fired, and immediately 
 afterwards others, which rolled him over. Had 
 wc; l)e(;n able to restrain ourselves from shooting;, 
 we should undoubtedly have had the foolhardy 
 rt)bber boarding us in search of stores. 
 
 It is when ca[)turing seals that tht; bear 
 b(;st shows his intelligence. Carc;fully he pokes 
 his nose into the snow-drifts along the- walls 
 of ic(;l)ergs, l)eneath which the seals have 
 arranged th(Mr breathino' holes. Having scented 
 its prey, th(; bear scratches an opening to th(; 
 snow-chamber thai lies ovct th(i hole. Through 
 this it stretches its head, patiently awaiting the 
 moment when the seal com(*s up to breathe, and 
 thus to fill an easv i)r(!V. 
 
 Vhv. seal most often met with in these regi(Mis 
 is the so-call(!d " netchik " {Phoca f(iiida), or 
 as the " Innuits " call it " pu-si." It is usually 
 somewhat more than a yard long, and as fit as 
 any j)ig. Being fountl in fiir numb(;rs, it is of 
 great use, for the Esquimau.x prepare clothes, 
 
70 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 boots, tents, and boats [kajaks) from Its skin. 
 Another and much larger seal is the so-called 
 "ogsok," or " ugsuk " [P/ioca barbatd). which 
 may reach three yards in length. It is, however, 
 not so common as the first. Its skin is used by 
 the Esquimaux for boot soles, and harpoon lines. 
 
 _ v-wy.K. :>?"^.„•.*'v'.Ov**■-■J->■ 
 ""'.- .■■'. ..■ ,.-.■■-;.■ -^ , .:•., A1.V- ; ' 
 
 w!:>4'.v.-*.-. 
 
 ■*5M 
 
 ■•?^^ft?«K».-at^'l'i& ■-<:-a3*^ 
 
 "nrichik" seals on THK ICK. 
 
 t* , >--! y*^ 
 
 Still bi2:o-(;r is the walrus, which by the natives 
 is called " a-vok." Its length exceeds thre'^ yards, 
 and its flesh is the principal food of natives. 
 It is eaten, one may say, with " hid(; and hair,' 
 ior its thick gristly skin is highly esteemed as 
 nourishment for their dogs. The walrus is pro- 
 vided with two monstrous tusks, which give the 
 animal an utterly repugnant appearance, the more 
 
A lV)or Coast 71 
 
 so as its countenance can hardly be said to have 
 been constructed according to any rules of beauty. 
 Its eyes are often bloodshot, which induces a 
 certain sottish expression. This sea-horse always 
 lives near open water, at the edge of the ice, 
 towards the open waters of Smith's Sound, which 
 even during winter are not frozen. To the 
 natives their tusks are of considerable importance, 
 being used in the manufacture of various parts 
 of their o^ear and tools. 
 
 Of frequent occurrence in these regions is 
 the narwhal, with its spiral tusk upwards of 
 two yards long ; and also the white whale, or 
 white fish, which during winter seeks southern 
 \\\'it(Ts. Other varieties of whales are also found, 
 though less frequently. 
 
 Of the ver\- few fish that swim in these waters, 
 the most important is the salmon trout, which 
 frequents the lakes. 
 
 Bird-life abounds ; the auks, and particularly 
 the small auks, predominating. They build their 
 nests by the thousand along perpendicul.u' 
 mountain walls and inclines, at such inaccessible 
 spots that even the small fox finds it difficult 
 
72 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 to rob them. Their skins arc used by the 
 natives for parts of their clothing. 
 
 Of other birds of passage may be mentioned 
 the eider duck, which, however, is far from being 
 so numerous as the auk, the gull, the tern, and 
 the black guillemot. Of birds remaining in the 
 place during winter are the ptarmigan, the owl, 
 and the raven ; these last, however, seem to 
 retreat southwards for a time. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 rJIE NATIVES AT SMIT/PS SOUXD. 
 
 TT WIS on the evening of July 23rd, 1891, 
 J- that in one of the Kites boats we slowly 
 approached the shore somewhere on the south 
 side of Whale Sound, having a short time 
 before discovered from the deck of the vessel 
 what we supposed to be human dwellings. 
 
 lliese dwellings, which soon proved to be a 
 collection of tents^ and earth-huts, were situated 
 at the end of a low projecting promontory, where 
 we succeeded with some difficulty in landino-. 
 
 Of the eleven inhabitants of the place, the 
 men immediately cam(; down the beach to meet 
 us, whilst the women and children cautiously 
 kept in the rear. A couple of us involuntarily 
 extended our hands towards them in friendly 
 greeting; but, to our surprise, instead of grasping 
 them they stood staring at us, without the 
 slightest idea of what such an advance should 
 
 I 
 
 'si 
 
 73 
 
74 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 signify. Soon, however, they saw that we 
 intended well, and then they gave us a warm 
 welcome. One of our sailors, who happened to 
 be smoking a short pipe when landing, attracted 
 th(;ir particular attention, and the volumes of 
 smoke which now and then escaped hini seemed 
 to strike them as something quite supernatural. 
 The impression was deepened when soon after- 
 wards, by a quick movement of the hand along 
 his sleeve, he set fire to a match, and proceeded 
 with its assistance to produce new and increased 
 clouds of smoke from his mouth. It was evident 
 that they had never been in touch with the 
 civilised world, or seen a vessel, which was to 
 their eyes most remarkable. 
 
 And if we were a surprise to them, the natives 
 in turn made a strong and lasting impression 
 on our minds. Savages to look at, dirty, and 
 far from handsome, they were but poor specimens 
 of humanity. Their long raven-black hair was 
 hanging tangled and matted down the skin- 
 covered shoulders, covering in some cases their 
 dark contracted eyes, and giving them a gloomy 
 I and forbidding appearance. 
 
The Natives at vSmith's Sound 75 
 
 I learned afterwards that all the natives were 
 not so ignorant of the art of hair-dressing. 
 The women, notably the younger ones, frequently 
 bunched their tresses in a tuft upon the crown 
 of the head, using for the purpose; a fine; seal- 
 skin strap. Some of the men, too, wore a similar 
 strap around the head, to keep their eyes fre(; 
 from the long greasy locks. 
 
 The foreheads of the Esquimaux are low, their 
 faces broad, and their features generally un- 
 graceful. The eyes are small and oblique, but 
 their sight is keen. The nose is small and wide, 
 the mouth large with thick lips, so that v.vv.n 
 with the fair sex it has so little likeness to ideal 
 " cherry lips," that the men, instead of kissing 
 their wives, prefer to show their fondness by 
 pressing th(;ir already flat nose still llattcT against 
 the other's face — a form of caress usually ac- 
 companied by a loud sniff Within these 
 swelling lips a row of strong teeth shine, tht; 
 use of which extends far beyond the mastication 
 of food. Fastened as the)' are to sinewy cheeks, 
 they form a patent vice, largely used in their 
 daily work. 
 
76 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 Thus if a man has to lash his sledge — a per- 
 formance requiring great strength — he puts one 
 end of the strap between his teeth, supporting 
 the sledge, to which the other end is fastened, 
 with his knee and left hand, whilst with the 
 right hand he pulls the middle of the strap with 
 such violence as apparently might dislocate his 
 neck. 
 
 The women, too, make much use of their 
 mouths. It is their duty to chew inch by inch 
 every skin brought home from the hunt by 
 the men, the skins having first been carefully 
 stretched out and dried. By this masticating 
 process the skins are made flexible, and fit to 
 be employed for clothing the members of the 
 family. 
 
 Certainly the Esquimaux for charm of face 
 would be black-balled at a I'luropean beauty 
 show. Bodily, however, they approach nearer 
 to our ideal, and their hands and feet are neat 
 and well-shaped. 
 
 Both men and women are shorty their hips 
 project a little ; while they are decidedly rotund, 
 which may probably be due to the need of 
 
 
The Natives at Smith's Sound 77 
 
 copious nourishment in Arctic regions. The 
 men are unusually muscular — a result, of course, 
 of the fatiguing life they lead. Young boys 
 begin early to share the hunter's hard life, 
 and are by this seasoned to an extent which 
 afterwards makes them capable of enduring with 
 ease the greatest exertions and privations. 
 
 Often compelled to go without food for a 
 longer period - than is pleasant, they suffer 
 partial starvation without a murmur. No 
 wonder, theretbre, that in prosperous and idle 
 times they extend their meals throughout the 
 day. They have on this account been accused 
 of gluttony ; but we have as little right to 
 bring such an accusation against them as we 
 should have to upbraid an overgrown school-boy 
 for ^seeking spoil between meal-times in his 
 mother's larder. 
 
 Small as is the Esquimau, his athletic feats \ 
 will sometimes arouse no small astonishment. 
 When, for instance, he, with wife and children, 
 starts for the mountains to hunt the n^indeer, 
 he puts into the voluminous " swag," formed 
 by his folded skin-tent, most of his belonmnp-s, 
 
78 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 hans^^s this round his forehead by a strap, and 
 marches merril}' along. One may follow him with 
 the eye as he moves up the inclines, the ravens 
 circling above his ungainly form. 
 
 What may be their colour is not so easy to 
 decide, on account of the abundant dirt which 
 covers them. New-born children have a uniform 
 light yellow-brown or grey-brown tint, a grown- 
 up man appears somewhat darker with black 
 spots, and an old man black with light spots ; 
 but these variations are more due to dirt than to 
 anv natural difterence. 
 
 One can hardly blame the Esquimaux at 
 Smith's Sound for their fjlthiness ; it is almost 
 an unavoidable consequence of the rough and 
 primitive conditions under which they are com- 
 pelled to live. All the water required for 
 drinking or their plain cooking must, for nine 
 or ten months on end, be procured by laborious 
 melting of snow or ice in stone vessels over 
 blubber-tlames. A bath, or thorough wash, is 
 to them an unknown luxury, which, in spite 
 of our comparatively good example, they will 
 never be able to introduce under their present 
 
The Natives at Smith's Sound 79 
 
 conditions, thouj^di a good deal niis^ht be; done 
 with notliin<'- more than a moist bird-skin, or, 
 in case of need, with a sharp stone, it" once the 
 sense of cleanhness could Ije awakened in them. 
 
 A i;R01 I' UK K^JllMAlX \VOMi;.N AND Lllll.UREN. 
 
 During our stay with the Esquimaux we succeeded, 
 to some extent, in arousing this sense, if we 
 may judge from some small attempts at tidiness 
 shown by the women, whose desire to please is 
 not less in these latitudes than under the equator. 
 Much astonishment was caused when, for the 
 
8o With Peary near the Pole 
 
 first time, some of the natives saw us plunofe 
 our heads into a tub, and afterwards rub our- 
 selves briskly with our hands. The reason 
 why they are lackin<^ in cleanliness is, no doubt, 
 that the dirt neither causes them any trouble, 
 nor affects their health. That they should be 
 healthy is only to be expected in an atmosphere 
 which, owing to the extreme cold, is so free 
 from bacilli. 
 
 Their dress undoubtedly has peculiarities to 
 rouse the astonishment of civilised people. It 
 is difficult indeed to characterise a costume so 
 entirely opposed to our familiar rules for health 
 that, instead of protecting the more vital parts of 
 the wearer, it allows the north wind to sweep 
 across his middle, and the snow crystals to 
 melt against his naked loins ; and this in a 
 region where the thermometer may go down 
 far below freezing point, and among men who 
 have long studied the subject of suitable clothing. 
 Men, as well as women, wear on the upper part 
 of the body an under shirt of bird skins (the 
 feathers inwards) made from the skins of the 
 common or small auks. As these skins are 
 
Tlic Natives at Smith's Sound 81 
 
 very sinall. many of them an; r(!(|inr(:(l to mak(,> 
 one shirt. 'rh(;y an; first cut and trimmed 
 into rcn^Lilar squares, and then sewn tofa;ther 
 hy the aid of threads made from sinews. 
 
 'I'he manner in which the bird skins are 
 prepared is quite simple. Throuoh a cut the 
 housewife thrusts her forefmger beneath the; skin, 
 with a dexterous motion loosens it completely 
 from the body of the bird, turns it inside-out 
 and hangs it up to dry. When dry, she puts 
 it. still turnc;d inside-out, into her mouth, where 
 it is thoroughly masticatc'd, and the process of 
 preparation is them finished. 
 
 It is a sight not easily forgotten to see one 
 ot the larger auk-skins disappear into the mouth 
 of a young housewife. The bird-skin shirt of 
 the men is provided with a cape, which fits 
 closely round the face when turned up ; that of 
 the women is without one. The skirt of each 
 sex reaches a little below the hips, where the 
 trousers commence. 
 
 Men's trousers are prepared of ice-bear skins, 
 or. in very rare cases, of dog-skins, and reach 
 j-ist below the knee. The legs are in direct 
 
 6 
 
82 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 touch with the coarse, uneven, and inelastic 
 hide. These bear-skin trousers are kept sus- 
 pended in a mystic way without braces. Their 
 upper lining does not, as with us, reach above 
 the hips, but exactly to the upper joint of the 
 thigh bone, and is fastened behind by a seal- 
 skin lace v/ithin the lininof. 
 
 When a native is seen for the first time dressed 
 in this fashion — which, however, is not adopted 
 by the Esquimaux outside Smith's Sound — one 
 is immediately inclined to look upon the fellow 
 as a careless bachelor, who has lost four of 
 his six brace-buttons, and to wonder how this 
 necessary garment can be kept |)roperly in place ; 
 until we find that he is gifted w'th a more marked 
 depression in the muscles behind the thigh-joint 
 than we can display, which provides the solution 
 of this my try. 
 
 Between the trousers and the bird-skin shirt 
 the air has free access to his naked body ; for 
 though the shirt reaches slightly beyond the 
 upper bordcT of the trousers, which are drawn 
 close at the top, as the shirt fits loosely there 
 is left all round the body an opening, through 
 
:^ 
 
 m 
 
 "n 
 
 n- -y 
 
 il"! 
 
 V.t^ 
 
 
 mi 
 
 
 
 
 
 !':.V: 
 
 % 
 
 ■^^ 
 
 W-: 
 
 
 # 
 
 
 '■••.,'>. 
 
 iwo norhi-c.kkkm.am) iiumkks. 
 
The Natives at Smith's Sound 85 
 
 which the dark skin may be seen at each 
 movement. 
 
 The purpose of this opening is to maintain 
 an effective and regukir ventilation for the upper 
 part of the body, a matter of most vital im- 
 portance on their hunting excursions or sledge 
 journeys. It is only when so worn that the fur 
 clothes prove themselves superior to all varieties 
 of artificial stuffs, which have hitherto been 
 supplied for voyages in Arctic regions. If no 
 means are adopted to ventilate the skin dress, 
 the least bodily exertion is followed by excessive 
 perspiration, which may even entail serious risks 
 to health. Seldom after a fatiguing march can 
 one Uiy down to rest in other clothes than those 
 worn throughout the day, and to escape a cold 
 and sleepless night and its possibly fatal conse- 
 quences, one must endeavour at any cost to 
 prevent such undue heat. 
 
 The trousers are ventilated through openings 
 at the knee-caps, which, at first sight, may seem 
 to give the fresh air access to the whole body. 
 On their sledge travels in the winter, however, 
 when the biting wind across the knee-joints 
 
86 
 
 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 would be keenly felt, the Esquimaux tie a 
 fox tail, of which every man carries a couple 
 for this purpose, round each knee, and thus 
 
 A KIND OLD GRANNY. 
 
 close the hole. A similar ornament, in the 
 
 shape of a short boa made of fox-tails, is used 
 
 occasionally to cover the opening below the shirt. 
 
 The Esquimaux women wear no petticoats, but 
 
The Natives at Smith's Sound 87 
 
 trousers similar to those of the men. They are, 
 however, much shorter, and less elegant, being 
 made of fox or dog-skins without the slightest 
 trimming, save those which can be obtained 
 by placing some little white skin at the side 
 of darker ones. Inside the outer trousers of 
 fox or dog-skin is worn a lighter pair of seid- 
 skin, which even indoors are never taken off 
 
 Of outer pelts for the upper part of the body, 
 the natives have two kinds, looth of the same 
 shape as the bird-skin shirt already described. 
 For use in spring, summer, and autumn, they 
 have a seal-skin jacket with a cape. In the 
 winter, however, a much warmer pelt of fox- 
 skin is worn. Amona: the men, reindeer-skin 
 is sometimes preferred. 
 
 Women with infants have on the back of 
 their outer garments a bag, in which the baby 
 lies smiling placidly when the mother is out of 
 doors, often without a thread on its bodv, so 
 that its naked, almost hairless head d plump 
 little shoulders are exposed to the cold winter 
 breeze — without, however, any ill effect. 
 
 All the pelts and the shirts are cut at the top 
 
88 
 
 With Pcciry near the Pole 
 
 of the sleeves in such a fashion that the ])erson 
 who wears them can move one or both arms out 
 or in without difficulty. This is a comfort in two 
 ways : for if hands and arms are cold they can thus 
 
 r- 
 
 j&.i.. 
 
 ■ j^'r?' 
 
 ii^sfc: . 
 
 A (IROUP OK NATIVES ON THE RE. 
 
 be easily warmed by keeping them for a while 
 pressed upon the chest — a common habit among 
 the Esquimaux ; and, again, there is the ease 
 with which the wearer can hunt those enemies 
 that infest the dark fields of his bird-skin shirt. 
 Their means of protecting the feet are, like all 
 
The Natives at Smith's Sound 89 
 
 other parts of the Esquimau dress, simple and 
 increnious. Boots, called " kamiks," are made of 
 seal-skin, the hair taken off; whilst the stockincj-s 
 within are made of hare-skin, or, for women, of 
 dog-skin, the hairy side turned inwards. Between 
 this and the stocking is placed a layer of dried 
 grass, contributing warmth and comfort to the feet. 
 
 To protect the hands seal-skin gloves are 
 generally used ; in very cold weather reindeer- 
 skin. Inside these dry grass is also used. 
 
 When looking at a crowd of native hunters, 
 one is surprised at the similar clothing of each 
 individual. Not one of them has a single dress 
 which is not cut exactly from the same pattern, 
 and made of skins from the same source. 
 
 At present the isolated tribe of natives at 
 Smith's Sound numbers 243, as against 234 in 
 1892, the amount of births in the intermediate 
 years having exceeded that of deaths by nine, 
 from this fact one can scarcely draw the con- 
 clusion that the number of the tribe is increasino-. 
 'I he natives themselves, however, appear to hold 
 this opinion ; whilst they also boast that once upon 
 a time they were much mcjre numerous than now. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 riUXTING. 
 
 IV we care tor \x more intimate acquaintance 
 with these people, whose appearance and 
 dress I have depicted, we must watch them in their 
 daily life, and, above all, we must hunt with them. 
 Autumn has arrivc^d, and as each day passes 
 the sun describes his arc closer and closer to 
 the southern horizon. Suddenly one fine day 
 he dives his golden disc down behind the long 
 range of blue mountains on the south side of 
 Inglefield Gulf, shedding across the desolate 
 landscape a last glowing greeting as he dis- 
 appears. Four months will pass before we can 
 again bask in his reviving beams. For the last 
 time the rays of the sun are gleaming and 
 glittering on the dark waves of the Gulf where 
 icebergs rock like floating fairy castles ; for the 
 last time the shining snow-domes glow in the 
 
 distance over the mountain plateaux. 
 
 90 
 
IIiintin<^^ 01 
 
 In the midst of this grand and sublime change 
 of scene in Nature's silent kingdom, we may see 
 lar away in a remote and protected "fjord" a 
 little, lively, rosy-cheeked Esquimau, who has 
 succeeded, by several daring jumps over the 
 ice-iloes nearest to the land, in setting foot 
 upon the newly-frozen autumn ice. His fice 
 beams with joy and happiness ; for life offers 
 him unlimited attractions. Summer was just 
 beginning to be a little monotonous, with its 
 sunlit days and nights, and winter is now at 
 hand as a most welcome guest. Yes, he can 
 commence the exciting autumn chase after seal ; 
 for the young ice is frozen. On the beach, 
 his wife is standing in front of the low stone 
 cabin, smiling at the thought of the pleasant 
 change some fresh seal meat will bring them, 
 after the tough narwhal meat of the summer, 
 or the ])erpetual auk. 
 
 The man is carefully trying the strength of 
 the ice with his seal lance, quickly as he moves 
 over its mirror-like surface. His figure grows 
 smaller and smaller, till at last he disappears behind 
 'I large iceberg. This is too much for his three 
 
92 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 faithful d{)<;s. With cars pointed, and strained 
 attention, thev have followed their master's 
 movements from the beach ; they tug impatiently 
 at the long straps that hold them tied to a 
 heavy stone slab, and send their long, [)laintive 
 howls across the ice. They can see that it is 
 safe, and yet he leaves them behind, forgetting 
 how often they have pulled him merrily along 
 over the smooth surface : this is too much ! 
 They bark louder and more plaintively ; the 
 housewife goes to console them ; at last they 
 give it up, and lie peacefully down to sleep 
 upon the cold rocks, while we may accompany 
 the husband on his wandering among the ice- 
 bergs in the " fjord." 
 
 He is still moving forward, but more slowly, 
 as if in search of something. Besides his seal- 
 lance, which he carries in his right hand, with 
 its line, he has hung on his left arm a light 
 stool of remarkably neat construction, its thin, 
 weak legs made of many small pieces of wood tied 
 together, and strengthened by fine leather straps 
 stretched across. In his left hand he carries 
 a bear-skin, whilst on his back, in a seal-skin 
 
I Iimtiiv'' 
 
 9.^ 
 
 sheath, is a half-worn huntini? knife with a 
 walrus-tooth handle. 
 
 Suddenly he; stO()[)s towards the ice : there is a 
 hole not two inches in dianK!t(;r, which is attractini^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 ■1' . 
 
 ' 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 f 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 \ 
 
 WAII'INC FOR A RISK. 
 
 his attention. It is one of the breathinor-holes 
 of the " Fiord "-s(;al. Cautiously he places the 
 small piece of bear-skin upon the ice close to the 
 hole, drops his stool into position, and then sits 
 quietly down to await the appearance of the seal. 
 
94 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 Since every seal has several breathing-holes, 
 it may be a long time that he has to wait ; but 
 there he sits patiently, hour after hour, till the 
 seal's nose is at last seen at the little opening. 
 Now all depends on the sureness of his hand : 
 the target is small, and should he fail he has 
 spent his time in vain ; then, if food is scarce 
 in his home, he has nothing to do but to resume 
 his watch, unless he knows its other breathing- 
 holes ; in which case he may happen to meet 
 the seal again, with better success. Should he 
 succeed in striking his prey It is still too big to 
 be pulled out through the hole, which is only 
 large enough for the protrusion of its nose. 
 The hunter must therefore enlarge the opening, 
 which he does, by means of his knife, with an 
 extraordinary skill born of long practice. 
 
 No sooner is the seal brought up on the ice 
 than it is killed, and the wound carefully closed 
 with the aid of a bone-needle, in order to prevent 
 unnecessary loss of blood. The native now 
 trudges back, well satisfied, for his sledge and 
 dogs to bring home the game, although he might 
 without great difficulty have tugged it after him 
 
Hunting 95 
 
 over the clear ice. But the desire to enjoy with 
 them the first game of the season is too strong 
 to be ignored. He soon stands beside his three 
 pets, unties them from the stone slab amidst a 
 deafening uproar, and a moment later they, with 
 the sledge scarcely fastened to the straps, are 
 running down the crags towards the beach. It 
 is only by a desperate effort that he at last 
 checks them, to bring the harness into proper 
 position. 
 
 We will make use of this pause to take a 
 closer look at the sledge. It is plain and simple 
 in form, and, in fact, seems clumsy to one who is 
 accustomed to the elegant sledges and toboggans 
 of civilised countries ; nor does one, at the first 
 glance, suspect that it may serve as a model to 
 the most experienced explorer in the matter of 
 shape and construction. 
 
 With the exception of the " shoeing," which is 
 of ivory, the materials of the North Greenland 
 sledges consist almost exclusively of wood, which 
 is no longer so scarce as it once was among the 
 Esquimaux. Many sledges are still found, how 
 ever, in which most of the lesser pieces are made 
 
96 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 from reindeer horn, and these are so small 
 that one is surprised that such patchwork can 
 really be built up into a substantial whole. The 
 natives, however, are particularly successful in 
 this : first on account of the care they exercise 
 in fitting the several pieces, and secondly on 
 account of the firmness of all the joints and 
 fastenings. 
 
 The reason why large pieces of wood are 
 seldom seen in their sledges, or indeed in 
 anything else they construct, is that under 
 ordinary circumstances they have to be contented 
 with fragments of boards or staves which they 
 succeed from year to year in JDartering, at the 
 Cape York Settlement, from English whalers 
 passing by ; within the last few years, however, 
 on account of their intercourse with the two 
 Peary expeditions, they have had a compara- 
 tively abundant supply of wood, which has led 
 to a considerable increase in the number of 
 sledge owners. 
 
 It is worth mentioning that the driftwood, 
 which has pkiyed, and still plays, such an im- 
 portant part among the Esquimaux of South 
 
Hunting 97 
 
 Greenland and those on the east coast in the 
 manufacture of their tools, is hardly ever found 
 within the limits of the Greenland coast where 
 the dwellers in Smith's Sound at present have 
 their permanent home. 
 
 Underneath the runners of the sledge is a 
 "shoeing" of ivory, consisting of small pieces 
 from four to eight inches in length, 
 made from the tusks of the walrus or 
 narwhal, and fastened to the runners 
 by lashings. These form on the under Mvil 
 
 Sl.ElKJE FROM smith's SOUM). 
 
 side a smooth polished surface, admirably adapted 
 to glide easily across the snow-crust or the ice. 
 
 All lashings of the sledge are made with 
 skin straps. On the lower part of the runners 
 these are sunk in the wood, so that when in use 
 they cannot be damaged by ice or the hard crust 
 of snow. The natural consequence of all these 
 joinings and lashings is an elasticity which 
 renders the sledge remarkably lit to resist the 
 
 7 
 
98 With Pcary near the Pole 
 
 many violent shocks and jolts to which it is 
 subject when driven on uneven ice. The usual 
 length of a North Greenland sledge is from 
 two to two and a half yards, whilst the height 
 of the runners as a rule is about eight inches. 
 The distance between the runners is quite the 
 same in all sledges. By this arrangement they 
 gain the advantage, which is wanting on the 
 Norwegian railways, of uniform gauge. 
 
 This is of no small importance for quick 
 travelling between native settlemenJ:s. If, for 
 instance, a couple of families, after a heavy, 
 perhaps somewhat sticky, snowfall, have with no 
 little fatigue accomplished a long stretch on dog- 
 sledges between two settlements, then travellers 
 who the next day are covering the same road in 
 beautiful clear winter weather may be said to 
 drive on a tram-road. Hour after hour their 
 dogs may run without a rest, whilst the polished 
 ivory of the runners rattles merrily over the 
 icy track. 
 
 To be condemned to make a sledge with the 
 materials and tools at the disposal of the natives, 
 would almost cause grey hair to grow upon the 
 
Hunting 99 
 
 crown of a bald-headed joiner. Only imagine 
 what a trial it would be to him when, for instance, 
 he was compelled to convert a plank into two 
 boards by means of a saw, the blunt blade of 
 which was shorter rhan the width of the plank ; 
 or to bore two hundred holes with an old nail 
 fastened to a wooden handle ; or to cut the ivory 
 shoeing of a sledge with the blade of a knife made 
 from an old piece of hoop-iron ! To the natives, 
 however, these feats are trifles, which they have 
 performed through a succession of years with 
 the utmost patience. Three-quarters of a century 
 ago their tools must have been of even a more 
 primitive nature; for these Esquimaux were at 
 that period not yet discovered by the outer 
 world, and were consequently without any 
 resources not derived from their own barren 
 coasts. 
 
 But if their tools are of the poorest kind and 
 their work progresses slowly and laboriously, 
 they have, happily, between the hunting seasons 
 ample time for their tasks. Indeed, it is for- 
 tunate, from this point of view, that the manu- 
 facture of a sledge is the work of an entire 
 
lOo With Peary near the Pole 
 
 winter, and that the tools are not exactly of the 
 finest kind ; for otherwise what would these 
 people find to do during the long winter darkness 
 in their small sooty huts ? 
 
 No sooner has our friend arranged his harness 
 than with skilled hand he flourishes his whip, 
 furnished with a lash quite five yards long, tlings 
 himself upon the sledge, and off the dogs go full 
 gallop across the smooth surface. He uses no 
 reins to direct his giddy team ; his whip rules 
 them completely. If he strikes the ice to the 
 left or right, they turn left or right accordingly. 
 Should he wish to urge on this one or that, he 
 knows how to hit him on the most tender place — 
 always, however, with the greatest gentleness. 
 
 Soon the seal is reached and placed upon 
 the sledge. On the way home our friend may 
 possibly pay a visit to some spot where he has 
 a fox-trap set, that ought to be in order now the 
 winter is at hand. 
 
 The trap is built of regular, fiat stones, in 
 an oblong square, the opening of which is so 
 arranged that when the fox snaps at a piece of 
 blubber fastened inside, it is closed immediately 
 
Iluntino: loi 
 
 by the fall of a large, flat stone, connected by a 
 strap to the bait in an ingenious manner. How 
 many fox-skins the members of the tribe collect 
 in this fashion every year it is not easy to say, 
 but the total must amount to several hundred, 
 since the grown-up members require eight skins, 
 and the fox-skins are not remarkable for their 
 lasting qualities. 
 
 For the capture of bears, traps similar to those 
 described above are sometimes used, built, of 
 course, on a much larger scale and of much 
 heavier stones. I saw and examined the remains 
 of an old stone bear-trap of this sort on the east 
 coast of the now uninhabited Ellesmereland, in 
 the summer of 1894. But at present this way 
 of catching bears has been altogether abandoned. 
 A large number of bears are still slaughtered 
 every year, but in a far more sportsmanlike 
 manner. The finest hunting-field for them is 
 south of Cape York, upon the ice-covered 
 waters of Melville Bay. Far out upon those 
 desolate expanses the Esquimau has fought 
 many a hard combat with the powerful white 
 bear. Courage and presence of mind are needed 
 
102 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 for such an encounter, and for this reason not 
 all the natives are equally well qualified as hear 
 hunters. 
 
 One of the more prominent among them 
 at present is a man named Akpallia. In 
 the year 1891 he called himself Nordingjer ; 
 but when, two years later, we met him again, 
 he had, without any apparent reason, taken upon 
 himself to change his name. We knew him 
 well as a clever l^ear-hunter of about forty, 
 who had slain many a shaggy giant. On his 
 return from his last expedition it happened 
 that I took shelter for several nights in his hut, 
 and questioned him about his adventures ; for 
 the rumour had already spread that the bears 
 for once had been treating him badly, slashing 
 his one arm and killing two of his dogs. After 
 much inquiry I drew him into giving an account 
 of his adventures, from which may be gathered 
 a very accurate idea of a typical Esquimau 
 bear-hunt. 
 
 It was in the month of March that Akpallia 
 was suddenly overcome by an irresistible longing 
 to revisit his old hunting grounds in Melville 
 
Iluntinn- J03 
 
 Hay. He mended his decrepit old sledge, 
 patched up his ragged bird-skin shirt— for lie 
 was a widower— and gave the dogs a really 
 substantial feed. After a good night's rest he 
 started early in the morning, leaving his three 
 darlings, a boy and two girls, to the care of 
 some neighbours. Four days afterwards he 
 was at Cape York, more than a hundred miles 
 south-east of his home on Herbert Island. Here 
 bear-hunters have their headquarters, the place 
 being usually the home of several families, whose 
 bread-winners to a great extent are occupied in 
 the chase. 
 
 For a couple of days Akpallia rested among 
 the flesh-pots of Cape York Settlement, and it 
 was agreed that two local hunters should ac- 
 company him on his expedition. One of these 
 was but a half-grown boy, and his selection 
 was doubtless due to the fact that he was the 
 possessor of an actual gun : this he had bartered 
 from one of the crew of an English whaler for 
 a considerable quantity of ivory, a deal by which 
 he was highly elated. True, he had only some 
 few charges of powder left, and no bullets, so 
 
104 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 that he had to rest satisfi(!d with pebbles, while 
 the length of the; barrel had, through bursting, 
 been shortened by half a yard ; but the gun, 
 notwithstanding its faults and defects, was a 
 formidable weapon, and gave to its young 
 owner as high a standing among his comrades 
 as if he had already slain a dozen bears. 
 
 When these three hunters finally set out 
 from Cape York, they took with them fifteen 
 dogs and three good sledges. Two days passc^d 
 without sign of game. They were by this time 
 so far out upon the icefi(;ld that a light blue 
 streak, towards the north, alone indicated th(; 
 presence of land. On the morning of the third 
 day, they at last hit upon a fresh bear-track. 
 One can hardly imagine what an exciting effect 
 such an event as this has upon Esquimaux, those 
 ardent sportsmen, and upon their eager dogs, 
 until one has had the opportunity of personally 
 watching them upon the spot. The dogs strain 
 impatiently at their leash, gazing with pointed 
 ears across the white plain ; whilst their masters 
 whisper hurriedly, stoop to listen, stretch them- 
 selves to scan the ground, run a little, and stop 
 
liuntinpf 105 
 
 aj^rain, until one begins to clouht if people, so 
 excited because they have discovered a bear- 
 track or two. can really be such master-hunters 
 as one was led to believe. But on closer 
 observation it is evident that, in spite of their 
 restless nature, they well know how. even under 
 the most trying circumstances, to i)reserve their 
 presence of mind. 
 
 The tracks our friends have discerned are 
 those of a she-bear with her two cubs. For 
 some time they all follow the same trail ; 
 but meeting suddenly fresh traces of a single 
 bear, that has been travelling in an altowther 
 different direction, they separate, and Akpallia 
 chooses to pursue the one bear single-handed. 
 
 At length he catches sight of it quietly basking 
 in the sun at the foot of an iceberg, but yet so 
 far away that it looks only a dark unshapely 
 mass. 
 
 No sooner does the native sight the bear than 
 his excitement increases, and he talks to the doo-s 
 in a subdued, hoarse, almost hissing tone. 
 
 '' Takkotakko ! takkotakko ! " (" Look ! look ! ") 
 he cries with astonishingly rapid utterance. The 
 
io6 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 dogs at th{; same instant turn their heads en- 
 quiringly towards their master. Has he really 
 discovered something ? From the lesser height 
 of their eyes above ground they cannot them- 
 selves see anything but the monotonous snow- 
 cornices and ice-blocks round about them. 
 
 So he continues — " Nannuk, Nannuk, Nannuk, 
 riannuksua ! " ("A bear, a bear, a bear, a big 
 bear ! ") Scarcely has he spoken these words 
 when the five dogs are alert with fi"antic ardour. 
 They cease to follow the long curves of the 
 track, rushing madly forward in the right 
 direction by sheer instinct. 
 
 Now there is only half a mile between them 
 and the bear ; then the latter, with a sudden 
 jerk, raises himself, and stands for a moment 
 motionless, head and neck extended towards the 
 sledge. In his new position he has become 
 visible to the clogs, and, with ren(iwed violence;, 
 they drag the sledge over the many ridges of 
 the ice. 
 
 The bear appears to know only too well 
 the bloodthirsty Esquimau and his fleet dogs, 
 for, with prompt agility, he makes off .it a run. 
 
Hunting" 107 
 
 flying swift as an arrow from this dangerous 
 spot ; but Akpallia jumps from the sledge to 
 ease the dogs, holding fast to the steering 
 arms behind, whilst his legs are dancing wildly 
 under him. The bear certainly is a good 
 runner, but he is no match for the dogs. More 
 and more they gain upon him as he presses 
 forward ; but Akpallia scrambles back on to the 
 sledge in order to spare his strength, as in a 
 few minutes all his power and elasticity will be 
 required. He is comparatively a large and 
 heavy man, so that his weight retards the dogs 
 considerably ; but he knows that the bear must 
 soon slacken speed, as he is no long-distance 
 racer. 
 
 At last he is within a few hundred yards of 
 the bear ; then he bends forward, and, with a 
 quick slash, cuts the loop that connects the traces 
 with the dogs. The sledge stops short, and the 
 liberated pack now seem almost to fly upon the 
 heels of their quarry. The bear, finding that 
 further flight is vain, now stands at bay. 
 
 Akpallia, in the meantime, snatches the lance 
 from his sledge, and hastens to join the fray. 
 
io8 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 Fear is unknown to this bold son of the 
 ice-desert. He is alone on the vast snow- 
 expanse ; for his two comrades have long ago 
 disappeared with their sledges over the horizon. 
 He is about to join issue with a beast that 
 with one stroke of its paw may deprive him 
 of dear life, a battle in which he will need at 
 once courage and coolness, agility and strength, 
 art and skill. 
 
 As soon as Akpallia comes up with the bear, 
 he grasps his lance with both hands, and drives 
 it with all his strength at the monster's heart. 
 But a quick movement of the brute mars the 
 sureness of his aim : the lance strikes aslant, and 
 stops short agfiinst its strong shoulder-blade. 
 The next moment it is jjroken in pieces by a 
 single stroke of the bear's paw, and Akpallia is 
 weaponless. 
 
 The bear now dirc^cts its attack wholly against 
 the hunter, ignoring the barking dogs. Akpallia 
 springs across the snow to reach his knife, which, 
 during the attack with the lance, he has flung 
 down close to the battle-field. But, alas, one 
 of his feet unexpectedly sinks through the 
 
Hunting 109 
 
 treacherous snow-crust, he stumbles, and in a 
 moment one of the bear's paws is resting heavily 
 upon his left arm. He summons supernatural 
 strength to get loose, and howls up against the 
 immense open mouth of the bear, to frighten 
 him, striking him with his fist upon the chest. 
 But he cannot get loose ; the claws have already 
 penetrated too deeply into his Hesh. If the bear 
 for the moment causes no further harm to the 
 Esquimau it is only because it has now some- 
 thing else to do. As soon as the dogs see their 
 master fall to the ground, crushed under the 
 paws of his powerful opponent, these faithful 
 animals spring at the body of the bear, attacking 
 it with the ferocity of tiger cats. The leaders 
 of the team, a pair of splendid wolf-like animals, 
 their master's companions in many hard fights, 
 do not desert him, but attack the bear face to 
 face, one even snapping at the paw that holds 
 the Esquimau pressed to the white snow. But 
 Bruin does not release his grasp ; with a quick 
 movement he strikes his most formidable assailant 
 a stunning blow. The position, already dangerous 
 enough, begins now to be desperate, imd, as 
 
no With Peary nea- the Pole 
 
 though this were not enough, another bear 
 appears from behind an iceberg. It is pursued 
 by AkpalHa's comrades ; they shout at the sight 
 of their friend, who answers them with loud cries 
 of distress. 
 
 The bear lets go his victim, and runs towards 
 the other animal, which has already passed the 
 spot, and Akpallia is saved. A moment later 
 the two friends' dog-teams are set at liberty, 
 the escape of the bears is stopped, and with the 
 help of a shot from the injured gun, they succeed, 
 after a short sharp fight, in slaying both the 
 brutes. Then AkpalHa's wound, which, fortu- 
 nately, has not caused any serious loss of 
 blood, is bandaged with long strips cut from 
 an old sealskin, the bears are skinned, and 
 most of the meat is packed on the sledges. 
 
 Only one of the two faithful dogs that during 
 the battle had been wounded by the bear was 
 alive, and was taken home on the sledge to 
 recover. The other was killed on the spot. 
 Two days later the hunters were again back 
 at Cape York, where their adventures were 
 recounted in detail to a delighted audience. 
 
Hunting i j j 
 
 Akpallia was another time out bear hunting 
 on the ice-fields in Smith's Sound, just between 
 Greenland and Ellesmereland. He was then in 
 company with a young but uncommonly clever 
 hunter named Kolotengua. In the pursuit of a 
 bear, Kolotengua. who had never killed one, 
 strayed away from Akpallia. Suddenly he met 
 ci bear behind a small iceberg, and, as a matter 
 of course, had to attack it single-handed. 
 Joyfully he seized the opportunity to win his 
 spurs, and raise his reputation in the eyes of 
 his long-selected mother-in-law. 
 
 Scarcely had his three dogs, after being cut 
 loose from the sledge, reached the bear, when 
 the brute climbed up the small iceberg, where 
 neither Kolotengua nor his dogs could follow 
 hmi. But the young huntsman was not to 
 be so easily defrauded. He remembered that 
 he had brought with him on the sledge his 
 bow and the few arrows he possessed, think- 
 ing that during the journey along the coast 
 he might hit upon reindeer; and he now 
 planted his lance in a snow-drift and hurried 
 away to fetch them. In a twinkling he was 
 
112 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 back again, taking aim, and bending the bow 
 as far as the length of the arrow would permit ; 
 and the bear soon afterwards made a furious 
 forward spring, hit full in the chest by the 
 slender shaft. The wound, not sufficiently deep 
 to be dangerous, only enraged the bear. At 
 the second shot, his fury increased ; he broke 
 the arrow into fragments with his paw, and 
 growled at the sight of his own blood. The 
 third arrow was the last. It hit the bear in 
 the shoulder, and, in a moment, was between 
 the monster's teeth, torn out of the wound and 
 tossed far into the air, passing the place where 
 Kolotengua was standing. He caught it adroitly, 
 but it was broken in two places, and hung 
 together only by the sinews that bound it. To 
 lash it together again was the work of a moment, 
 and for the fourth time the brave lad aimed 
 and hit. The fury of the bear had reached its 
 highest pitch. With one spring it was down 
 the slope of the iceberg so suddenly that 
 Kolotengua escaped being crushed only by a 
 hurried bound sideways. Now his presence 
 of mind was shown to advantage : he seized 
 
Hunting 113 
 
 his lance, and thrust its point with all the 
 strength at his command beneath the left 
 shoulder of the bear. The lance broke in his 
 hands, he had only a fragment left, and, in 
 spite of its bleeding wounds, the strength of 
 the bear did not seem to diminish. It made 
 tremendous jumps with its huge body, trying 
 with raised forepaws to strike Kolotengua. But 
 the three dogs threw themselves in the way, 
 and drew the bear's whole attention towards 
 themselves ; until at last, after some further 
 convulsive plunges, when only the utmost agility 
 and presence of mind enabled the native to 
 escape the furious brute, its strength failed and 
 it sank dying on the snow. 
 
 Such scenes as these are not uncommon during 
 the wild-bear hunting of the Esquimaux. Their 
 life is like a game of hazard, in which none can 
 avoid taking part. Life itself is the stake ; food 
 and clothing for a short period the coveted prize. 
 
 Let me give one more bear story, before 
 leaving the subject. Kaschu, a native with whom 
 we are to make closer acquaintance in a later 
 chapter, spied a bear one autumn day upon the 
 
 8 
 
114 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 young ice at the south side of Inglefield Gulf. 
 Although he had no lance at hand, it never 
 for an instant occurred to him to let the bear 
 escape unattacked ; he was too reckless a fellow 
 for that. He quickly lashed his old and worn 
 hunting-knife to a small seal-spear that he carried 
 with him, and made for the bear. But just as 
 he was at the point of attack, the bear showed 
 some hesitation, probably because Kaschu, as 
 his habit was when excited, made frightful 
 grimaces with his owl-face. It turned round, 
 at all events, and ran off at full speed towards 
 a wide opening close by in the ice. 
 
 Excited at the prospect of losing his prey, 
 Kaschu thrust his new-fashioned weapon into the 
 bear's back, hoping thereby to stop it. This he 
 had better not have done ; for, in drawing the 
 weapon back again, the knife remained fixed in 
 the bear's body, and the animal, plunging into 
 the water, appeared a moment later crawling 
 up on the opposite edge, and disappeared. 
 Kaschu is no longer the man he was. His 
 grief is not at the escape of his prey ; it is 
 at the thought of the bear having robbed him 
 
Hunting 115 
 
 without ceremony of his knife, a weapon of 
 such prized value in North Greenhind that his 
 sorrow is likely to take root and to thrive as 
 long as he lives. 
 
 When attacking the walrus, the Esquimau 
 usually employs only one weapon — the lance — 
 so made that it can be used equally well as a 
 harpoon. The iron piece tied to the butt end 
 of the lance serves to hold in the harpoon point, 
 which is connected with a long line often more 
 than forty yards long, and of quite extraordinary 
 strength. This line is made of ogsitk skin, and 
 rarely has any join in the whole of its length, 
 being obtained by cutting spirally a large wide 
 strip from a whole hide. 
 
 Owing to the tough, thick texture of the 
 walrus's skin, the native prefers to make his 
 attack by a thrust, holding the weapon in his 
 right hand, rather than by throwing it, the line 
 being held carefully coiled in the left. The 
 blow struck, the lance is as rapidly withdrawn, 
 leaving its harpoon point firmly wedged in the 
 flesh. When the wounded animal dives back 
 into the sea, it is important that it should be; 
 
ii6 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 pr(;vt:nti?d from riinninij off with the (MUir(! 
 L^(!ar ; for when oi)i)ost;d to a walrus it is of 
 little; use for a huntcT to rely upon his own 
 physical strength. So he thrusts the lance 
 perpendicularly into the ice, makes two or three 
 quick turns of the line around it as near to 
 the ground as possible, and with knee and 
 shoulder braced against the solid shaft is [)re- 
 pared any moment for the violent shock that 
 may follow the extension of the line to its 
 utmost limit. One by one its twists and coils 
 slowly run out, and at last it lies along the 
 surface of the ice, strained and shivering like a 
 taut bow-string. If at this critical moment the 
 iron point slips, or the ice gives way, the 
 game, with the harpoon and line, must inevitably 
 be lost ; nay, it may even hapi)en that as the 
 last coils ofthe line arc runninof out the hunter's 
 legs become entangled, and he must perforce 
 be dragged clown into the cold waves. Every- 
 thing considered, walrus hunting is certainly a 
 dangerous pastime ; for between the year 1 89 1 
 and 1894 twc) experienced hunters of this one 
 small tribe have thus lost their lives. 
 
Hunting' 117 
 
 Let us supposL', however, that ice and j^car 
 hold, that cvcrythinir uoes well. 'IMic strained 
 line bej^ins slowly to slacken, the hunter's 
 breathing is easier, and while the animal is 
 reascending, as it must to gain a (resh sui)[)ly 
 of air, he has time to seize his knile, and to 
 commence cutting a couple of holes close to 
 the spot on which he stands. Again and again 
 the line will grow taut and rela.x, and always 
 at the critical moment he must leave the work 
 he has in hand to throw his whole weight upon 
 the quivering pike. So soon as the two holes 
 in the ice are ready, he seizes a moment when 
 the line is slack to haul in some fathoms, and, 
 running the noose a couple of times down 
 through the one hole and up through the other, 
 he obtains a much more reliable hold for the 
 critical moment when the game is to be secured. 
 Now that the lance is free he is able once more 
 to use it as a weapon, and with this in his 
 hand he stands over the breathinsr-hole, striking- 
 the walrus about the head and shoulders un- 
 erringly each time that it ascends. Time after 
 time the blows fall, until the animal passes 
 
Ii8 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 through various stages ot* exhaustion to the 
 inevitable end. 
 
 Perhaps some of the hunter's friends may be 
 within sight on the white plain, and he hails 
 them to help him in the task of drawing the 
 monster to the surface of the ice. If no one 
 is in sight, he must accomplish the task as best 
 he may. Since the walrus weighs upwards of 
 a thousand pounds, it would appear impossible 
 for one man with so few facilities to handle such 
 a mass. To the Esquimaux, however, who are 
 essentially resourceful, it is no impossibility, as 
 we shall soon see. A couple of fresh holes are 
 cut in the ice by the hunter, who also makes 
 some parallel incisions in the fmger-thick skin 
 of the walrus, and, by passing the line through 
 these and through his fresh ice-holes, he obtains 
 the most effective purchase that could be devised ; 
 for, as may be readily understood, a line will 
 run as if it were greased through ice-holes and 
 blubbery loops. If the ice is strong enough to 
 bear its weight, the hunter will bring the entire 
 carcase of his prey to the surface ; if not, he will 
 be content with raising a part of it above the 
 
Iluntin^^ 119 
 
 level of the :;ea, and cut it to pi(ices section by 
 section, until the whole ice around him is covered 
 with queer-looking joints of walrus. 
 
 Leaving these in the security of isolation, 
 the ICsquimaux now returns for his dogs, the 
 sledge is loaded with half of the ilesh and he 
 turns his steps homeward. liy the way he 
 will try to come across other members of the 
 hunting expedition, in case they have had no 
 luck themselves. At last, tired and hungry, he 
 arrives at the outskirts of the settlement, where 
 inquisitive children will meet him with lighted 
 torches. 
 
 In the first half of the month of F-bruary 
 1894, I myself had an uncomfortable experience 
 while hunting the walrus, in company with 
 Kaschu. I was on a visit to Nokki, where 
 at the time a large number of walrus hunters 
 had constructed their snug huts. I wanted, if 
 possible, to secure a couple of sledge-loads of 
 walrus meat, which were sorely needed for our 
 dogs and for our own winter quarters. The 
 natives, however, seemed reluctant to part with 
 any of their stores, so we determined to join 
 
120 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 a party of local hunters who were to set out in 
 the early morning, hoping that we might possibly 
 kill an animal or two on our own account. 
 
 At seven o'clock in the bright moonlight we 
 left the settlement behind us, driving for a couple 
 of hours towards Smith's Sound, where thin ice 
 was to be encountered. At a distance of about 
 seventeen miles from the coast, Kaschu and I, 
 who had long ago separated from our companions, 
 at last made a pause. Lashing our dogs to a 
 rough ice block, we went on foot about a mile 
 farther out, where we fancied we could see in 
 the moonlight some dark spectral figures, slowly 
 rising and falling through the glassy covering. 
 The whole forenoon passed without discovering 
 our game ; and it was not until a little after 
 twelve o'clock that we succeeded in slaying a 
 large female walrus which had crawled to the top 
 of the ice to sleep, the capture being effected 
 with comparative ease, since we were well 
 provided with harpoons and rifles. Leaving 
 Kaschu to quarter the game, I set off at a run 
 to fetch the dogs and sledge, and, finding them 
 where we had left them, returned at full speed 
 
Hunting 121 
 
 to where I had left my friend. See him, 
 however, I could not; for, although but just 
 after noon, the twilight was dim, and only a 
 strong red glow in the southern vault of heaven 
 indicated the direction whence we might expect 
 the longed-for sun. Suddenly the sledge made 
 a small jump as it ran noiselessly out upon a 
 dark, velvety, soft stretch of bending ice. I 
 suspected that the dogs in the semi-darkness 
 were taking a bee line across a freshly-frozen 
 way, and, in spite of the unpleasant undulations 
 that the sledge was making, it looked for a 
 moment as though I should reach the other 
 side without catastrophe. Then one of the 
 sledge runners crashed through the ice, the 
 speed slackened, and in a moment the fore part 
 of the sledge was partly buried beneath the ice. 
 
 Into the sea I must go — that I knew im- 
 mediately; and so I slipped slowly off the 
 sledge, at the same time giving a somewhat 
 rash pull at the steering arm, so that the fore- 
 end again bounded to the top of the ice crust. 
 Now an uncomfortable struggle commenced, 
 while we slowly fought our way across to the 
 
122 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 farther side of the course. Needing no en- 
 couragement, the sagacious dogs strained them- 
 selves to the utmost, fully understanding the 
 crisis. By good luck, it happened that the 
 sledge was drawn by more dogs than usual, 
 and I had twelve powerful animals in the traces ; 
 at one moment most of them were plunged 
 in the water, gaining a footing again in the 
 next by means of their sharp claws, only to 
 be once more drawn down again into the 
 biting waves. At last, however, after perhaps 
 a minute, which seemed to me an eternity, the 
 dogs obtained a firm footing on the other side 
 of the channel, which must have been fifteen 
 vards wide, and we were saved. A rifle and 
 a hunting knife that had been left loosely on 
 the sledge had of course disappeared, a fate 
 which had also befallen my big reindeer mittens, 
 that were now drifting about on the dark water. 
 To reach the hut again as soon as possible 
 was now my first thought, for I was soaked 
 through up to the armpits, and the temperature 
 was nearly twenty-two degrees Fahr. below zero, 
 and I was glad enough when shortly after- 
 
Hunting 123 
 
 wards I was on the sledge of one of my 
 fellow-hunters and on the road to Nokki. Now 
 and then I tried to run a little behind the 
 sledge, that I might not be altogether frozen 
 as I sat. But I had always to give in after 
 a few minutes ; for even in this brief time my 
 dress had changed to a rigid ice case, glisten- 
 ing as silver armour in the moonlight. Still I 
 did not feel the cold to any great extent, 
 having taken the precaution to tie up all the 
 openings in my skin clothes directly after the 
 accident. A couple of hours later I found 
 myself safe and sound in a native earth cabin, 
 where all shiverings were soon expelled by 
 eating masses of grilled seal blubber, and swal- 
 lowing scalding pea soup. 
 
 In summer time whole herds of walruses are 
 often met with, and, if attacked or disturbed 
 from an open boat, they may prove rather 
 dangerous to deal with. In a i^aja^ it would 
 be simply suicidal to interfere with them. On 
 one occasion, during a boating excursion across 
 Whale Sound, in August 1891, with Dr. Cook, 
 Mr. Gibson, the mineralogist, and Mr. Verhoeff, 
 
124 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 we fell in with a number of walruses basking 
 in the sun on some ice iloes directly in our 
 course. In our innocence we attacked some 
 
 WALRUS HUNTING IN NORTH GREENLAND. 
 
 of them, and to or surprise found ourselves 
 a moment afterwards surrounded by what 
 I should judge to be upwards of a hundred 
 of these monsters, as they came roaring and 
 snorting towards our boat from all directions. 
 
Hunting 125 
 
 Fortunately we were all armed with repeating 
 rifles; and an Esquimau, Ekba, who happened 
 to be on board, had with him both harpoon 
 and lance. It is, however, no exaggeration to 
 say that it was only with the greatest difficulty 
 that we succeeded in defending ourselves against 
 the enraged animals. xNot till after a long and 
 severe fight, during which we had to make 
 use of all sorts of weapons, such as an axe and 
 a boat-hook, upon the more daring brutes, did 
 we succeed in beating them back, and this not 
 till several old monarchs of the herd had suc- 
 cumbed to our shower of bullets. How many 
 we killed during the affray it is not easy to 
 say, since the slain were immediately dragged 
 by mertns of their long tusks beneath the surface 
 of the water by their solicitous comrades. Only 
 two of the dead bodies were secured by means 
 of a native harpoon and line. Had some of 
 them had the chance to fasten their teeth 
 upon the gunwale of the boat, they would have 
 easily capsized it— a fate which in former times 
 often befel the Norwegian walrus-hunters of 
 Spitzbergen. In such cases there is scarcely 
 
I 26 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 any hope of being saved, unless another boat 
 is close at hand. 
 
 Besides the method of seal hunting already 
 described in this chapter, another and more 
 important system of attack is resorted to during 
 the summer and spring, when the seals are for 
 the most part passing their time sleeping or 
 resting upon the sunny surface of the ice-fields. 
 In April, when the hunting commences, the ice 
 in the fjords is about six months old, and since 
 it is about five feet thick, it is only by main- 
 taining and widening the breathing holes made 
 in the past autumn that the little fjord seal 
 keeps open a passage for itself through the 
 mighty ice layer. The Esquimau starts on 
 his expedition in the early morning hours, that 
 he may gain as much time as possible. At 
 the end of April the sun is on the horizon 
 day and night, and from that month onwards 
 during the summer, the seals may be seen 
 upon the ice day and night as well. But it 
 is in the day-time, when the heat is greatest 
 and the glare of sunshine most intense, that 
 the best conditions for hunting offer, for the 
 
limiting 127 
 
 seal is then drowsy and less alert than usual. 
 It is not long before the native with his trained 
 eye discovers one or perhaps a group of black 
 spots far away upon the wide snow plain. 
 Once within a distance of about a thousand 
 yards from the seals, he stops his dogs rather 
 than run the risk of driving the animals aw^ay 
 before he can get near enough for his attack, 
 and, harpoon in hand, advances cautiously on 
 foot. Should his team be composed of dogs 
 accustomed to this form of hunting they can 
 be trusted to remain motionless ; otherwise, the 
 hunter must take the precaution of turning 
 the sledge upside down to check any possible 
 attempt to run away. As he approaches the 
 seals he assumes a stooping position, until at 
 length he is practically tiat upon the ice. 
 From this moment his progress is made on 
 all fours, his one idea now being to make 
 the seals believe that, so far from being a 
 treacherous enemy, he is in reality one of 
 themselves. If one of them glances up, the 
 hunter immediately ceases to advance, at the 
 same time scraping the snow with one foot or 
 
128 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 hand in true seal fashion, while producing from 
 his throat a faithful imitation of the strange 
 hissing sound of the animal. 
 
 SIAI.KING SKAI.S IX SPUING AND SUMMER. 
 
 It is interesting to study the seals and 
 their movements at close quarters. Some are 
 resting leisurely upon the side, like a recumbent 
 man ; others on the stomach, with the head 
 dropped drowsily upon the snow ; and others 
 
Huntino- 129 
 
 •^> 
 
 again stretch themselves upon their backs with 
 an air of supreme indifference, lazily brushing 
 their round bodies with their short flippers. 
 Now and then some seal suddenly rears the 
 fore part of its body into the air, stretching 
 the glossy supple neck, looking and scenting 
 about with newly roused suspicion. 
 
 Arrived near his prey the hunter suddenly 
 rises, and makes a couple of quick forward 
 jumps to get as close as possible to them ; 
 and the next moment his harpoon, with its 
 quivering line attached, flies through the air. 
 One of the seals is hit in the back as it was 
 on the point of gliding down into the sea, 
 and is then secured. So soon as he has the 
 seal upon the ice again, he need only send a 
 friendly shout echoing back to the dogs, if 
 they have been left loose, and they will arrive 
 upon the scene at the top of their speed. 
 
 The harpoon used for this kind of seal-hunting 
 is as a rule rather less than a yard and a half 
 long. It consists of two main parts : the 
 harpoon handle, which is of wood, strengthened 
 at one end with ivory, and the harpoon point 
 
 9 
 
I30 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 Itself, furnished with an iron tip only connected 
 with the handle by the line so long as the 
 whole gear is at rest, or in the air. When 
 the seal is hit. and the line tightens, the handle 
 immediately frees itself, the deadly point re- 
 maining fixed in the animal's body. 
 
 Of the hunting of large sea-animals by the 
 Esquimaux, the capture of the narwhal only 
 remains to be mentioned. Until some twenty 
 years ago this sport was conducted entirely from 
 the ice, and by the side of lanes and other large 
 openings; for the natives at that time were 
 without any means of moving on the sea, with the 
 exception of a few natural rafts they had made 
 from drifting ice Hoe. At present, narwhal hunt- 
 ing is carried on from kajaks. The reason why 
 the Innuits were so long without this means of 
 conveyance is that, in their constant progress 
 northwards, they gradually deserted those regions 
 where a supply of wood could be obtained, so 
 that by degrees the art of building was forgotten. 
 This explanation is given by the Esquimaux 
 themselves, who say that, although a generation 
 ago they were able to obtain a wood supply, owing 
 
Ihintinqf 131 
 
 to the intercourse held between the Cape York 
 Innuits and English whalers, they still lack the 
 necessary knowledge for building those remarkable 
 boats of which they retain some dim tradition. 
 IWely twenty years ago, however, when a little 
 crowd of natives who survived the famine so 
 fatal to their tribe reached the Greenland coasts 
 across Smith's Sound, the manufacture of kajaks 
 was again introduced. The boats therefore 
 resemble in their peculiar shape those in use 
 on the American side of Baffin's Bay, although 
 they have none of those large skin-boats called 
 oviiaks, or boats for women, even if they are 
 now acquainted with the secret of their build. 
 Two teachers of boat building, the very venerable 
 Kommanapek, and Mektascha, are alive to this 
 day, and still recount with trembling voices how 
 they, famished and empty-handed, at last reached 
 an unknown tribe on the Greenland coast, a 
 generous people who unhesitatingly received 
 them, and whose kindness they have certainly 
 been able to repay by means of the information 
 they could impart of the more fully developed 
 civilisation of lower latitudes. 
 
132 With Peary near tlie Pole 
 
 From what has been said as to the compara- 
 tively recent introduction of the Ji-aJaJi's among 
 the Innuits in North Greenland, it will be under- 
 stood that these people are far from possessing 
 the same skill in navigation as their more 
 practised brethren have acquired through the 
 use of centuries ; nor are their boats so neat 
 and elegant in shape, though more steady and 
 less dangerous. Still we must admire the con- 
 summate skill with which they have already 
 learnt to handle their frail craft at sea. Indeed, 
 in latter years they have frequently ventured 
 across Inglefield Gulf at the entrance; of Bowdoin 
 Bay, a stretch of about fifteen miles, where 
 sudden strong east winds often throw the sea 
 into a state of wildest tumult. And yet these 
 ^^ajaks are practically open boats— that is to say, 
 they are j)rovided with an open space in the 
 middle far larger than is necessary to accom- 
 modate the body of the sculler, and without an 
 arrangement common to the kaJaJts of the South 
 Greenlanders of a watertight tarpaulin or skin, 
 which guards the boat from the danger of 
 being swamped in high seas. 
 
Iluntint^' 133 
 
 A younp^ Esquimau, named Kolotcnj^ua, was 
 thti first to perform this daring feat, in 1893. '^ 
 is not hard to understand what a desperate 
 degree of courage is needed to undertake such 
 a voyage in so frail a boat, more especially 
 when we recollect that a native, should his boat 
 ca{)size or fill, must inevitably sink to the bottom 
 like a broken pot, on account of the icy tempera- 
 ture of the water, and his entire ignorance ot 
 the art of swimming. 
 
 As I have already stated, narwhal fishing is 
 done principally from the kajak. The hunters 
 as a rule kee[) near to each other, and as soon 
 as one has successfully cast his harpoon, the 
 others press forward to assist at the death. 
 The deed accomplished, the narwhal is towed 
 home by the whole company, each member 
 getting his share according to certain definite 
 arrangements for the division of spoil. Who- 
 ever is the first to wound or attack an animal, 
 whether it be narwhal, bear, seal, walrus, or 
 reindeer, is always regarded as the slayer, and 
 takes to himself almost all the glory as well 
 as the greater portion of the prey. 
 
134 W ith Peary near the Pole 
 
 Tlic meat of the narwhal is tough, but the 
 natives appear to find it l)oth nourishino^ and 
 tastv, and. since it is obtained in abundant 
 quantities during tlie summer, it forms a much 
 vaUicd means of sustenance. The sinews from 
 the backbone when dry yield a valuable sewing 
 thread, which in strength far surpasses that 
 obtained tVom reindeer's back. The skin, spotted 
 black and white, and decidedly gristly, is eaten 
 raw with the kt^enest relish, beinj^f cut into tinv 
 squares which resemble some temp^^ing form of 
 sweetmeat. 
 
 We now come to the hunting of land-animals 
 in North Greenland, beginninix \\\th the chase 
 of the reindeer, which naturally stands first. In 
 former years the pursuit of reindeer was much 
 neijlecte^ among the North Greenlanders. 
 Though plentiful in those regions it was only 
 with the greatest difhculty that they could be 
 killed, as all had to be accomi)lished with no 
 more formidable wea})on than the bow and 
 arrow. It was looked upon therefore n>ore or 
 less as a sport, cultivated particularly during the 
 spring and summer months, and not strictly as a 
 
Hunting 135 
 
 necessary means of obtaining food and clothing 
 for the population. It follows, therefore, that 
 the reindeer were in those days found in large 
 numbers. But as the natives gradually learned 
 the use and advantages of a rifle, more and more 
 hunters of the tribe became possessors of this 
 weapon, principally through their intercourse with 
 the two Peary expeditions. Reindeer soon became 
 a familiar food, whilst the skin grew fashionable 
 for the manufacture of men's coats. When we 
 first arrived on these coasts, in 1891, the chase 
 was still carried on v.'ith bow and arrow : at 
 our departure, in 1894, these were put away 
 upon the shelf, and the time is not far distant 
 when they will be on view only in the glass cases 
 of a few collectors, while of the reindeer itself 
 no traces will be left. The opportunity of 
 killing the deer wholesale with a volley is to 
 such sportsmen as the Esquimaux an occupation 
 far too fascinating to be missed, whether the 
 deer are required for their immediate necessities 
 or not. They are children of the moment, who 
 afterwards must pay dearly for the surprises of 
 civilisation. Now that the reindeer can be shot 
 
136 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 at a distance of from fifty to three hundred 
 yards, it is being gradually forgotten that with 
 a little patience, and with some craft, one may 
 approach within a few steps, so that it can be 
 killed with bow and arrow, or even by a well- 
 thrown stone. 
 
 It is in the spring-time, when the snow is 
 still covering the ground, that the hunter sets 
 out after reindeer. He is provided with fur 
 soles (for the most part made of bear-skin), and 
 these, so soon as he arrives at the hunting field, 
 are tied underneath the kamiks, to deaden the 
 sound of his approach as he steals forward over 
 the hard crust of snow. In an exceedingly filthy 
 sealskin case which he carries on his arm are 
 stored his bows and arrows, the latter in a little 
 compartment by themselves. Upon his back, 
 as is usually the case when hunting on foot, he 
 carries his big knife fastened to a thin skin- 
 strap tied round the shoulders. North Green- 
 land bows are usually made of three pieces of 
 reindeer rib, united by putting other pieces of 
 bone over and under the joints, and lashing 
 the whole together. To increase the elasticity 
 
Hunting 137 
 
 of the bow the strong sinews of the narwhal 
 are stretched along its back, and usually the 
 length of the bow is about three-quarters ot a 
 yard. The arrow shafts are of wood, or some- 
 times of bone, strengthened at one end by a 
 slender piece of ivory, and fitted with a sharp 
 iron tip. Often, however, the shafts consist of 
 several small pieces of wood carefully bound 
 together — a remari.. ble illustration of the scarcity 
 of wood upon these coasts. The arrows are 
 half a yard or more. 
 
 Long before they come within an ordinary 
 person's range of sight, the Esquimau with 
 his sharp eye is able to detect the presence of 
 reindeer. From this moment he advances with 
 the utmost care, his great object being, even if 
 the animals have once seen him, to prevent the 
 possibility of their suspicions being confirmed. 
 His thorough acquaintance with their nature and 
 characteristics, his great patience and inexhaust- 
 ible energy, will now stand him in good stead. 
 Time is of no importance, neither does he yield 
 to the demands of fatigue, or the voice of his 
 stomach. Should the herd from one reason or 
 
138 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 another take to their heels, he pursues them 
 unhesitatingly all through the ligiit spring night ; 
 and he will be hours advancing only a few 
 hundred feet, if he thinks thus to gain a better 
 chance of securing them. When he succeeds 
 in killing more than one deer, he is compelled, 
 if no comrades are within hail, to leave a 
 portion of the meat on the spot, and guards 
 against a visit of the Arctic fox by carefully 
 burying his treasure beneath a weight of heavy 
 stones ; then flinging on his back a couple of 
 hindquarters, and the paunches with their highly- 
 valued vegetable contents, he carries this home 
 to renew the supplies of the family larder. The 
 remainder of the meat is sent for when oppor- 
 tunity offers. 
 
 If the spot frequented by the reindeer is 
 difficult to approach unobserved, the Esquimau 
 adopts different tactics. The animals are led 
 to approach their pursuers. The hunter repairs 
 to the spot where he counts on finding his 
 game before the animals have arrived, and, 
 heaping together some loose stones behind 
 which he may secrete himself, he is quite 
 
Hunting' 
 
 139 
 
 prepared to wait hour after hour for the com- 
 pletion of his strategy, when the unsuspecting 
 deer approach him, as they move from spot to 
 spot engaged in desultory grazing. Indeed, the 
 resources of the Esquimaux when hunting deer 
 
 
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 *'v^ 
 
 
 
 
 
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 r*'4 
 
 
 A NORTH GREENLAND AUK-Cl.IKF. 
 
 are inexhaustible. Our friend Kaschu was once 
 on a hunting expedition towards the close of 
 autumn. He caught sight of his prey at last, 
 but their position was such that it was impossible 
 to approach unseen, except to windward. Now, 
 it must be confessed that the skin clothes of 
 
HO With Peary near the Pole 
 
 the Esquimaux have a somewhat rank smell, 
 and this smell the cautious reindeer cannot bear. 
 The moment they distinguish it they are oft: 
 Kaschu, knowing this, and determined to come 
 within gunshot, had to eft'ect his purpose by 
 other means— quite of his own invention— 
 which consisted in casting off his clothes and 
 approaching the place by a considerable ddtoitr, 
 clad only in his new breech-loader. He really 
 succeeded, and deserved to succeed, in getting 
 within range of the deer without being detected. 
 But the quickness with which blue-frozen Kaschu, 
 the moment the deer had fallen, was dancing 
 across the snow in search of his clothing is 
 said to have been quite phenomenal. 
 
 Hares are caught in North Greenland by 
 means of snares placed near to each other upon 
 long skin straps extended across the snow in 
 narrow glens and other likely places, but of late 
 years they have been commonly shot with the rifle. 
 The ptarmigan, strangely enough, is not sought 
 after by the tribesmen. Some superstition must 
 account for this, as its flesh is excellent. The 
 only sea-birds caught by natives are the auks 
 
Hunting- 141 
 
 and the auk-kings or lesser auks, which they 
 snare by means of a net fixed to a long stick. 
 This pursuit is carried on during the summer 
 to a very large extent by families living in their 
 tent-homes near the bird-frequented rocks, and 
 is conducted with considerable risk, for the 
 birds choose as their resorts the steepest and 
 most inaccessible parts of the coast. 
 
 Not many years ago an aged tribesman met 
 with a horrible death while auk catching at the 
 south-west part of Saunders Island, christened 
 by the natives Akpan (Auk Island), on account 
 of the extraordinary abundance of auks that make 
 it their home. In company with a half-witted 
 fellow named Aningana (" Moon "), who, by the 
 way, has the honour of being a brother of 
 Kaschu, he had mounted to the plateau, about 
 seven hundred yards in height, which crowned 
 almost the entire length of the island. Having 
 descended to the very lowest point of the 
 declivity, the fowler must be lowered over the 
 perpendicular cliff in order to reach the narrow 
 clefts and ledges where the birds nest in summer 
 time. For this purpose they use those lines 
 
142 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 which at other times are employed for walrus 
 hunting ; and, strange to say. do not hesitate, 
 whatever the giddy height of the abyss, to trust 
 their wliole weight to the support of a single 
 person on the brow. Hardly, however, had the 
 poor idiot Aningana commenced to lower his 
 comrade, when he could no longer hold on, 
 and the unhappy man fell at terrific speed, to 
 be dashed to death on a projecting foot of 
 the rock below. Once, when on a sledge 
 journey with Kolotengua, we passed close to the 
 very spot where this accident occurred; and, as 
 I looked up at the grey mountain wall, it 
 appeared to me inconceivable that people should 
 ever dare so much for the sake of a few eggs 
 or birds. 
 
 Upon another occasion, an Esquimau had his 
 leg crushed while auk hunting high up on one 
 of the large stone heaps which may be seen in 
 many places at the foot of the mountains, and 
 which are more especially the resort of the auk- 
 king. Swoon the poor fellow could not : it was 
 a practice unknown to him ; and he immediately 
 commenced to drag himself homewards. His 
 
Hunting 143 
 
 leg was shortly afterwards amputated by the 
 advice of some wise men and women, and it 
 was not long before he was about again on his 
 stump, as hale and hearty as ever, amusing 
 himself and the whole colony immensely. 
 
 It is not easy to understand how this and 
 similar operations have been accomplished 
 successfully, when we bear in mind the primitive 
 nature of the instruments used by the Esquimaux 
 surgeons in such circumstances — a filthy knife 
 and some blubbery sealskin straps. But here 
 upon this lonely domain Nature seems to bring 
 all her forces to man's aid, healing in an almost 
 oft-hand fashion sores and fractures which at 
 home would require the most careful nursing. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE SLEDGE JOURNEYS OF THE ESQUIMAUX. 
 THE NORTH-GREENLAND DOGS. 
 
 Al/'HEN we picture to ourselves two hundred 
 and fifty people scattered in tiny groups 
 of a score or so apiece, along the stretch of coast 
 between Ramsgate and Scarborough, we shall 
 have a more or less correct idea of the popula- 
 tion in the 'northernmost country of the Innuits. 
 And when we find that, in spite of the com- 
 paratively great distances, the Esquimaux ladies 
 at one end of the country know all about the 
 latest domestic events, and the small scandals 
 amongst their cousins at the other end, we may 
 be perfer^'y sure that this news has been con- 
 veyed by means of the dog-sledge. 
 
 144 
 
Sledge Journeys of the iLsciuiniaiix 145 
 
 When the roads arc in good condition, journeys 
 may be made by this method which seem ahnost 
 incredible from our point of view. For instance, 
 it is no uncommon occurrence for the distance 
 between the northernmost and most southerly 
 settlement — more than a hundred and seventy 
 miles — to be covered in four days and nights 
 with a single team of dogs, while the trip has 
 even been accomplished in three days. To the 
 Esquimaux, as a general rule, however, it is a 
 matter of small moment whether their destination 
 is reached a day earlier or later : nothing, in fact, 
 is more striking to a white man who may be 
 accompanying them "tn their long sledge journeys, 
 than their complete carelessness of everything 
 relating to time. 
 
 In the estimation of the Esquimaux, the sledge 
 is the most comfortable conveyance that man 
 could wish for. As for the cold to which he is 
 exposed, he never stops to think of that, since 
 it rarely causes him discomfort ; while the white 
 fields, across which he is travelling, fail to make 
 upon his mind that same desolate and forsaken 
 
 impression that they do upon a Southerner. 
 
 10 
 
146 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 Let us accompany him lor avvliilc on one of 
 his. journeys. At a i)oint hcncath the tall blue 
 promontory to the north, old acquaintances are 
 living, in whose comfortable huts he may expect 
 to enjoy unlimited hosj)itality, and, turning to 
 look backward ov^er his shoulder towards the 
 south, he may still faintly discern the Reindeer 
 Mountains behind his own home. Exactly here 
 upon this very spot where he is at present 
 resting, in the very middle of the traffic line of 
 the limiteci little world in which he moves, two 
 years ago he killed a big iij^suk, the skin of 
 which still supplies the material o\ which his 
 shoes and his harpoon lines are made. 
 
 Perhaps during the journey we may meet with 
 a rugged, irregular belt of ice. A scraping sound 
 is heard beneath one of the runners, and we 
 discover that a length of ivory shoeing has been 
 torn from its place. This will cost us a delay 
 of ten minutes, and, whatever the indifference of 
 the native, we cannot refrain from fretting a 
 little at the thought of this unexpected hindrance. 
 But the matter grows even worse when the 
 native informs us that the lashing is worn, and 
 
Slcdtre Journeys of the F.sciuimaux 147 
 
 must be removed. Hunger and cold are alike 
 forgotten, however, as we watch our friend 
 making a new hole in the wooden runner, 
 through which he will insert his fresh lashing. 
 From the sledge he has taken a drill, consisting 
 of three parts — the drill itself, the bow, which 
 is made from the rib of a reindeer, and a skin 
 strap — and besides these a knob of ivory fitted 
 on the under side with a round hole, ready to 
 receive the wooden shaft of the drill. The 
 point of the drill consists usually of an old 
 nail ingeniously sharpened for its new purpose. 
 As the Esquimau holds the oblong piece ot 
 ivory in his mouth, which for the occasion must 
 be widened in at least four different directions, 
 we notice to our joy that he is now compelled 
 to cease his song. Stooping towards the sledge, 
 which has been laid on one side, he places the 
 iron point of the drill upon the runner, puts it 
 into the depression of the mouthpiece, and, with 
 his right hand firmly closed around the bow, 
 proceeds to draw the latter backwards and 
 forwards ; and the string of the bow, having a 
 hitch round the drill, causes it to revolve rapidly. 
 
148 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 so that in a moment the work is done, and 
 the tool frequently becomes quite hot with the 
 friction. 
 
 The sledge is soon repaired, and we continue 
 our journey. After a while we again reacli 
 even ice, but its surface is covered by fine dry 
 snow packed closely into snowdrifts, over which 
 the sledge drags heavily, as if it were so much 
 Scv..J. Once more the native makes a halt, 
 and, filling his mouth with snow, completely 
 overturns the sledge so that the runners are 
 uppermost. Moistening his hand with the water 
 that has melted in his mouth, he rubs this over 
 the polished plane of the runner, where it 
 immediately freezes. Once more he moistens 
 his hand, and again rubs it along the shoeing. 
 Continually melting more snow, he repeats the 
 manoeuvre until both runners are encased in a 
 coating of smooth ice. 
 
 After this, not even the sandy condition of 
 the snow will check the sledge from running 
 as smoothly as on the mirror surface of an 
 ice-sheet. Perhaps when, on our return journey, 
 we are sitting quietly absorbed in our medita- 
 
sledge Journeys of the Esquimaux 149 
 
 tions, the sledge will make a sudden bound, 
 the dogs in a state of frenzy deviating from 
 the right course towards a fixed spot on the 
 ice. They stop, and all their noses meet at 
 one point, where nothing is to be seen. The 
 Esquimau, however, advances, thrusts his whip 
 handle into the snow, and, as his foot presses 
 against the surface, the crust yields beneath 
 him, and we catch sight of one of the round 
 breathing-holes of a seal. When the dogs 
 have sniffed to their hearts' content, he pushes 
 them aside and stoops down to take a long 
 sniff himself. It is a very decided smell that 
 rises from these holes — a smell that is much 
 appreciated by all hunters of the tribe — so much 
 so, indeed, that it is only with the greatest 
 difficulty they can be persuaded to pass a seal- 
 hole, without stopping to enjoy the luxury of a 
 whiff 
 
 When at last the place is reached where we 
 intend to put up for the night, if this happens 
 to be uninhabited it is the work of a very 
 short time to run up a suitable snow-hut. A 
 snow-drift conveniently packed by the wind is 
 
150 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 chosen for the purpose, and by means of his 
 long snow-knife the native carves out a series 
 of huge blocks, which he places in a circle, 
 and then piles one above the other in such a 
 fashion that they join and form a solid arched 
 dome, large enough to shelter all the members 
 of the party. 
 
 Let us take a glimpse of the interior of this 
 hut, after all the crevices in walls and roof 
 have been filled in with loose snow, and 
 the oil lamp comfortably lighted. To enter, 
 one must crawl upon all fours through the little 
 hole to the leeward. If entry is sought by a 
 member of the Caucasian race, he must be 
 careful not to tear down some of the recently 
 erected building, or worse, to bring the edifice 
 about his ears ; for the opening is calculated only 
 for small people— the country's own children. 
 
 Within the hut a comparatively high tem- 
 perature is gradually acquired, which, by 
 commencing to melt the snow of the ceiling, 
 makes the hut so much the stronger, as the 
 several snow-blocks shrink and freeze together 
 into one hard cupola of ice, which glistens 
 
Sledge Journeys of the Hsquimaux 151 
 
 like glass over our heads. Little by little the 
 melting snow trickles slowly down the walls ot 
 the cabin, until the tiny rills of water reach the 
 
 ' m--4 
 
 i 
 
 .^^-^^S*^ 
 
 
 -*;*•' 
 
 ARRIVAL OI'" TRAVKI.l.KKS AT A WINTKR COLONY. YOUNG MOTHER 
 
 IN FOR KG ROUND. 
 
 floor, and form themselves into fairy icicles. 
 As night goes on the lamp burns more feebly, 
 and finally the melting process ceases. 
 
 Upon the snow platform at the back of the 
 
152 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 hut the hunters lay out their skins, and on 
 the top of these stretch their exhausted limbs, 
 perhaps after having first cast off all, or the 
 greater portion of, their clothing. After a long 
 day's drive, it is the feet which have suffered 
 more than anything from the cold; but now 
 their turn has come, and the Esquimaux tuck 
 them snugly away each upon the other's stomach. 
 Never shall I forget the first time that I 
 accepted the offer of a dirty but friendly hunter, 
 and soon found him to be as warm as he was 
 warm-hearted. But then the fellow actually 
 claimed in return, quite as a matter of course, 
 to warm himself in a similar way upon me. 
 This was unlooked for. I glanced at his feet, 
 and found them to be as black as pitch ; for he 
 was a man of more than twenty-five. Never- 
 theless he might need to have his feet warmed 
 quite as much as I did, and there seemed to 
 be a promise of interest in experiencing both 
 sensations. 
 
 "All right," I said, in good Esquimau, 
 closing my eyes, and waiting in suspense. I have 
 several times tumbled into the sea near the 
 
Sledge Journeys of the lisquimaux 153 
 
 seventy-eighth degree, and I have bathed in 
 snow upon the inland ice of Greenland ; but 
 I will say this, that a more terrific shock than 
 that with which I was seized when I felt for 
 the first time a pair of ice-cold paws planted 
 upon me I have never experienced. 
 
 In the evening, when supper is over, some 
 hunters may be seen to take out needle and 
 thread, setting to work to repair their clothes 
 with an adroitness which even their wives could 
 not surpass. 
 
 It is only in the winter and early in the 
 spring that the Esquimau builds himself snow- 
 huts, when he has to put up for the night in 
 some desolate region. When the spring is 
 more advanced, or in summer-time, he sleeps 
 either in a skin tent, or out in the open air, 
 just as he is. In the latter case he flings him- 
 self down upon a patch of moss, pulls both 
 arms out of the sleeves of his outer garment, 
 and, folding them across his chest, soon drops 
 off into the snoring sleep of the just. 
 
 Often, when on his sledge travels, the Esqui- 
 mau has to cover long stretches of country 
 
154 With^ Peary near the Pole 
 
 where the sea ice is here and there unsafe, or 
 broken into fragments. It is then he exhibits 
 his full power, handling his wild team with ex- 
 quisite skill up and down steep glens, dangerous 
 glaciers, and awful moraines. 
 
 On the other hand, I once, with Kolotengua, 
 descended a steep glacier in the most easy 
 manner imaginable. We had been away for 
 more than a month on our sledge journey in 
 Melville Bay, and, in order to shorten the road 
 homeward, we had chosen a route across a 
 broad tongue of land surmounted by a grand 
 snow dome. For our descent we selected a 
 valley down which a tongue of the glacier 
 extended almost to the sea ice. Kolotengua 
 was inspired with a desperate longing to be 
 back in the arms of his young wife, and found 
 it both too tedious and too slow to check 
 the speed down the long inclines with his 
 brake. So he let loose the dogs, and, mount- 
 ing the sledge astride, endeavoured to make 
 me follow his example. At first I hesitated a 
 little, but, seeing that it promised some amuse- 
 ment, I finally gave way. Little use would it 
 
Sledge Journeys of the Hsquimaux 155 
 
 be for me to attempt a description of the 
 speed with which we shot downwards over the 
 glassy surface of that glacier, now and then 
 rushing through loose snow-drifts that threw 
 up clouds of diamond dust about us. The 
 sensation was similar to that which an aeronaut 
 must feel when a balloon suddenly collapses, 
 and he finds himself tumbling downwards towards 
 the house-roofs of a town far below. We were, 
 I think, as much in the air during that descent 
 as we were upon the sledge, only occasionally 
 thumping down upon the latter " to draw breath." 
 No time, however, was saved by this aerial 
 flight ; for no sooner had we stopped, close to 
 the brink of the sea-ice, than we had immedi- 
 ately to ascend that long incline again in search 
 of lost objects, such as a knife, a stone pot, 
 a mitten, and other things which had fallen 
 abroad. 
 
 It is interesting to observe how the Esquimau 
 economises time when he linds himself face to 
 face with those long open lanes and canals in 
 the ice which can only be rounded with the 
 greatest difficulty. In this case some drifting 
 
156 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 block-ice, which can always be discovered close 
 at hand, is made to answer all the purposes of 
 a raft ; but when the lane is so narrow that the 
 sledge can reach from one side to the other the 
 native releases the dogs, allowing them to jump 
 or swim across, and they will wait for him in 
 the most docile manner, while, holding fast to 
 the steering arms of the sledge, he swings 
 himself across on their tracks. During such 
 manoeuvres as these one sees proofs of the rare 
 hardiness of the Esquimaux ; for even if they 
 fall into the water— which, however, does not 
 often happen in winter-time, owing to the great 
 thickness of the ice— the accident is not looked 
 upon as in any way a serious matter, though 
 swim they cannot, and frozen they certainly 
 
 will be. 
 
 In February 1892 a man named Tavenoe 
 had the ill luck to fall into the water. He was 
 pulled out by his comrade, wet to the skin, and 
 the day was intensely cold. Though his home 
 was within sight he would not return to it, but 
 calmly continued his journey as if nothing had 
 happened. By the time we had reached our 
 
Sledge Journeys of the Ksquimaux 157 
 
 quarters in the evening his clothes were dry, 
 at least on the inside, and he was smiling as 
 complaisantly as ever. 
 
 But if it may be said of the North Greenland 
 Esquimaux that hardiness and toughness are 
 their characteristics, the same remark applies in 
 even a higher degree to their faithful dogs. The 
 fatigue and the privation that they can endure 
 really borders upon the incredible. Their ap- 
 pearance reminds one not a little of the Nor- 
 wegian P^inn dog, though their hair is longer, 
 their build more elastic, and their general ap- 
 pearance handsomer. So great is their strength 
 that a man on level ground has the utmost 
 difficulty in holding in check two or three dogs, 
 if they take it into their heads to be obstreperous 
 — provided, of course, he has no whip to cow 
 them with. North Greenland dogs vary in 
 colour, the commonest being grey, white-spotted, 
 and black. There is usually a round, light 
 patch over the eyebrows. Dogs entirely white 
 may frequendy be seen, and I believe that 
 these, could a comparison be instituted, would 
 be found almost exactly to resemble the Arctic 
 
158 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 wolves found principally in th(i islands north of 
 America. 
 
 It is true that the Esquimau dog, as a rule, 
 carries his bushy tail curled neatly over his 
 back, but there are some which, like the wolf, 
 affect a sombre droop. Indeed, there can he 
 scarcely any doubt that the breed of dogs we 
 speak of, when still running wild in the northern- 
 most woods that creep into the Arctic zone, was 
 absolutely identical with the lar[^e species of 
 wolves of the present day ; while it is almost 
 certain that since domestication they have not 
 been crossed with other varieties. 
 
 Their food consists exclusively of raw meat 
 and blood, varied with blubber, walrus skin, 
 and all sorts ot intestines. Water they only get 
 in summer time, whilst the snow is melting, 
 and hundreds of tiny brooks are met with all 
 along every coast line. In winter, even after 
 the most fatiguing work, they must be content 
 to slake their thirst as best they can on the 
 snow-covered ground. Even their food they 
 do not get regularly every day, but on an 
 average three times a week. 
 
Sledge Journeys of the Hsquimaux 159 
 
 When it happens that there is a superabundant 
 stock of meat at the settlement, they may be 
 allowed to help themselves at pleasure ; but at 
 other times, especially during the winter, or on 
 sledge journeys, they may have to go without a 
 morsel for three or four days at a stretch. Yet 
 they do not suffer so much as one would expect 
 from this irregularity, having, with certain other 
 animals, the capacity to take sufficient food at 
 a single meal to last for a length of time. 
 Except for the first few days of their existence 
 they live perpetually in the open air. In the 
 severest months of winter, and during the 
 most violent gales, they suffer nothing at all 
 from being without shelter, unless they chance 
 to be snowed up. 
 
 In spite of the wild and irregular life of 
 the Esquimau clog, it has gradually, during 
 its service to man, acquired several intellectual 
 qualities, characteristic of its more domesticated 
 brother— such as affection, obedience, and fiiith- 
 fulness towards its master. In return, the 
 Esquimau regards his dog in a spirit of the 
 most touching devotion, though he seldom shows 
 
i6o With Peary near the Pole 
 
 his feelings by caresses or friciully words. On 
 the contrary, when \\c first made his accjuaint- 
 ancc durinuj his drives, we could not help teelini,^ 
 that his conduct called Tor some reminder that 
 the whip miji^ht be used with less zeal than he 
 seemed to think generally nec(!ssary. IJut this 
 is only at first. We soon learn that the con- 
 tinual use of the whip is as essential in drivinir 
 Esquimaux dogs as the tnnployment of reins, 
 whip, and spurs is with horses. 
 
 The dogs are usually fastened to the fore, 
 part of the sledgt; with straps made from the 
 skin of the ngsuk, which radiate from a common 
 loop, so that they run alongside each other. 
 The harness is of the most simple kind, answer- 
 ing its purpose admirably ; it is made either of 
 seal or bear-skin. The keenest of the doirs is 
 allowed a somewhat longer strap than the others, 
 allowing him to run as a shining example just 
 in front of his comrades — a p(Jsition the great 
 responsibilities of which he seems fully to under- 
 stand. 
 
 That there is no lack of intelligence in the 
 Esquimau dog, is especially apparent in their 
 
Sledge Journeys of the Iisciuiinaux i6i 
 
 cainicity as thieves. It is exclusively eatables 
 that they steal, including their own harness, as 
 well as their master's tent, his trousers, foot- 
 coverings, and shirts, to say nothing of the 
 lashings of the sledge, and a host of other 
 articles made of skin ; so that their owners have 
 their patience perpetually put to the proof-an 
 ordeal which would certainly cause any un- 
 practised Southerner to explode with rage. 
 
 I have seen an I<squimau awake to lind 
 the hairs of his reindeer-coat scattered to the 
 four winds outside his hut, and the greater part 
 of the skin devoured ; but all the anger he could 
 conjure up against the culprit exploded in a 
 muttered " Naav-ajo-tupilaleksjosjo-sinapadujo- 
 takko," or "Look! did you ever see such a 
 miserable fool.?" After which the "miserable 
 fool" was again tied to the stone slab from 
 which he had escaped. And then, again, I 
 have seen two sons of the higher civilisation 
 wake up to find their mittens torn to pieces, 
 and lying half-eaten on the snow beside their 
 couch. One of them resorted to the natural 
 relief of swearing, so that lightning seemed 
 
 II 
 
i62 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 to flash before the eyes of his companion ; but 
 the other, who was of graver sort, clutched the 
 heavy whip-handle, seized the dog he judged 
 to be most to blame, and beat it across its lean 
 backbone until the weapon broke into splinters 
 lengthwise and across. 
 
 Once I felt constrained to suggest to a native 
 that a little thrashing would be beneficial : it 
 was when one of his dogs had stolen the last 
 little bit of lamp blubber from under the very 
 nose of the man's wife ; but I shall never 
 forget the answer that I received. It was 
 himself, he said, who deserved the thrashing, 
 for not having obtained sufficient food for the 
 dog. It is a fact that so long as the dogs are 
 well fed they are not inclined to get into mischief, 
 or to resort to robbery ; and when this is borne 
 in mind one can never bear to punish them if 
 occasionally they think of themselves after 
 every one else has forgotten them. 
 
 Dogs, I have said, will often eat their pulling 
 straps ; but as these are extremely tough to 
 gnaw asunder, they usually go down their throats 
 in pieces of considerable length. During our 
 
Sledg"e Journeys of the Esquimaux 163 
 
 last winter's residence, one of the members of 
 the expedition happened to go out one dark 
 afternoon, and caught sight of a dog, among 
 the half-hundred that we had at the time, 
 on the point of devouring his harness. He 
 approached the animal, and, hoping to save the 
 little scrap that was still visible, at which the 
 dog was busily chewing, he attempted to pull 
 it away ; but he was considerably surprised as 
 he gradually pulled from the throat of that 
 dog yard after yard of line, until at length he 
 found himself in possession of more than three 
 yards of strap, which was still fit for use, even 
 if it had suffered in appearance. Needless to 
 say, that remarkable relic had to pass from man 
 to man, and finally found a place on the walls 
 of our hut as a curiosity. 
 
 When a crowd of dogs are together they 
 must be kept under constant supervision, even 
 though securely tied, for only thus is it pos- 
 sible to escape being robbed and plundered. 
 If, in such circumstances, one quietly goes to 
 sleep, there; will often arise quite a competition 
 among the smaller animals as to who will be 
 
164 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 the first to break loose and to commit some 
 daring offence. Certainly there are always dogs, 
 particularly among the males, who would never 
 lower themselves by making an attempt to 
 escape ; but they cannot resist a violent attack 
 of jealousy when they first perceive some of 
 their less honourable comrades making tracks 
 towards their master's larder. They howl and 
 growl unceasingly in a peculiarly irritating 
 manner, that cannot be mistaken when once 
 one has learnt to know its meaning. Added 
 to the noise of the more moral spectators, there 
 is heard an unholy uproar accompanying the 
 free fight that immediately commences among 
 the thieves themselves, when one or other of 
 them considers himself neglected during that 
 harvest of forbidden fruit, or excluded from the 
 spoil. Thus the rebellion is easily detected, 
 and the sleeping masters may possibly arise " " 
 time to prevent any serious damage. 
 
 Given the chance of continuing their thievish 
 designs, they are not to be stopped by trifies. 
 Stones piled upon the meat stores are easily 
 thrown upon one side with their noses. Nailed- 
 
Sledge Journeys of the Esquimaux 165 
 
 up cases they tackle with their teeth, seeming 
 to divine exactly the weakest points ; wire is 
 severed, rope torn to atoms ; indeed their depre- 
 dations -ire worse than those of many two-legged 
 criminals. Only if they chance to hit upon a 
 cask of biscuits one may feel perfectly secure 
 from fear of burglary ; for though they will eat 
 the soles of boots with keen relish, they would 
 never stoop so low as to bite into one of those 
 hard dry objects which people call " ship-bread." 
 At home, when we hear the dismal howls of 
 a dog piercmg the stillness of the night, we take 
 it as a sure sign that his heart is heavy with 
 sorrow or trouble. Not so in North Greenland. 
 While at our last winter quarter, where we had 
 frequently more than a hundred dogs together, 
 we learnt beyond doubt that these howls were 
 indeed the outcome of joy and gladness ; in fact, 
 that these utterances were their songs. As 
 choristers indeed they shone, but their concerts 
 were never held save in moments of glee, after a 
 sumptuous meal perhaps, or after a good night's 
 rest and sleep. To bring the whole chorus up 
 to the scratch it was necessary that onci of the 
 
1 66 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 company, by preference an elderly gentleman 
 of repute and distinclion, should start a long 
 "o-au o-au o-au o-au o-au." If, on the contrary, 
 a young swell attempted to boss the concert, it 
 generally ended in a complete fiasco. He would 
 utter a faint howl or two, and would at best 
 receive an answer from some other volunteer, 
 after which he would drop the attempt and 
 collapse into bashful silence. 
 
 The noise of a chorus of some fifty dogs 
 baying in unison cannot fail to create an im- 
 pression upon the listener who has no musical 
 ear. Upon those who happen to be musical 
 the effect is so genuinely comical that they can 
 hardly help laughing at the serious countenance 
 of the orchestra leader ; for amidst the general 
 uproar one seems to distinguish tremulous or 
 bass tones of old fellows, shrill notes of spinsters, 
 or of those whose voices are cracking ; and as 
 one feels that each performer corresponds in 
 some sort to those of whose voices one is 
 reminded, it is easy to understand how amusing 
 and unique such an opdra comique becomes. In 
 August 1893, during just such a concert as this, 
 
Sledge Journeys of the Esquimaux 167 
 
 in which more than eighty clogs took part, our 
 two St. Bernards, as usual, forming a silent and 
 appreciative audience, it chanced that one of the 
 four surviving asses belonging to the expedi- 
 t.on suddenly appeared amidst the orchestra 
 and struclc in with all his energy. This un- 
 expecte. blast had quite a magical effect. For 
 a n,oment there was a deathlike stillness, and 
 then such tumult arose that the performance 
 was at once postponed. Here at last was the 
 opportunity of silencing this impostor. All the 
 dogs were loose, and with a single purpose they 
 turned upon the poor brute, who, with one short 
 abortive trumpet-blow, set off, the whole array 
 close upon his heels, at thirty miles an hour 
 In the wake two of us who had witnessed the 
 whole scene ran to see the end. Down the 
 h.ll m front of the house went the entire 
 cavalcade, stones spurting in all directions 
 Then up another hill, never checking speed 
 except for a flying kick at some aggressive dog 
 The race continued across a flat piece of ground 
 behmd the house, until, struck with a bright 
 .dea, the donkey took a sharp turn to the rigk 
 
1 68 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 and bolted through the stable-door. In another 
 moment the poor creature was out of danger. 
 A few nights later, however, another and smaller 
 of our long-eared companions was so badly 
 bitten by the dogs that we were compelled to 
 shoot it — a case, no doubt, of mistaken identity. 
 It is most amusing to watch an Esquimau 
 
 
 THR DONKEY AND THE DOGS. 
 
 feeding his dog. He cuts the meat into pieces 
 about the size of a man's fist, stacks the whole 
 upon a tray, and takes up his position in front 
 of the spot where the dogs are tied up. But 
 not until they are quiedy ranged before him 
 with their eyes fixed on the meat does he venture 
 to begin feeding them. Otherwise it would be 
 quite impossible to see that each dog received 
 
Sledge JcHirneys of the Esquimaux 169 
 
 its ration, the weak as well as the strong. 
 Piece after piece is adroitly caught in the air 
 by one dog after another, as the turn of each 
 comes. When it happens that the various dogs 
 in a team are old acquaintances, and accustomed 
 to being fed together, the whole performance 
 may pass off quite peaceably; but more often 
 the meal developes into a ferocious fight. On 
 the whole the Esquimau dog is inclined to 
 be pugnacious. The best of friends fight for 
 amusement, pull hair-tufts from each other in 
 the most pleasant manner possible, howl a bit, 
 and go off to fight another friend. But it is 
 very different when two strange dog-teams by 
 chance or negligence come within touch of one 
 another. Then not only hair-tufts whirl into 
 the air, but very soon the trampled snow is 
 stained crimson. 
 
 Characteristic of these Esquimaux dogs is the 
 fact that each team has its king, who is not 
 always the strongest, but the most skilled and 
 unscrupulous bully among them, one whose 
 tyrannical flmcies no one is daring enough to 
 oppose; so when two strange teams meet a 
 
lyo ^^^ith Pcary near the Pole 
 
 single combat as a matter of course ensues 
 between the two kings, although at the same 
 time a fight is valiantly carried on in the lower 
 ranks, to settle once and for all the vv.xcx] 
 question of the future position of each individual. 
 Only when the results of all these fights have 
 been settled, does a proper balance ^of power 
 exist within the small community. The con- 
 quered king is like a crushed and ruined man : 
 the tail, once carried so proudly over his back, 
 now droops dejectedly between his legs; the 
 proud head is bent, the eyes look askance at 
 every movement of the hated victor. Mean- 
 while the conqueror stalks among his comrades, 
 bursting with inflated vanity. 
 
 The Greenland dogs are subject to a disease 
 which carries them off in great numbers year 
 by year, and even threatens to exterminate 
 the species, if one may believe the reports of 
 the natives. An attack is manifested first by 
 a loss of appetite. The dog grows more and 
 more ill-tempered, until it will bite even its 
 own master, and finally runs mad. The exact 
 cause of the disease medical skill has as yet 
 
•■^Hux.' Journeys „f the lisquiniaux .7, 
 
 !-•'«! t" detcrnun., but it is notcnvorthy ti^ 
 ■t occurs in the cok. season only, and scldcn 
 before the winter solstice, when darkness prevails, 
 or after the March equinox, when the sun first 
 begms to renew its ligln ,„,, „,,„„,,. The 
 disease also claims a large „u„,ber of victims 
 >■«"• by )<..r a„,ong the. foxes. That in some 
 way or other the epidemic is connected with 
 'he protracted darkness, the intense cold, the 
 lack of drinking water, and the continual con- 
 sumption of snow and fro.en „,eat, there can 
 be httle doubt. As a n,atter of course a disease 
 w.th .sympto„,s so closely resembling those of 
 hydrophobia gave rise to considerable anxiety 
 -'ongst us white folk, a couple of cases occurring 
 ^iniong the dogs we had with us at Redcliffe 
 House. We soon found, howexer, and this 
 
 was confirmed by the nitlvos fl,.,f ., 1 • 
 
 y un. ii.unes, that a man bitten 
 
 by a dog suffering from this diseas<,. runs no 
 danger whatever. Since it is a matter of great 
 ■•"portance to future Polar explorers who 'may 
 pur,,ose making use of the Esquimat, doc. on 
 the,r sle,ghing expeditions to prevent the occur- 
 rence of this disease so far as may be possible 
 
172 with Peary near the I\)le 
 
 I venture to express my conviction that this 
 end may be accomplished by employing electric 
 or other artificial light during the winter months, 
 and providing some shelter for the dogs during 
 severe weather ; by insisting that all meat given 
 to them should be in a thawed, and not in a 
 frozen state ; and, last but not least, that, by 
 hook or crook, they should have an abundant 
 supply of drinking water. 
 
 In North Greenland, a marriage between two 
 dogs is often binding for life— a state of affu'rs 
 worthy of imitation among flighty street dogs 
 all the world over. At our winter quarters a 
 number of the females were entitled " Mrs." 
 If a dog is to have a litter in winter time, a 
 retreat is found for her upon one of the side 
 bunks in the hut, as close as possible to the 
 spot where lamps are burning; and here she 
 usually remains with her pups until the worst 
 part of the winter is over. At short intervals 
 she disappears into the cold and darkness, 
 and licks snow from the ground, the need 
 of water being considerable during the time 
 of nursing. Nowhere else do pups meet with 
 
Slcdn-c Journeys of the Hsquiniaux 173 
 
 such affection upon their entrance into this 
 world as here, and nowhere do they receive 
 such proofs of tender and genuine love during 
 their puppy hood, as in the earth hut of the 
 poor Esquimaux. The father of the house 
 plays with them and christens them, the mother 
 of the house makes handsome white neckties 
 of bearskin for the dark-skinned little ones, 
 while the children pat and caress them all day 
 long. Perhaps during the course of spring 
 they reach a size when their master may com- 
 mence their training ; and so, on a fine day. he 
 fits each with a tiny set of harness, and takes 
 them out, one or two at a time, for short 
 drives in company with older animals. They 
 soon learn the meaning of the different calls, 
 and grow familiar with the whip, until their 
 education is completed. Were it not for these 
 remarkable animals, we should never have com- 
 pleted the journey which I shall describe in the 
 next chapter. 
 
 b^ 
 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 NORTHWARD ON THE GREENLAND 
 INLAND ICE. 
 
 IN the spring of 1892 the sun, iifter an 
 absence of nearly four months, had scarcely 
 illuminated the sea-ice, the snow-mountains, and 
 the glaciers around our small winter quarters, 
 when life appeared once more outside our desolate 
 hut. Out upon the hard snow-drifts skilful 
 joiners were at work completing the skis, sledges, 
 and the many other requisites for our intended 
 journey to the interior. At last everything 
 seemed ready for our start, and during April 
 we were able to begin the transport of all 
 the provisions and the outfit that we wanted 
 during the journey from our winter quarters to 
 the head of MacCormick Bay, a distance of more 
 than twenty miles. For this work we used dogs 
 recently purchased from the natives, and a couple 
 of newly built sledges. When the various articles 
 
 174 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 175 
 
 were collected at the head of the bay, there still 
 remained the task of removing the whole', to the 
 top of the inland ice, the nearest point of which 
 was here about eighteen hundred feet above the 
 level of the sea, and upwards of two miles from 
 the coast. On April 30th Dr. Cook, Mr. Gibson 
 and I, in company with five friendly Esquimaux, 
 commenced this exceedingly fatiguing work ; for 
 the road, leading through heavy snow-drifts, and 
 up steep stony inclines, compelled us to make 
 each load a light one. In three days, however, 
 we managed to accomplish the worst part of it, 
 and were able to dismiss our Esquimaux friends, 
 who were growing impatient. During the time 
 thus occupied we had spent the nights in the 
 open air, and so well were we protected by our 
 skin coats that the cold (several degrees below 
 zero) did not trouble us in the least. By 
 May 3rd Mr. Peary arrived from the winter 
 quarters, accompanied by Matt, and bringing 
 with him the remainder of the dogs ; and that 
 same day we discovered, to our delight and sur- 
 prise, that the long, unevenly-sloping mountain 
 plateau which lay between us and the inland 
 
176 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 ice was covered by a sufficiently-connected series 
 of snow-drifts to enable us to use our sledges. 
 
 After two days more of hard work, in which 
 we were much assisted by our twenty powerful 
 dogs, we at last succeeded in getting the whole 
 outfit pulled up to the very edge of the inland 
 ice ; but in spite of this encouragement all our 
 troubles did not end here. 
 
 On the height, close to a projecting crag, we 
 built a spacious snow-hut, the sky having by 
 degrees assumed a more and more threatening 
 aspect ; and presently a snowstorm arose, but was 
 at first not so severe as to prevent us making a 
 temporary division of provisions and outfits upon 
 the various sledges, and determining how many 
 and what dogs each man was to have at his 
 disposal. During this week Matt, who in the 
 earlier part of the spring had been b.idly frost- 
 bitten in the h '1, but had recovered, began to 
 complain of pains in the foot, so that Mr. Peary 
 had to abandon the idea of" taking him with us 
 during the first part of the voyage ; for Matt 
 had, in the course of the spring, acquired no 
 inconsiderable practice In the iirt of handling 
 
Northward on (Jrccnlancl Inland Ice 177 
 
 the l)oist(jroLis doors. So h( as sent hack to 
 Redcliffe House. 
 
 Our outfit was In many respects different from 
 that of previous expeditions. Most of the articles 
 of which it consisted, such as sledges, s/x'is, 
 sleeping-l)ags, and skin clothes, we had manu- 
 factured ourselves in the course of the winter 
 and si)ring with m.iterials brought from America, 
 and were the outcome; of rather extensive ex- 
 perience and practical trial. The ilrst object we 
 bore in mind was to mak(i evervthinu: as li^ht 
 as possible, where; this could be; accomplished 
 without sacrificing too much strength. We made 
 in all eight sledges of four different types, 
 although we scarcely expected to use half that 
 num1)er. Our sole olij(;ct was to be prepared 
 should the roa.ds during spring and summer i'ail 
 to come up to our expectations. Directly wc; had 
 dell nitelv ascertained the nature of the roads, we 
 left behind the four superfluous sledges, of which 
 one was flat-bottomed, another almost entirely 
 of corrugated iron, and two others on runners 
 with ivorv shoeing. The four that remained 
 were all of one type, suited lor a long journey, 
 
 12 
 
178 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 with flat ash runners, unprotected by any shoeing 
 whatever. Of these the largest was thirteen feet 
 in length and two feet wide, and was provided 
 along the runners with upright supports six 
 inches high ; on the top of these rested the 
 cross-beams, which together with some longitudi- 
 nally running ash and bamboo sticks supported 
 the load. The runners were four inches wide. 
 Brackets of reindeer horn strengthened the some- 
 what obtuse angles between the side and cross- 
 beams, and the various parts were knit together 
 by sealsliin thongs. The total weight was forty- 
 eight pounds, and il was capable of carrying a 
 load of a thousand pounds without overstraining. 
 Another sledge was exactly of the same build, 
 with the difference that it was two feet shorter, 
 with runners three and a half inches in width. 
 It weighed thirty-five pounds, and was calculated 
 to carry a maximum weight of about eight 
 hundred pounds. The third sledge, which I 
 had made, was ten feet long and sixteen inches 
 across ; its runners were three inches wide, with 
 uprights two inches high. Its weight was only 
 thirteen pounds, in spite of which it carried 
 
_NcMtIward on Greenland Inland Ice 179 
 during the greater f^^rT^T^^^;;:^;^^^ 
 of four hundred pounds. Of all the sledges this 
 one alone can,e back to the starting point. 
 
 Dunng our journey the three Americans made 
 exclus^e use of the native snow-shoes, e.xcept 
 tha Mr. Peary for a short time adopted a pair 
 of l.ght skis. For my own part I used a pair 
 of ash skis, nine feet long, of my own make, 
 wh.ch lasted excellently during the whole journey 
 although towards the end of it they appeared 
 to be pretty ripe for a new pair of soles. At 
 the outset we carried with us as a reserve some 
 I'ght pine skis, but most of these were soon 
 utilised in the service of the cook. 
 
 Our clothes were ahnost entirely made of skin 
 and were nearly of the same pattern as those 
 of the natives. On the upper part of the body 
 we wore a reindeer /■«/./«/, ,,ith cape, or in 
 calm weather a sealskin neUAa. Our trousers 
 reachmg to the knee, all difiered from one another 
 w.th regard to the material used. Those of 
 Mr. Peary were of black and white dogskin 
 obtamed shortly before our departure. They 
 were joined together in such a manner that 
 
i8o With Peary near the Pole 
 
 they were white in front ;ind jet black liehind, 
 with th(; relief of a white stripe across the 
 centre. Dr. Ccjok had reind('er trousers, Mr. 
 Gibson trousers of bearskin, whilst mine were 
 of sealskin, which, as a matter of course, could 
 not compete with the others in warmth. Upon 
 the feet we wore sealskin kaiuiks, the stock- 
 ings inside being either of reindeer skin or 
 thick wool, h or underwear we adopted woollen 
 garments, covering the hands usually with woollen 
 mittens, and a pair of sealskin gloves outside. 
 Part of our equipment was, necessarily, a pair 
 of snow spectacles, which were hardly taken off 
 throughout the trip, the sun proving almost as 
 embarrassing by night as by day. 
 
 Thus dressed, we were thoroughly protected 
 against cold, and even the piercing winds of 
 the ice desert were not able to trouble us much. 
 And yet this dress, under-garments included, did 
 not weigh more than fifteen [rounds. In calm 
 weather we wore upon the head a thin knitted 
 skull-cap, throwing back the skin cape of the 
 cloak. However, I often went bareheaded ; 
 for my hair, having grov/n to a great length. 
 
_^^wthuaRl <Mi Greenland Inland Ice i8i 
 
 Md „K. all the prot.:^^~li:::^^;;;;;^ 
 
 Jim the moment the wind commenced svveephi,. 
 however lightly, .bout our ears, we wasted n";^ 
 tune m burying our lieads in the capes. 
 
 Our sleeping-bags, made of reindeer skins with 
 the hair turned inwards, were surely the lightest 
 a.Kl the warmest that had e^■er been used on 
 u sledge expedition in the Arctic regions. They 
 weighed ten or eleven pounds, were open at 
 one end, and. once safely inside of one, the tenant 
 could .so lace the opening .around his neck that 
 only h,s head projected from the delightfully 
 close envelope. The head, which during sleep 
 was wrap,,ed in the warn, cape of the skin 
 jacket, might with indifference be laid tipon a 
 •snow block, a teapot, or any other article e,,uallv 
 suitable for the enjoyn.ent of a pleasant nioht's 
 rest. ^ 
 
 These sleeping-bags were of less in,portance 
 to us than we e.xi,ected, since we soon di. vered 
 that our dresses, supplemented merely wan a pair 
 o' hea^•y sleeping-leggings, uere stifficientK- 
 "■arm lor all purposes. .Moreover, this sin,„le 
 ."Cthod had the adunuage that ,f during our 
 
1 82 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 camping time we were suddenly awakened by 
 one of our dogs breaking loose, it was no longer 
 necessary to crawl out of a warm sleeping-bag 
 
 and struggle with one's 
 kamiks before setting about 
 the recapture of the animal. 
 We took no tent with us, 
 on account of the weight ; 
 and in calm weather, when 
 the wind was not too strong, 
 we always slept in the open 
 air. In times of storm, or 
 snow-falls, we had intended 
 .. to take refuge in snow-huts 
 
 : .: c: ^ built Esquimaux flishion — a 
 
 plan, however, that was soon 
 abandoned. They took too 
 long to build, and our 
 
 A COMING UKAR-IIUiNTKR. i ^ . . 
 
 marches were so latigumg 
 that we slept with pleasure wherever we could 
 find room to lie down. However, we hit, as 
 will be seen, upon an effective and economical 
 means of protecting ourselves against storm 
 and snow. 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 183 
 
 Of instruments we took with us one theodo- 
 lite, a pocket sextant with artificial horizon, 
 several minimum and maximum thermometers, 
 and common quicksilver and swing-thermo- 
 meters, some aneroid barometers, one telescope, 
 one anemometer, or instrument for registering 
 the speed of the wind, various compasses, and 
 three pocket thermometers. Several of these 
 instruments were made of aluminium, and we 
 were also provided with two specially constructed 
 cameras of the Kodak type. 
 
 A hypsometer, manufactured by one of the 
 first instrument-makers of New York, to be used 
 along with the aneroid barometers in takin"- 
 altitudes, proved to be so carelessly constructed, 
 when tested before our sledge journey, that it 
 was not even taken with us on the trip. 
 
 We had, besides, a Winchester repeating rille, 
 some ammunition, a small box of medicines, 
 mostly in solid form, some tubes of vaseline, 
 sewing materials, knives, and other small 
 conveniences. 
 
 For the measurement of distance; while 
 travelling we employed a so-called odometer 
 
i84 With IV\'iry near the Pole 
 
 wheel, a Ht^htly-constructed \vo(3den cycle, six 
 Icct in diameter, which was fixed hehind one 
 of the sledges. The axle was provided with an 
 nistrument upon which the number of revolutions 
 made by the wheel might be read, and the 
 distance covered thus easily calculated. We 
 lound this apparatus both practical and useful, 
 and since it had never been previously employed 
 on Arctic expeditions, I can safely recommend it 
 for the use of future explorers. 
 
 Our cooking was accomplishc^d by means of 
 a small spirit lamp, that in the course of an hour's 
 time enabled us to prepare scalding hot pea-soup 
 enough for four men. Pemmican {i.e. dried and 
 ground meat, mixed with melted tallow) was 
 our chief nourishment during the whole journey. 
 We had besides biscuits, some butter from which 
 the salt had to be separated, Knorr's meal, con- 
 densed milk, and for luncheon powdered beef 
 and chocolate. We found this diet satisfactory, 
 and came to like it so much that even on our 
 return to winter quarters we were glad to make 
 a meal of it. 
 
 On the 8th of April we made an attempt to 
 
jEvS.. 
 
 i:mjL"imaux arms and tools. 
 
 (I. Bow with and witlmiit strini? and anuws. 
 /(. Knives willi walrus bandies, 
 c, I.aiicc lor wall us and bear. 
 
 (/. llarpnou for >calin.;^-. 
 / . Stone axe with bout bandli: 
 y. .^now knife oT wah us luolli. 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 187 
 
 set out from our first campinn^-plcice on the 
 inland ice ; but the steepness of the ground, and 
 the terrific force of snow drifting into our eyes, 
 discouraged the dogs, and compelled us to give 
 up. A litde later, when the wind had fillen, 
 we made a second attempt, and succeeded in 
 moving part of the provisions almost a mile, in 
 a slanting direction across the first of the three 
 snow-domes forming that tongue of inland ice 
 upon which we were at the time. Here, as 
 the gale increased considerably, we constructed 
 a new snow-hut. The snow at this point, 
 however, was ill suited for work of the kind, 
 and our structure was necessarily so small that 
 it would hold only two of us, for which reason 
 Mr. Peary and Mr. Gibson returned to our 
 abandoned iglu. Now followed thirty-six long 
 hours, during which in our different retreats we 
 were kept completely imprisoned by the fury of 
 the storm. Both the doctor and I slept like 
 stones during the first ten hours of our captivity, 
 and while we slept the wind had worked so 
 diligently at our frail hut that leaks had started 
 in more than one place, and in through these 
 
1 88 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 there poured a smoke of fine snow-dust which 
 slowly and treacherously in ever-increasing layers 
 had buried our weary limbs. By the time we 
 awoke we were half snowed up, and afterwards 
 had to continually shift and wriggle in order to 
 keep ourselves upon .he top. When the gale 
 at last ceased, and we were able to emerge from 
 our retreat, a pitiful sight met our eyes. Our 
 sledges were almost buried beneath the gigantic 
 snow-drift. A couple of tins containing biscuits 
 had disappeared, and had been swept down the 
 steep incline into an inaccessible depression of 
 the glacier. Half a score of our dogs, restless 
 as these animals always are during a snow-storm, 
 had broken loose by gnawing off either their 
 straps or traces, while three were suffering from 
 severe attacks of the already described " hydro- 
 phobia," and were already at the point of death. 
 Things therefore looked extremely bad for us, 
 since it was more than likely that the other 
 dogs would perish by the same malady. Had 
 this happened, our journey could never have 
 been extended as it was. 
 
 Hungry as the loose dogs had naturally become 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 189 
 
 during their long fast, they had devoured every 
 eatable which remained unburied by the snow. 
 Happily this did not amount to much, since all 
 our provisions were packed in hermetically-sealed 
 tins, quite able to resist the teeth of any clog. 
 The recapture of the runaways, who had hardly 
 yet learnt to obey their new masters, was a 
 task of great difficulty— nay, a trial so severe 
 that our usually dauntless courage dropped below 
 zero. Our method was to allure them towards 
 us by scattering very small pieces of pemmican 
 upon the snow. At the critical moment one had 
 to make a sudden lunge at a dog's neck, and, 
 holding the brute fast, press its nose down into 
 the snow until the other could put on its harness. 
 " When this was done, with that practice which 
 experience quickly gave us," Lieutenant Peary 
 writes, in a short description of our journey 
 published in 1892, "we might escape without 
 being bitten more than two or three times." 
 With two of our dogs, however, this subterfuge 
 was ineffectual. We had to catch them with 
 double lassoes ; and not till the two lines 
 tightened, one upon each side, and one of 
 
190 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 us with a powerful grip on the brute's neck 
 had forced its head to the ground, was it 
 possible for a fourth person to put on new 
 harness or repair the old. Once the loose dogs 
 had been captured, and the harness of the 
 others dug out, we were in a position to think 
 of advancing. First, however, the remaining part 
 of the outfit had to be brought up from the 
 other iglu, and taken forward in small loads. It 
 was slow and depressing work, and occupied 
 us for several days ; but at last, on May 14th, 
 we had left behind us the hollows and corre- 
 sponding slopes — which fortunately proved free 
 of fissures — and ahead the inland ice extended, 
 spacious and smoothly-trending to the north- 
 east, as it shone intensely in the strong crimson 
 of the sun. From this time we made a habit 
 of travelling by night, when the reflection of 
 the sun's rays was least trying to our eyes, 
 the daytime being devoted to sleep, and to the 
 worship of the gods who presided over the cook- 
 ing of tea and of pea soup. 
 
 We were then at an altitude of three thousand 
 five hundred feet above the level of the sea, and 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 191 
 
 about eleven miles from the head of MacCormick 
 Bay. Four of our dogs had already died of 
 ** hydrophobia," so that we were left with sixteen 
 out of the original twenty. The condemned 
 sledges, and all other articles that were adjudged 
 useless, were at this point abandoned, and late 
 in the evening we set out with our whole outfit, 
 which at the time weighed about eighteen 
 hundred pounds, sledges included. 
 
 During the night we succeeded in advancing 
 about six miles, a performance with which we 
 were very well pleased, considering that the 
 incline was still rather rough. Towards morning 
 we encountered a fresh wind, which caused the 
 snow to whirl about like smoke, but trouble us 
 in our sleep it could not. The following entries 
 in my diary, though brief, give a distinct im- 
 pression of many characteristic aspects of our 
 journeys through that snow-white desert. 
 
 ^^ Monday morning, May i6ih, 1892. — We 
 did not start yesterday evening before eleven 
 o'clock. The weather was thick, and the road 
 heavy during the first couple of hours ; the sky 
 clearing afterwards, we soon found ourselves in 
 
192 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 bright sunshine. Camped at scv^cn o'clock this 
 morning, having advanced six mih's. Before 
 turning into the sleeping-bags we had a pleasant 
 supper, or rather breakfast, consisting, besides 
 the usual cup of pea-soup, of a piece of pemmican, 
 and a large cup of scalding chocolate, famous food 
 which I can safely recommend to any one." 
 
 ''Tuesday ?norniuo, May 17///. — Yesterday 
 again we started at eleven o'clock. The march 
 was chiefly through loose snow, which, combined 
 with the considerable incline, made the sledges 
 run heavily. Towards midnight we lost sight 
 of the last blue traces of the country to the 
 south. The distant snow-domes of North 
 Cumberland Island, moving as in restless waves 
 behind the quivering snow-drifts close by, were 
 the last landmarks we saw. At seven o'clock 
 in the morning, after an advance of ten miles, 
 we camped, apparently at the highest point 
 between Inglefield Gulf and Kane Basin ; in 
 front of us the inland ice is sloping slowly, 
 almost imperceptibly, downv/ards towards the 
 north and north-east. 
 
 " Dr. Cook, who has a lucky gift of being 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 193 
 
 able to make good and useful things out of 
 strange materials, proposed, directly we had 
 camped here, to use a broken pine ski to light 
 a blazing fire, promising to make us a dish 
 that would put us all into good humour. And 
 he kept his word ; for seldom had any of us 
 eaten a meal with more satisfaction or with 
 greater delight than that. I may as well give 
 the prescription. Put into a quart of hot pea-soup 
 some bits of pemmican ; should the pemmican 
 be hard frozen it must be chopped into small 
 pieces with an axe, so that it may melt quickly ; 
 the whole is stirred over the fire until a thick 
 porridge is produced, which tastes well and is 
 easily digested." 
 
 On May i8th and 19th we, for the first time, 
 made somewhat longer marches, advancing on 
 both days more than twenty miles. On the 
 20th we were compelled to camp earlier, after 
 an advance of only ten miles, being overtaken 
 during the march by a violent south-easterly 
 wind thick with snow, which forced us to stop. 
 We at once set about building a snow-hut ; 
 but such work requires time, and the wind was 
 
 13 
 
194 \Vith Peary near the Pole 
 
 ever increasing and the snow growing thicker. 
 None too soon were we able to take refuge 
 within the comfortable walls of the hut. The 
 cooking apparatus was set agoing, our tongues 
 loosened, and with pleasant gossip we beguiled 
 away the hour ; but by degrees conversation 
 grew less spirited, and sleep lulled us into the 
 realms of dreamland. Half-dozing, we listened 
 to the gale outside, now rising to a thundering 
 roar, now sinking to a low whisper. 
 
 For two days this wind kept us in the hut — 
 an involuntary delay we should no doubt have 
 appreciated more had we known that two months 
 and a half were to elapse before we should 
 again be under cover. 
 
 Not until May 22nd did the storm abate 
 sufficiently to admit of our moving. Upon 
 digging out the snowed-up sledges, we found to 
 our vexation that six out of the ten small packets 
 of sweetmeats we had with us, which represented 
 the only luxuries in all the store of our provisions 
 had disappeared, without leaving any clue as to 
 their whereabouts. Hut the explanation was 
 soon forthcoming : during the gale the dogs 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 195 
 
 had, as usual, taken advantage of the want of 
 supervision, bitten through their traces, made a 
 raid upon our sledges, and attacked the first edible 
 
 SNOW-HUT NKAR HU-MKOLDT GI.ACIKR ItURINC TIIK STORM OK 
 MAY 20T11-22NI). 
 
 thing they came upon, which happened to be 
 
 our sweetmeats. But the poor culprits had to 
 
 suffer for it, for the strange tit-bits did not 
 
 agree with them. 
 
 Meanwhile the gale had made the surface of 
 
196 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 the snow as smooth as porcelain, so that, in 
 spite of the roughness of the ground, we soon 
 made up for the delay. The two next days we 
 advanced more than forty miles, using neither 
 snow-shoes nor ski. 
 
 On May 24th we were due east of the 
 Humboldt Glacier, and were then two hundred 
 and ten miles east of the shores of MacCormick 
 Bay. Soon after the meal was finished Mr. 
 Peary informed us that the moment had arrived 
 when our small party must separate, and two of 
 the members return to Redclifie House. The 
 fact was that the journey which lay before us 
 promised to be a long one if its purpose — the 
 determination of the northernmost limits of the 
 continent of Greenland — was to be attained. 
 Consequently it was necessary that we should 
 travel quickly and carry provisions for a consider- 
 able period. As a dog can, on inland ice, draw 
 a load of about a hundred and twenty-five pounds 
 at a consumption of only one pound of pemmican 
 per day, it was most desirable that we should 
 have the largest possible number of dogs and 
 the least possible number of persons. By such 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 197 
 
 an arrangement we should not only be able 
 to carry provisions for a much longer time, 
 but also to take with us a more complete outfit 
 of scientific instruments. 
 
 Our full strength of dogs consisted then of 
 sixteen animals, a number which might be 
 managed by two persons with the practice we 
 had already acquired ; and so, for more reasons 
 than one, the continuation of the journey by 
 the whole party was not to be thought of A 
 party of three might hiive been more pleasant 
 and safe in case of any accident ; but it would 
 have been unwise to send one man back to 
 winter quarters from such an out-of-the-way 
 place as we were then halting at. Mr. Peary now 
 asked that the one of us who was willing to 
 accompany him on his trip to the North Pole 
 should volunteer. It appeared that all were 
 ready to go with him. I was, however, selected 
 for his companion. 
 
 We slept together in camp for the last time, 
 turning out during the afternoon to commence at 
 once the necessary arrangements for the provision- 
 ing of the party. xMr. Gibson and the doctor 
 
198 With Pcary near the Pole 
 
 took one of the smaller sledges, two of the dogs, 
 and provisions for twelve days to last out the 
 homeward journey. For ourselves we took the 
 remaining dogs, fourteen in number, and the rest 
 of the sledges, which we fastened behind one 
 another with ropes. They contained in all a 
 
 ..r-K^%^^■:i^' 
 
 A uoyuiiN. 
 
 Stock of provisions weighing twelve hundred 
 pounds. The sledges were lashed, the dogs 
 put to, and we were once more ready to move 
 forward. There was a moment of hand-shaking, 
 the whips cracked, and we were again on the 
 road— Mr. Gibson and Dr. Cook southwards 
 to Redclifte House, and we two north-eastward 
 to the far off unknown goal, the northernmost 
 
Northward on (irccnlaml Inland Ice 199 
 
 cape of Greenland. There was a certain solemnity 
 about this hour of separation, and it will he a 
 long time, I think, before we shall all forget 
 that moment when at midnight we slowly lost 
 sight of each other in the midst of that desert 
 of snow. 
 
 We succeeded in covering about four miles 
 that night, and next morning camped, for the 
 first time, a party of two. 
 
 " Thursday tnorning, May 26th. — We advanced 
 to-night only four miles ; the reason that we did 
 not get farther was that one of the two large 
 sledges went to pieces all along one side, at 
 about eleven o'clock. There was nothing for it 
 but to stop to repair the damage. Our reserve 
 lines were taken out, our mittens were pulled 
 off, and for two hours we were busy lashing 
 our two largest sledges together, which in this 
 way became one with three runners. During 
 the whole operation a bitterly cold wind was 
 blowing, compelling us to warm our numbed 
 hands as best we could. At last, however, we 
 were ready to continue on our way, though on 
 three nights we made the poor progress of 
 
200 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 fifteen, five, and ten miles, the snow being deep 
 and loose, and the road heavy. 
 
 "On May 28th we shot our first dog. As 
 the stock of provisions decreased, making the 
 sledge lighter, we could afford to reduce their 
 number, thus saving provisions and providing 
 fresh K)od for the other dogs. After a time we 
 became quite clever at skinning and queirtering 
 dogs, though it was never a pleasant occupation ; 
 while it was with sore hearts that we parted 
 one by one with these faithful friends. 
 
 " At first only a few of them cared for the 
 flesh of their companions ; but later on, as 
 hunger became more pressing, they began to 
 learn the value of such excellent food. 
 
 ''Monday morning, May 30//^. — We have still 
 loose snow and heavy roads to contend with ; 
 last night, owing to a slight downward slope in 
 our course, the odometer, to our surprise, indi- 
 cated fifteen miles after ten hours' march. Land 
 was sighted at four o'clock this morning towards 
 the north-west. We have at present bright 
 sunshine, but, as usual, a sharp breeze from the 
 interior, which makes the fine snow-dust whirl 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 201 
 
 high above us ; it is disagreeable, for it pene- 
 trates everywhere, and is melted by the warmth 
 of the body. 
 
 " Tuesday nioriiino\ May Z\st.- — ^To-day was 
 a great success : shortly after midnight we came 
 upon fine roads of hard-packed snow, and, 
 stopping at six o'clock, we had covered fully 
 twenty miles. The sharp weather continues, and 
 keen wind ; to the north and north-east snow- 
 covered mountain plateaux are visible in the 
 distance. It is probably the region round the 
 Petermann Fjord. 
 
 " Wednesday viorning, June \st. — We have 
 gone forward only a short distance after breaking 
 up our camp, when suddenly we come in view 
 of the full extent of the Petermann Fjord. 
 Through the transparent air, where steep 
 mountain sides form a gigantic gate, we can 
 see Hall Basin, lying considerably to the north 
 of latitude ST. Still farther north we see the 
 inland ice, stretching in the dim rays of the 
 midnight sun as far as eye can reach. We 
 stop early, checked in our course by formidable 
 fissures in the ice. 
 
202 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 " From the camp wc now took bearings of 
 some} land-tracks, and made some astronomical 
 observations. The temperature in the sun at 
 
 I'ASSAGE OVER lUE CUEVAbSE MCAK -SHEKAKD-OiiDOKM': I'JOKD. 
 
 noon is seventy-seven degrees Fahr. In the 
 shade at the same time it is only twenty-three 
 degrees, and not a breath of wind is felt." 
 
 " Thursday iJiornivg, June 2nd, — Left Peter- 
 mann Camj) last night, but in order to avoid 
 
Northward on Green land Inland Ice 203 
 
 the fissures, some of which were of great width, 
 we had to change our course from north-east 
 to east, in which direction we proceeded during 
 the whole of our last march of ten miles. 
 
 " Friday morning, June -^rd. — Set out again 
 at six o'clock last night ; continued for ten and 
 a half hours uninterruptedly, except for a short 
 rest at midnight. Advanced altogether according 
 to the odometer twenty-one miles. The weather 
 is still brilliant. To-day we slaughtered a second 
 dog. dividing it among the others. In a few 
 moments it was consumed. We have now 
 twelve left." 
 
 During the night of the 4th the road was 
 heavy with deep loose snow, so we only 
 covered about ten miles. Next day, how- 
 ever, the conditions improved, so that, in spite 
 of an upward gradient of seven hundred 
 feet from the beginning to the end of the 
 journey we put fifteen miles to our credit. 
 According to the aneroid barometer we were 
 then at an altitude of 5500 feet above sea level. 
 During the first half of the next march we 
 rose still higher, reaching at midnight 6000 feet, 
 
204 With Peary near tne Pole 
 
 when wc once more began to descend. We 
 advanced about eighteen miles; but the next 
 stage was a very short one, amounting to a 
 little over ten miles, as we were detained for 
 some time at our last camping-place, taking 
 observations. 
 
 During the following night we still descended, 
 with a strong southerly wind blowing at our 
 backs, and succeeded in advancing twenty 
 miles in less than ten hears. During the next 
 day's march we came in sight of the Greenland 
 coast mountains, after having been more than 
 a week on the " open sea." The last portion 
 of the journey had been over glassy ice-fields, 
 sloping steeply to the north and north-east. 
 
 During the morning's halt we had been caueht 
 in a trap from which it was to cost us several 
 days' labour to escape. On the night of June 
 9th the southerly wind had increased to a 
 strong gale with an accompanying snowstorm, 
 so that there was nothing for it but to remain 
 patiently under cover of a light tarpaulin that 
 we had brought with us, raised somewhat in 
 the middle by means of a pair of snow-shoes. 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 205 
 
 This improvised sleeping berth was anything 
 but water-tight. We had repeatedly to get up 
 to sweep the snow in great masses t'rom our 
 skins, and to save our small cookine-vessels 
 from being completely buried. However, by 
 the night of June loth the weather was once 
 more clear and beautiful, and after taking some 
 observations we determined to set out aofain. 
 We had not been half an hour on the road 
 before we found our course cut off from the 
 north-east by large gaps in the ice, running 
 eastwards inland from the glaciers at the head 
 of the fjord to the north-west of us, which proved 
 to be that of St. George. Those wide depres- 
 sions were covered with ice that was free of snow, 
 and shone like burnished steel, intersected by 
 dark fissures in all directions. We saw now 
 that we had approached dangerously near one 
 of the gigantic glaciers of the coast-line, and 
 that we were on the down grade of a deceptive 
 hollow that it behoved us to give as wide a 
 berth to as possible. 
 
 " It took two full days," Mr. Peary writes, 
 " of the hardest and most depressing work of 
 
2o6 With Peary near the l\)le 
 
 the whole journ(-y, to regain our position on the 
 even snow-covered slopes towards the east, and 
 during those two days we lost about sixteen 
 miles of the advance towards the north we had 
 gained so laboriously. Steep ice inclines which 
 we had to work up with the raging wind in 
 our faces were enough to exhaust our dogs, 
 while Mr. Astrup and. I suffered by continual 
 falls upon the glassy ice-fields." 
 
 During this work Nalegaksuak, our best dog, 
 and king of the whole team, strained a sinew 
 of his leg, and became unfit for work. We let 
 him walk behind the sledge for a day, when he 
 disappeared : the poor animal probably became 
 so exhausted that he could not keep up with 
 us. We also lost an excellent telescope in a 
 fissure, and only escaped losing anot'ier of our 
 dogs by a hair's l>readth. Quite suddenly Lion 
 disappeared from the surface of the snow; and 
 when we cautiously approached the spot where 
 we had last seen him, we found the poor creature 
 three yards below, hanging over a deep abyss, 
 but fortunately in no great danger, since his 
 trace gave no sign of breaking under the strain. 
 
Northward on Greenland Inland Ice 207 
 
 We got him up without delay, and, with his 
 tail between his legs, he took his place again 
 among his companions. 
 
 Even after reaching a height of six thousand 
 feet we met with many large fissures in the 
 ice, by which we were forced out of our north- 
 east course. Not till the night of June 15th 
 were we able to recommence our journey in 
 that direction, advancing next day about sixteen 
 miles. Throughout the day a strong south-west 
 wind blew, accompanied by drifting snow. The 
 heaviness of the road indicated that we were 
 advancing too far into the interior, where the 
 snow is as a rule heavier than on the coast. 
 We were now 6300 feet above the sea, and 
 Mr. Peary decided to steer directly northwards, 
 in order to reach a lower level. We set a 
 sail, but the wind was not strong enough to 
 assist us much. 
 
 No sooner had we started than the big sledge 
 went to pieces once more, delaying us for three 
 hours for necessary repairs, and so when we 
 halted at last we had made but little way, 
 especially as we had been compelled to go 
 
2o8 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 over much of the i^round tw'ce, as the latter 
 part of the road had been too bad for the dogs 
 to draw both sledges at once. The same day 
 we killed another of our team, leaving only 
 ten. During the next stage we had again to 
 make two journeys with the sledges ; and the 
 following night we noticed a falcon hovering 
 over our camp and finally disappearing to the 
 east. We regarded this as an indication that 
 Greenland, at the latitude we had then reached, 
 could not be of any considerable width across. 
 
 ''Saturday luornmg, June i8///.— We made no 
 advance to-day, delayed by a S.V\^ gale with 
 drifting snow, and for the first time a temperature 
 so mild that the snow balled under the runners 
 and the skis. After vainly trying for an hour 
 to get the sledges along, the dogs finally refused 
 to exert themselves any further, so we whiled 
 away the time as best we could, sleeping, 
 gossiping, and eating, beneath our tarpaulin, 
 while every thread upon our bodies was wet 
 through and through. Next night came; we 
 were still unable to proceed, and passed the time 
 in unloading and re-loading our sledges, dis- 
 
Xorthward on (irccnlaiul Inland Ice 209 
 
 carding every article that was not of the first 
 importance. There was the sleeping bag, for 
 instance, and a medicine chest which certainly 
 did not weigh more than a couple of pounds; 
 but by judicious iliscarding we managed to get 
 rid of about seventy-five pounds weight in all. 
 
 " Monday niorniug, June 20///. — Last night wt: 
 had clear weather, with eight to ten degrees of 
 frost, but in spite of this we had to take the 
 sledges by double journeys, although we did 
 not spare ourselves in assisting the dogs. Our 
 complete advance was less than seven miles." 
 Fortunately the road was far better the next 
 night, and we had scarcely started when we sighted 
 land, this time just in front of us. It was the 
 coast of the real Sherard-Osborne Fjord. There 
 was then no alternative but to deviate a second 
 time from our course and to steer eastward. 
 When, after fifteen miles, we stopped, a violent 
 wind was blowing as usual near the coast, driving 
 the drifting snow through the smallest openings 
 in our dress. 
 
 " Wednesday morning, June 22 nd, -Wc had 
 moved on scarcely eight miles from our last 
 
210 With Pcar\' near the Pole 
 
 camp, when we found 
 ourselves in such a 
 labyrinth of crevasses 
 that our easterly 
 course was no longer 
 possible. We were 
 not disposed to retrace 
 our steps, and there- 
 fore set to work to 
 ascertain the strength 
 of the snow-bridges 
 which here and there 
 span these tremendous 
 rifts. We found them 
 solid enough for our 
 purpose, but had to 
 content ourselves with 
 a south-easterly course. 
 Many of the fissures 
 we passed that night 
 were more than thirty 
 yards in width, and 
 scarcelv one was less 
 than fifteen yards. 
 
Northward on (H-ccnlaiul Inhnul Ice 211 
 
 " The dogs appeared t(3 realise that there was 
 some danger connected with the passage over 
 these narrow banks, and h(.'siiated before 
 venturing upon them. But once they seemed 
 to understand that there was no other road 
 open, and that they had to go, they would set 
 oft" at such speed that we had the utmost 
 difficulty in keeping pace with them." 
 
 A couple of trivial accidents occurred during 
 the march. Once it was two of our doQfs that 
 tumbled over a fissure ; another time our 
 hindmost sledge, containing all our biscuit and 
 a considerable quantity of pemmican. By the 
 greatest good fortune the sledge was caught 
 and supported for a moment on an ice-ledge 
 close to the brink, thus giving us time to 
 haul it up, before it disappeared down the 
 abyss. Owing to the many obstructions which 
 we met with in forcing our passage across 
 these fissures, our advance was extremely slow, 
 but, by keeping on the move for the best part 
 of twelve hours, we had the satisfaction of 
 finding that the odometer registered sixteen 
 miles. 
 
212 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 During our next journey, when we covered 
 eiLjhteen miles, we were able to resume our 
 north-easterly course, which we continued during 
 the two tollowing days. We had now reached 
 a heij^lu of six thousand feet, and were cheered 
 l)v briL^hl sunshine and an ahsiMice of wind. The 
 prospect ot accomplishing our i!nd now seemed 
 more certain. Not only were all the difficulties 
 apparently overcome, hut wt; were! still in 
 possession of sufficient provisions to last for a 
 considerable time, while all the dogs were in 
 the very pink of condition. No wonder, then, 
 that we were high-spirited. On the way I 
 occasionally heard Mr. Peary whistle, though 
 he was far from musical ; while, for my part, 
 I sang Norwegian ditties to the best of my 
 ability, at which the dogs would turn their 
 heads with a look of wise inquiry, as if to 
 make sure that it was still a human being 
 who accompanied them. 
 
 On the night of the 26th we again advanced 
 over twenty miles. I remained up till noon to 
 get an observation of latitude, being anxious 
 to know how far north we were by this time. 
 
Northward on Circcnland Inland Ice 213 
 
 Thti result was ST 51', which I imriK'diatL'ly 
 shouted to Mr. Peary. 
 
 During our course on the inland ice \v\\ 
 
 superfluous words passed between us. We were 
 
 usually content with thinking, and I admit that 
 
 before tailing asleep on those days I gave wings 
 
 to my thoughts. Northwards they Hew, past 
 
 the nearest latitude, until they reached the 85th 
 
 parallel, where in my imagination I had depicted 
 
 the northernmost point of Greenland. Another 
 
 week, and we should be there. "We must be 
 
 there. If only the inland ice does not fail . . . 
 
 does not stop . . . But then why did we push 
 
 on so rapidly downwards to-day ? Was *•■ not 
 
 because the " imperial highway," as Mr. Peary 
 
 called it, was drawing to a close ? . . . Are we 
 
 really to live to penetrate farther northward than 
 
 any other mortal ? . . . Close to the very Pole 
 
 itself? . . . And with such simple means. . . . 
 
 There is sufficient strength and enthusiasm. . . . 
 
 If only the blessed inland ice does not suddenly 
 
 play us false ! " 
 
 I lay for a long time wandering like this before 
 I fell asleep. Arctic fever, so well known to 
 
2 14 With IVary near the Pole 
 
 Polar cxijloRirs. had at last attack(^cl me seriously. 
 lUit life is full of hitter disappointinents. Scarcely 
 were we on the road that eveiiino; when, for the 
 third time, we came in sight of land that barred 
 our course. To the north-north-east we could 
 trace distinctly the mouth of a fjord between the 
 coast mountains. There was nothing for it but 
 to skirt round this, and once more the course was 
 chanoctl eastwards. To make matters worse, the 
 weather grew mon.' boisterous, the air thickened 
 with falling snow, we lost sight of land, a!id, 
 finding that we were descending with great 
 rapidity. Mr. Peary decided th;it it would be 
 wiser to wait until the weather cleared. During 
 the following days it seemed as if this fjord, 
 Victoria Inlet, would never come to an end, and 
 our suspicion that it formed a canal between the 
 east and west coasts grew daily stronger. At 
 last we noticed an opening in the high mountains 
 to the north-east of us, and we felt more certain 
 than ever that we had before us a canal dividing 
 the wild landscape to the north t'rom the true 
 continent of Greenland. 
 
 It was useless to waste more time travellino" 
 
Northward on (Greenland Inland kc 215 
 
 in ;i south-easterly direction, the main point bcino- 
 to ascertain wh(^ther tile widt; clefts that \v(; saw- 
 ran out into the Arctic ocean, on the east coast 
 of Greenland. This had to be looked into at 
 once, and we accordingly shaped our course to 
 thr. nearest land. \\\; were by this time five 
 thousand feet above the sea, but we found our- 
 selves descending rapidly as we approached tlu; 
 mysterious c;dge of this wonderful red-brown 
 mountain range. During our hurried march, 
 Mr. Peary, who had recently become proficient 
 in the use of the ski, had the bad luck to break 
 one. The slope of the ice was now so tre- 
 mendous that we had to descend diagonally, 
 to prevent the sledges from running away from 
 us So deceptive were distances in these sur- 
 roundings, and in the wonderfully transparent 
 air, that while still a mile and a half from the 
 coast-land we were both ot' us under th(; 
 delusion that it was within a stone's throw. 
 
 Before long we were able to make out on the 
 fringe of the snow-masses below us small inlets 
 with their green icy water, and the glacier brooks 
 with their cascades, from which came up a 
 
2i6 W^ith Peary near the Pole 
 
 subdued and monotonous murmur, which made 
 soft and pleasant music to our ears, tired with 
 the everlasting silence. Though it seemed to 
 take a long while, we came by degrees nearer 
 and nearer to the dark headland, which reared 
 itselfabove the surrounding ice. It was this that 
 we had chosen for our goal, and it was here that, 
 after two months of unceasing ski and snow- 
 shoe running, we at last set foot once more upon 
 drv land. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ON THE ll'AY TO NKll' COASTS. 
 
 IT was about midnight wIkti \vc reached the 
 moraine, situated at a height of nearly 
 four thousand feet above the sea-level. A couple 
 of snow sparrows greeted us with their merry 
 twitter, and amongst the large round stones 
 with which the ground was covered we stood 
 listening to the welcome sound of running 
 water, and did not long resist its invitation. 
 Stretching ourselves at full length, we quenched 
 our thirst to our hearts' content. Never had 
 life appeared more beautiful. 
 
 Without any delay Mr. Peary set out across 
 the mountain ranges nearest the inland ice, to get, 
 if possible, an open view of i\\v. coast. Fifteen 
 hours later he returned without having achieved 
 his purpose ; but on the road he; had discovered 
 something that quickened the sporting blood in 
 our veins — fresh traces of musk oxen. On the 
 
 ■J 1 7 
 
2i8 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 tbllowiiiL;- inornin.Li'. Sunday. July ^rd. when we 
 pn^jKirctl tor a lour days' jdurncy on foot, thcTc 
 was no fear of lorgcttinLi: riihvr rliVi or am- 
 munition. Our outfit consist(;d rurth(;r of the 
 theodolit<.'. some thermometers and barometers, 
 photographic and cooking apparatus, and i)ro- 
 visions for four days. Wv set out. each carrying 
 his own bundle, Mr. Peary in front, and I 
 behind him with the dog-team of seven. The 
 sledges and the remaining outfit were left high 
 up among the dark heaps ot" stone. For the first 
 part of the journey, perhaps about half a mile, 
 we went down an easy slope covered with a wet 
 snow sludge intersected by numerous brooks. 
 Then we crossed the second moraine, rushing 
 at a furious rate down a very steep ict; hill 
 for some sixty or seventy yards ; at its foot we 
 waded across a rapid glacier river, and were 
 at last ui)on the coast-l'-id — a rocky region 
 covered with loose sharp stone; blocks scattered 
 broadcast in th(; wildest disorder. 
 
 Up and down, across valleys and ridges, 
 along rushing rivulets, and through small dark 
 lakes, we toilet! the livelong day ; and every- 
 
On the W'a) to New Coasts 219 
 
 where \vc: met with the saiiK; endless masses 
 of loose sharp stones, that made the march, clad 
 as W(^ were in thin-soled sealskin kaniiks, a 
 pilgrimage of pain. We did our best to corn.'ct 
 this by putting all sorts of things between our 
 feet and the soles of our boots, such as a knitted 
 skull-cap, mittens, even moss, and later on 
 making use of some musk- 
 ox skin ; but we gained 
 little by our trouble, (ex- 
 cept this — that our wet 
 and elastic kaniiks widened 
 into unshapely skin bags, 
 and our feet, in full 
 sympathy, reached dimen- 
 sions reminding us of the 
 tlippers of a walrus. During this stag(? w(.' 
 collected several minerals, and some (lowers, 
 red, yellow, and white, which here and there 
 gave a touch of bright colour to the sombre 
 landscape. More than once we came: across 
 fresh traces of the musk-ox. After twelve 
 hours' continuous course we halted, sore-footed 
 and exhausted, and almost before we had 
 
220 With Pear)' near the Pole 
 
 finished our sIcndcT iiicmI of pcmmican and 
 biscuits were asleej). 
 
 The next day, July 4th, th(; American Inde- 
 penck^nce Day, was a festival with us. About 
 an hour after starting we reached the summit 
 of a steep crag about four thousand feet high ; 
 and it was from this point that we first saw 
 the sea far away to the north-west, covered by a 
 glistening white carpet. We had reached the 
 east coast. But it was only a glimpse that we 
 obtained of what we hoped would be near us, 
 and so we again pushed onward. Our way now 
 lay across steep and stony inclines for a couple 
 of hours, when our travelling came to a sudden 
 end for the day. Right before us, at a distance 
 of about half a mile, we discerned somethino- 
 that arrested our whole attention. A joyful 
 cry of surprise escapeci from us both, as we 
 simultaneously pointed forward at two black 
 specks that seemed to drift across a rough stn^tch 
 of land. They were musk-oxen. 
 
 Now followed a small pantomimic scene, which 
 resulted in Mr. Peary pursuing them with a 
 rifle, whilst I had hurriedly to fmd a safe hiding- 
 
( )n the Way to New Coasts 221 
 
 place for our seven clogs, which were not on 
 any account to get scent of our precious game. 
 It was not long before Mr. . ..-. 
 
 Peary ilisappeareil down one; ) 
 
 -'.■.ft. 
 
 Ml'SK LOW WITH LAI.l- 
 
 side ot the steep watercourse, while I remained 
 at a point where its channel made a sharp 
 turn. I sat down listening anxiously, and soon 
 
222 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 hL-ard four quick reports from the rifle, which 
 only served to ii'crease my excitement. At 
 last the tall figure of Mr. Peary appeared 
 on the brow above me. Me waved, and 
 gesticulated, and laughed, so that I at once 
 knew what was the matter—fresh meat! In a 
 couple of k:aps I was by his side, the dogs with 
 me, and together we hurried off to the spot 
 wher(- our pri/e was outstretched. 
 
 In a kind of marsh covered with loose stones, 
 where, some scattered moss, rank grass, and a 
 few flowers were growing, the animals had been 
 grazing when they were suqjrised by Mr. Peary. 
 The bag consisted of two grown-up cows and two 
 calves. Three of them were killed, the smaller 
 of the young ones, a little long-legged calf, being 
 still alive and vainly trying with its faint lowing 
 to implore protection from its lifeless mother. 
 Having securely fastened our dogs to some large 
 stones, we quickly approached the dark, long- 
 haired, savage-looking beasts. The two larger 
 animals were the size of a two-year-old cow, and 
 their black hair was of such a length that it 
 would touch the ground when they stood erect. 
 
On the Way to Ncu- Coasts 223 
 
 The head was larcrc-out of all ,,r«,,orth^ 
 the body ; and this, in connection with the ihicl< 
 curved horns, and the faa; half-hidden hy the 
 shagixy mane. .<rave them an appearance at 
 once wild and alarmin<.. Our f.rst thought 
 was to take photooraphs of them in various 
 positions. Wc then set to work to skin them, 
 and, having fmished this in the course of a fv.w 
 hours, we startc^d out to find our baby calf but 
 fnght had already killed the poor creature. 
 
 As a matter of anirse, there; had now to be 
 H great feast and celebration of the (,>vent for 
 ourselves and for our dogs, and w<; started 
 preparations at once. One of us set the cooking 
 apparatus at work in a snug place, the other, 
 in the meantime, cutting c,uite a large cjuantitv of 
 appetising slices from the best conditioned carcase, 
 which were served upon a mighty sand-stone 
 Irom a heap close by. Then followed such a 
 feast as none but hungry hunters could appreciate, 
 and a few cups of tea, with a dash of milk 
 obtained from one of the victims, brought to 
 a fitting conclusion this memorable meal. Mean- 
 while we had by no means forgotten the work 
 
224 With Pciiry near the I'olc 
 
 of feeding the dogs, a function that took place 
 earlier in the afternoon, and which has been 
 described by Mr. Peary in the following words : 
 " As soon as the hind-quarter was skinned, and 
 cut away from the body, I seized it and ran 
 towards the dogs. When 1 sighted tht:in they 
 were all ask-ep, t-xhaustetl by the heat and the 
 fatigues of the journey. ' Miss I^avenoe ' was the 
 first to notice me, proving, as usual, tlu; most 
 widejiwake of the troop. .She greeted my 
 appearance with a bark of joy, which soon 
 brought the sedate * Lion ' upon his legs, simul- 
 taneously arousing all the others. As soon as it 
 dawned upon them that it was meat, fresh raw 
 meat, that I was bringing them, the air resounded 
 with their glad howls of expectation. Even 
 ' Pau,' the latest appointed ' King,' even he, 
 who during the last two days had shown un- 
 mistakable signs of being out of sorts, took up 
 his usual threatening position, forcing his way 
 to the front to secure the first and largest pieces. 
 Some few moments later but two bones 
 remained, one in possession of ' Pau,' the 
 other carefully guarded by Lion. I now returned 
 
On the Way to New Coasts 225 
 
 to assist Mr. Astrup with the skinning. A 
 couple of hours afterwards, when this work was 
 completed, we took one of the carcases between 
 us, carrying it down to the dogs. Again the 
 same wild excitement followed. We stopped 
 close to them, giving the big body a swing, so 
 that it fell into the midst of the pack. When, 
 some time afterwards, they had fmished their 
 meal, only the bones of the huge creature 
 remained." 
 
 It was unusually late before we rested at last, 
 tired out by the many adventures of the day, 
 and rolled ourselves each in his long-haired 
 hide of musk-cow. Robinson Crusoe and his 
 adventures naturally haunted our minds. These 
 fancies followed us into the realms of gentle 
 sleep. Meanwhile a cold, raw night-mist 
 rose from a glacier below us to the eastward, 
 extending like a gossamer veil across the 
 shrouded landscape. Only the midnight sun 
 was on guard throughout that cool summer 
 night. Red and brilliant, he moved majestic 
 along the mountain plateau towards the north, 
 throwing long cold shadow, thwart the glowing 
 
 '5 
 
226 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 snow-liclds of that inland ice, which swelled 
 grandly towards the dccp-bluc southern sky. 
 
 Ouite early the following morning the night- 
 mist disappeared, and the day dawned with 
 promise On the point of preparing breakfast 
 I caught sight of some musk-cattle grazing in 
 our immediate neighbourhood— this time a troop 
 of six. It was my turn to use the rille. and 
 off I went. Since we had no need for the 
 meat of more than one, and not caring for un- 
 necessary slaughter, I made up my mind to 
 select a bull, if possible, as my target— which 
 would naturally be of most interest, since both 
 the animals killed by ]\Ir. Peary the day before 
 were cows ; and it turned out as I had planned. 
 When within range I fixed upon one with a 
 pair of splendid horns upon his head, evidently 
 a prince of the party, and at him I fired. The 
 remaining five scampered off a couple of 
 hundred feet or so at the report of the rifle, 
 and then quietly resumed their grazing; my 
 prize, however, tumbled to the ground mortally 
 wounded. Having, at the moment, no time 
 for closer inspection, I returned quite satisfied 
 
On the Way to New Coasts 227 
 
 to thu cainp. Our plan tor the day was to 
 reach a mountain some five miles distant, from 
 the summit of which we expected to obtain 
 excellent observations and [jhotograiihs of the 
 coast, returning to the camp before evening. 
 
 We took with us provisions for one meal 
 only, a camera, a theodolite, the chronometers, 
 and a few dogs. By nine o'clock we had 
 reached the mountain top, and from a height 
 of 3800 feet we obtained a magnificent, never- 
 to-be-forgotten view. Mr. Peary christened the 
 rock upon which we were standing •' Navy 
 Cliff" ; it terminated towards the north in a 
 steep mountain wall, continuing with but few 
 interruptions to the verge of the sea-ice ; and 
 there below us, at its foot, a large bay opened 
 out eastward, shut in by four rocky sides. 
 How far inland this bay or fjord penetrated we 
 could not determine with any certainty, for 
 mountains in front of us barred the view to 
 the north-east; but it is probable that it is 
 connected with the large inlet on the west 
 coast, called Victoria Inlet, forming with the 
 latter a canal which separates those tracts of land 
 
228 W^itb Peary near the Pole 
 
 situated north of the eighty-second parallel from 
 the proper continent of Greenland. At all 
 events, it is certain that between those two 
 fjords run continuous wide clefts bounded by 
 mountain walls several thousand feet in height, 
 
 
 HY THK CAIRN ON NAVY CI.lFl', 
 
 and the only question about which any doubt 
 exists is whether the bottom of this depression 
 is situated above or below sea-level. Looked 
 upon geographically the latter alternative must 
 be regarded as more probable. Further, we 
 may presume with some certainty that the most 
 northerly land-tracts are intersected by canals 
 
On the Way to New Coasts 229 
 
 that run in different directions, and form several 
 separated islands. To the right, just beneath 
 us, an imposing glacier more than fifteen miles 
 in width was sloping down to the sea-ice in 
 almost fan-shaped regularity. 
 
 On the opposite side of this large Hood of 
 ice another perpendicular mountain uprose far 
 above that upon which we were standing, its 
 height being nearly five thousand feet. This 
 mountain plateau crowned by a projecting tongue 
 of inland ice terminated in an abrupt and con- 
 spicuous headland to the north-west of us, 
 at a distance of about sixteen miles from the 
 Navy Cliff. To the north-west long red-brown 
 mountain-chains rose boldly to their summits, 
 perpendicular towards the top, and with sides 
 sloping gently towards the ice-bound sea. We 
 noticed a great resemblance between these coast 
 mountains and those upon the eastern side of 
 MacCormick Bay near RedcliftI House. A 
 single lonely snow-dome crowned the central 
 mass, while the heights on either hand were 
 bare. Beyond these, and northward as far as 
 the eye could reach, extended further steep 
 
230 A\'ith Peary near the Pole 
 
 ranges, probably some two thousand feet high, 
 completely free from snow at their summits, 
 and also on their sunny slopes. 
 
 Why the northernmost coast of Greenland 
 is not, like the countries of the eighty-second 
 parallel, covered by perpetual snow and ice, is 
 difficult to say. JMost probably it is due to 
 a combination of causes, such as a marked 
 diminution of the rain- and snow-fall in these 
 northerly parts of the Polar regions, and their 
 comparatively low elevation above sea-level. 
 Having for the time being feasted our eyes 
 on the sublime scenery, we took up the 
 theodolite and other instruments, and proceeded 
 to make a series of astronomical observations 
 to determine the bearings of the surrounding 
 mountains and landmarks, afterwards employing 
 the camera most diligently, and making copious 
 entries in our sketch-books and diaries. 
 
 At last, having finished the more serious part 
 of our work, we gathered some flowers, collected 
 a few specimens of ore, and sat comfortably 
 down on the mountain side in the burning sun 
 to enjoy our meal, during which Mr. Peary 
 
On the \\\iy to New Coasts 231 
 
 produced a smcill llask of whiskey, which he 
 brought in case of possible illness, and we 
 toasted the newly discovered inlet, christened 
 '* Independence " Bay, in honour of the National 
 Festival of the United States, since it was on 
 July 4th that we first looked down upon it. 
 We built upon the jot a high cairn of stones, 
 in the midst of which we planted a bottle 
 containing a short narrative of our adventures 
 on the journey northward. Then two silken 
 flags which we carried with us were for a time 
 unfurled in the fresh summer breeze, from a 
 thin bamboo pole supported between stones. 
 
 In the afternoon we repacked the few things 
 we had carried with us, and were ready to 
 commence the home-journey ; but before we left 
 we turned to take one parting look across the 
 new and attractive coasts before us. The ice 
 covering the bay was apparently quite even. 
 Far out in the midst of it we could discern 
 dark shadows, formed no doubt by numerous 
 water-pools, which in summer-time are constantly 
 formed in places where the ice begins to melt. 
 Numerous icebergs scattered over the plain bore 
 
232 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 witness to the fact that the sea, even in these 
 high latitudes, must be open for a short period 
 of the summer. 
 
 We wondered whether we should encounter 
 human beings, who might be living their con- 
 tented life even so much farther north than the 
 friends we had left upon the colder side of that 
 ice-clad barrier. This was not impossible, for I 
 feel sure the merry Esquimaux have passed over 
 these parts with their strange caravans of sledges 
 and dogs. Had we gained the east coast 
 earlier in the year, when the snow was still 
 filling the watercourses and converting them into 
 practicable trails for the sledges, we might have 
 searched for traces of such travellers ; for we 
 could then have reached the coast ice with an 
 ample stock of provisions. As it was, however, 
 it had only been with much trouble, and with 
 a severe strain upon our energy, that we had 
 succeeded in advancing the five-and-twenty 
 miles to the Navy Cliff; and the worst part of 
 the road was still before us — a descent from a 
 height of four thousand feet to the level of 
 the sea. 
 
On the Way to New Coasts 233 
 
 It was with heavy hearts that we turned our 
 backs upon the north, leaving behind us this 
 mysterious and northernmost area of the globe, 
 when we actually stood upon the threshold ; 
 but having the consolation that our plans had 
 been executed, our end gained, and the pro- 
 tracted labours of our expedition crowned with 
 success. 
 
 By the evening we were again back in camp, 
 and, after a solid meal, we went to have a look 
 at our game, which had been left since the 
 morning. My prize was a fine bull. I suc- 
 ceeded with great difficulty in cutting off his 
 beautiful horns with my penknife, my purpose 
 being to bear them back as trophies ; but I 
 might have saved myself all this trouble, for 
 later they were left far away upon the inland 
 ice, and may even at this moment be found 
 north of the eighty-first parallel. 
 
 Before our start the next morning we allowed 
 the dogs to feast on the remainder of the game, 
 and not until their ravenous appetites were so 
 completely satisfied that they turned away from 
 their food with piteous lingering regret, did we 
 
234 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 take the road. Presently we passed the skeleton 
 of a musk-ox ; and the flict that most of its 
 ribs were broken, and scattered all around, as 
 well as other indications, led us to believe that 
 wolves were to be met with in those regions. 
 
 Later we saw traces of foxes and of hares, 
 and caught sight of two ravens, several snipe, 
 and some bumble bees, butterflies, and flies. 
 The return journey up the moraine was not less 
 fatiguing than the down-trip had been. Both 
 Lieutenant Peary and I had filled our reindeer 
 jackets with scraps of meat before rolling them 
 up and flinging them across our shoulders. 
 The four strongest dogs also carried about 
 twenty pounds apiece, after the manner of pack- 
 horses. In ordinary circumstances this experi- 
 ment would never have succeeded ; but the 
 good animals were for the moment so well fed 
 that the delicate morsels hanging and swaying 
 about their shoulders had no powers to tempt 
 them from the paths of strict virtue. It took 
 us two days to regain our sledges, and on our 
 arrival both we and the dogs were so sore- 
 footed that it was quite out of the question to 
 
On the Way to New Coasts 235 
 
 go farther without a halt, and rest for at least 
 twenty-four hours. Among the few prepara- 
 tions required for the journey, the large sledge 
 with three runners was reduced to its original 
 dimensions, we repaired our somewhat worn 
 skin coats and trousers, patched up our 
 kamiks, looked after the straps and lashings 
 of the skis and snow-shoes, and were once 
 more ready to traverse the snow-fields of the 
 interior, and to defy its gales. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 HOMEWARD THROUGH THE CLOUDS. 
 
 r T was on the evening of July 8th that we 
 -■- commenced our journey homewards, look- 
 ing with keen emotion for the last time upon 
 those desolate, mysterious regions amidst which 
 we had for six days spent such a memorable 
 time. Never before had those solitary mountain 
 plateaux and dark silent valleys been trodden 
 by the foot of white men, nor could we guess 
 how many years would elapse before they would 
 again be visited by human beings. When we 
 halted the following morning we had advanced 
 ten miles in a south-westerly direction. l^he 
 road was excellent; and on our next stage we 
 considerably improved upon our record, the 
 odometer this time reading twenty miles, while the 
 barometer showed a rise of thirteen hundred feet. 
 By the next night we had mounted a further 
 thousand feet in little more than nineteen miles, 
 
 B36 
 
Homeward throiinrh the Clouds 237 
 
 and finally six hundred feet in eighteen miles. 
 At the end of this last stage we were compelled 
 to shoot the weakest of our seven surviving 
 dogs. That we were ultimately to end in the 
 clouds was evident, for we were seven thousand 
 three hundred feet high, and ahead the snow- 
 fields were still rising. Strangely enough, the 
 downward slope to the east fi-om our camping 
 places was considerably greater than to the 
 north ; from which we were led to believe that 
 we were on the eastern side of the high plateau 
 running parallel to the Greenland inland ice 
 Throughout the four first days of our homeward 
 journey we had been favoured with the most 
 brilliant weather, but the glory of this we were 
 now to leave behind for a long time. 
 
 Upon the evening of July 12th we were 
 awakened to find a terrific snowstorm upon us- 
 a snowstorm more violent than anything we had 
 experienced since our sojourn at the Humboldt 
 Glacier. To go forward was out of the question ; 
 we had no choice but to remain where we 
 were : Mr. Peary to leeward of the kitchen-a 
 few snow-blocks covered by a small cotton sail 
 
238 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 —and I underneath the tarpaulin, half-snowed 
 up. It was useless to think of conversation I 
 we had an occasional snatch of sleep, and 
 occupied our time listening to the howling of 
 the storm and the shrieks of the wind rushing 
 from the interior of the plateau in its wild 
 career down the slopes to the eastern coast. 
 For two days and nights we were imprisoned 
 by the fury of the weather, but as the gale still 
 continued, we determined to defy it. Indeed, to 
 us, accustomed as we were to stages of from 
 ten to twelve hours, it was a trial to remain 
 inactive. We turned out at seven o'clock in 
 the evening, at a moment when the weather 
 seemed to mend ; and while Mr. Peary was at 
 work digging out the snowed-up sledges I was 
 busily engaged in loosening the Gordian knot 
 presented by the pulling strap, after the restless 
 tugging of the dogs during the gale. At eight 
 o'clock we started, and the roads being by no 
 means bad we succeeded in covering eighteen 
 miles before it was found necessary to call a 
 halt, because the storm had recommenced with 
 all its former fury. 
 
Ilonicward through the Clouds 239 
 
 We noticed during" the ni^ht that, on account 
 of the height we had reached above the sea- 
 level, we were passing constantly through dark 
 
 Al'TKR THE STORM. 
 
 and threatening clouds, and every now and then 
 we found ourselves enveloped in an impenetrable 
 fog. This would clear sometimes for a moment, 
 but only long enough to give us a chance to 
 consult our compass, without which, of course, 
 we should have been utterly at a loss. Mr. 
 
240 With Peary near the \\)\c 
 
 Peary speaks of this stage as one of the most 
 depressing during the whole journey After our 
 haking at lunch-time he writes : "I was com- 
 pelled to change places with Mr. Astrup, under- 
 taking the steering of the dogs, that I might 
 have something to occui)y my thoughts ; the 
 monotony of moving ever forwards towards 
 nothing was no longer bearable." 
 
 Prom this day we would often change places, 
 and I would walk ahead giving the course, 
 while Mr. Peary ran beside the sledges en- 
 couraging the dogs on those rare occasions when 
 such encouragement was necessary. I am in- 
 clined to think that this slight variation in our 
 daily life on that homeward journey saved us 
 from succumbing to a state of mental apathy 
 that might have induced most serious results. 
 
 Let me describe a day and night of our life 
 on the inland ice as day and night were spent, 
 month after month, with unfailing regularity. 
 
 It would be about five in the afternoon when, 
 after a refreshing sleep, we first began to stir, 
 and to exchange a few commonplaces about 
 the time of day, the weather, and so forth. 
 
Homeward throut^h the Clouds 241 
 
 When it was time to think of breakfast, one of 
 us — we used to take; turns — lighted the small 
 spirit lamp and brewed the tea ; but it was first 
 necessary to melt sufficient snow to provide the 
 water, and as soon iis the latter began to boil 
 a tiny square of compressed tea was dropped 
 gingerly into the steaming pot. I'o this con- 
 densed milk was added, and, owing to the 
 liberal supply of sugar which the latter contained, 
 no other sweetening was necessary. Breakfast 
 was ready. Whoever had not undertaken the 
 cooking was usually indulging in a late snooze, 
 and had to be aroused. 
 
 The breakfast consisted of tea, six biscuits, 
 from four to eight ounces of peinmican, a small 
 frozen lump of unsalted butter, and, as a dessert, 
 a cup, or half a cup of water, if the stock of 
 spirit in the lamp permitted this luxury. Break- 
 fast over, I would undertake the packing of the 
 sledge, while Mr. Peary released the dogs from 
 an ash pole rammed into the snow close by, 
 arranged the straps, and hitched the animals 
 to the sledge. 
 
 It was impossible to prevent the dogs during 
 
 16 
 
242 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 the interval from making a wild raid in the 
 direction of the little depression in the snow 
 made by the kitchen, in search of remnants, 
 consisting usually of soaked tea-leaves, and paper 
 used in wrapping them. It was amusing to 
 see Mr, Peary's tall figure dragged away with 
 seven .. gue steps to this attractive spot, where 
 a free fight was raging. Evening after evening 
 the race was repeated, although the result was 
 a foregone conclusion. Little Miss Favenoe, 
 whose straps were the longest, got the tea- 
 leaves, but gentle Panikpa secured the paper ; 
 the remainder of the pack got a thrashing from 
 Pau, whose royal temper at being always cheated 
 of the aforesaid delicacies was justly aroused. 
 
 At seven o'clock we were ready to move ; 
 the barometer, the thermometer, and odometer 
 were read, and Mr. Peary would set out a short 
 distance ahead of the sledge enticing the dogs 
 forward, I, in the meantime, working the whip, 
 until, in a fortunate moment, all the traces were 
 tightened together. A little energy on my part, 
 accompanied by a sudden pull at the front 
 part of the sledge, put the load of nearly a 
 
Homeward through the Clouds 243 
 
 thousand pounds in motion. A moment after- 
 wards the line to which the light sledge behind 
 was attached grew taut, the whip cracked again, 
 and the caravan was under way. 
 
 A few minutes before midnight we stopped 
 to compare the chronometers, and the readings 
 of the temperature, of the odometer and 
 barometer were recorded. We seized this 
 opportunity to partake of a frugal luncheon, 
 consisting either of a piece of pemmican pure 
 and simple, or of a few small plates of 
 sustaining compound of meat and chocolate. 
 Then we looked after the dog-straps, chatted 
 upon any subject that occurred, such as the 
 sledge, the dogs, the road, until the night- 
 wind blowing from the interior began to play 
 about our faces, our feet turned cold, and for 
 very comfort we were driven to start out once 
 more. Altogether our halt would not occupy 
 more than half an hour. 
 
 The march before midnight was tedious 
 enough, and afterwards it did not improve. 
 Conversation was impossible, the distance 
 between us being too great ; and we had to 
 
244 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 content ourselves with speculating in how short 
 a time we should develop into true philosophers. 
 All those burning questions which before our 
 departure from civilisation were consuming the 
 minds of mankind we carefully considered — nay, 
 immediately settled. Future plans were con- 
 ceived, castles in the air were built, periods of 
 life long left behind reviewed, happenings at 
 home recalled, and the time we had spent at 
 school became a vivid and absorbing picture. 
 The whole course of our imagination ran riot. 
 Dead people were pulled out of their graves 
 in order to renew half-forgotten acquaintances, 
 beautiful melodies were mal-treated, whilst all 
 the young ladies for whom one might have 
 felt some attraction from the age of seven and 
 upwards had to dance a fairy dance upon that 
 Arctic snow. But at last the brain struck work, 
 fresh thoughts refused to flow, originality was 
 paralysed, all material was consumed, and the 
 nightmare of emptiness possessed us. 
 
 It was during the home journey especially 
 that this monotony seemed killing ; for on the 
 road northwards we had with each day ad- 
 
Homeward through the Clouds 245 
 
 vanced farther towards new and^^^mWr^ 
 regions. The expectation of what the future 
 might bring forth, and the uncertainty as to 
 where the end would be, so stimulated us that 
 the terrors of the journey were wholly forgotten. 
 But now it was different. We only knew that 
 the road homeward was long, that it led 
 ^'■cross a cold and lifeless plain, where for 
 weeks all our energy would be exhausted in 
 the endeavour to cross it safely. A further 
 drawback was the utter absence of all variation 
 in the light of days and nights. It was one 
 continuous weary day, during which the sun 
 moved slowly and unceasingly on his cycle 
 round the heavens, only now and then hidden 
 by clouds of fantastic form, which through our 
 blue goggles assumed a strangely heavy and 
 gloomy character. The appearance of the inland 
 ice on a beautiful day beneath the bright sun- 
 shine was grand and imposing. There were 
 always two predominating colours, the in- 
 finite expanse of white snow, and the deep 
 azure vault of the heavens above-a picture so 
 unusual and yet so simple and so radiant that 
 
^6 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 it could never be forgotten in after life. On 
 account of the absence of all life the effect in 
 the long-run is inexpressibly fatiguing, and 
 I still remember with what vivid delight, on 
 our arrival at the East coast, I gazed upon the 
 dark mountain ranges, which appeared to me 
 like a smiling landscape. 
 
 Our stages usually lasted for ten to twelve 
 hours ; setting out at about seven in the evening, 
 It would be about six the next morning before 
 the end was reached. As on an average we 
 made nearly two miles an hour, the entire dis- 
 tance would amount to about eighteen miles. 
 We felt a particular satisfaction when we could 
 register this distance, which corresponded to 
 twenty thousand revolutions of our odometer 
 wheel. 
 
 So soon as it was determined to camp, Mr. 
 Peary, who was usually two hundred yards 
 ahead of me with the dog-team, set to work 
 sounding the snow here and there with a thin 
 bamboo pole he always carried in his hand, per- 
 sisting in this operation until he found a place 
 where the snow was hard enough for us to 
 
Homeward through the Clouds 247 
 
 cut snow-blocks. When he stopped, he planted 
 the bamboo pole at his side, and cried " Keima " 
 (Esquimau for "This will do") at the top 
 of his voice. At that the dogs would forget 
 their fatigue for very joy, and set off at top 
 speed until they came up with Mr. Peary, when 
 they would throw themselves upon the ground 
 to stretch their tired limbs at leisure. Once 
 more all the instruments were read, the lashings 
 loosened that bound the load upon the sledge, 
 and the dogs tied up and fed each with a pound 
 ofpemmican. Whilst Mr. Peary was thus fully 
 occupied, it was my business to set the " brick- 
 work " of the kitchen, using my long hunting- 
 knife for the purpose. The plan of construction 
 was this : — 
 
 First a hole was made in the snow a foot 
 and a half deep, and measuring eight feet by 
 three. The blocks of snow thus obtained were 
 employed in constructing a wall stretching 
 across one end of the hollow, and half-way 
 along its two sides. Upon the wall one or 
 two skis were laid, across which was spread a 
 small cotton sail kept in place by means of 
 
248 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 snow weights. In the innermost recess of the 
 shed thus formed was placed a " kitchen box," 
 containing the day's rations of milk, tea, pea- 
 meal, Liebig's meat extract, biscuits and 
 pemmican, with two pannikins, two teaspoons, 
 a dessert-spoon, a knife, a spirit-lamp, and a box 
 of matches carefully wrapped in waterproof 
 paper. Immediately the kitchen was ready the 
 cook of the day lighted the lamp and set on 
 the pea soup, the other usually making entries 
 in his diary, or rubbing his cracked face with 
 vaseline. This done, he would promptly fall 
 asleep, only to be roused for a cup of steaming 
 pea soup. With a feeling of growing con- 
 tentment this and half a pound of pemmican 
 would be consumed. Meanwhile the lamp 
 was busily at work boiling water for our tea, 
 which was soon ready. By this time our 
 hunger was appeased, and. if not too much 
 exhausted by the day's march, we would con- 
 verse during the remainder of the meal, which 
 consisted of six biscuits and a cup and a half 
 of tea to each. 
 
 Thus finished our chief meal, and we would 
 
Homeward through the Clouds 249 
 
 succumb to that sense of comfort familiar to 
 every lover of outdoor life after the demands 
 of a fatiguing day. The cook now retired 
 to his lair, the other disappeared beneath 
 the tarpaulin, and soon the whole camp was 
 fast asleep. One duty, however, fell to my 
 share before I could retire. This was to 
 tie each dog's nose with a strap, to prevent 
 them from gnawing at their harness, a dodge 
 we picked up from the Esquimaux during our 
 stay with them the previous winter. If a dog, 
 in spite of everything, succeeded in getting 
 loose during our sleep, it was the duty of the 
 cook to turn out from his comfortable quarters 
 to effect the recapture. Such was our life, 
 Sunday and work-day, week after week, without 
 variation. 
 
 Neither of us being smokers, tobacco was 
 never used during the journey. We took a 
 minimum of sleep, the average not being more 
 than seven hours : a hardship we endeavoured 
 to correct without success, for we could not 
 shorten our daily stages without damage to the 
 whole enterprise ; hot tea and pea soup we 
 
^50 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 were unable to torgo under any circumstances ; 
 the clogs had necessarily to be looked after, 
 and repairs made ; while to neglect our astro- 
 nomical observations was impossible ; and so we 
 had to put up with loss of sleep. 
 
 We awoke on July 15th to discover a 
 change to brilliantly clear weather with twelve 
 degrees of frost. No time was lost in digging 
 out the sledges and hitching up the dogs, but 
 only too short a time did that beautiful sun- 
 shine last. Before one o'clock it was evident 
 that a storm was brewing, and when at last 
 we had advanced eighteen miles it was snow- 
 ing and blowing violently, drifting masses of 
 clouds every now and then enveloping us in 
 a dense mist, which powdered upon man, dog, 
 and sledge a coating of the finest crystal. 
 
 During the night of the 1 7th we were de- 
 layed by several accidents. After a march of 
 fifteen miles we were compelled to kill a dog. 
 We had now five left, all in excellent condition ; 
 and we could not doubt but that these would reach 
 their homes again, unless, as Mr. Peary remarked 
 reflectively, some utterly improbable occurrence 
 
Homeward through the Clouds 251 
 
 should comptil us to eat them. We had now 
 reached a height of eight thousand feet, and 
 the road was gradually becoming so loose and 
 heavy that it was only by putting forth our 
 utmost strength to assist the dogs that we 
 could make any kind of progress. By the night 
 of the 1 8th the distance we had advanced was 
 only nine miles, and we thought it desirable to 
 reach lower regions as soon as possible. 
 
 Our direction during the next stage was due 
 west, and as a strong south-easterly snowstorm 
 attacked us in the rear, we rigged up a sail on 
 the leading sledge, by which they were both 
 swept across the boundless plain, half-hidden 
 by fairy dust, the dogs only now and then 
 pulling at their traces. By midnight it had 
 cleared a little, the sun looking kindly at us 
 from the northern horizon ; but the wind was 
 still strong, and the temperature at midnight 
 was fourteen degrees Fahr. Though the wind 
 had abated towards morning, there was still 
 sufficient to fill the sail up to the moment 
 when we halted. Throughout the next stage 
 a strong gale with snow-fall raged, this time 
 
252 
 
 With Peary near the I\:)le 
 
 from the west, and it was with the utmost 
 difficulty that we could fight our way against it. 
 
 " Thursday morning, July 2\st. — It seems as 
 if July is a somewhat boisterous month here 
 
 SNOW-NAVIGATION. 
 
 upon the inland ice plateau. After a cloudy 
 but otherwise fine night there are fresh indica- 
 tions of a storm, and it is now blowing heavily, 
 with snow. In the course of eleven hours we 
 advanced, however, the usual eighteen miles. 
 
Homeward throii<,'-h the Clouds 253 
 
 ''Friday niorniug; July 22«^/.— Thick weather 
 when wc started yesterday morning, and before 
 midnight a furious snowstorm from the west 
 was beating in our faces. The road became 
 by degrees so heavy that we had to stop at 
 the end of (;ight miles and a half 
 
 ''Saturday morn in o-, Ju/y 2 3n/.— Weather 
 overcast, with strong contrary winds. Our 
 course continues almost due west, being still 
 at the same altitude as of a week ago; and 
 wishing to drop down to the slopes nearer the 
 coast, where the road is harder and better, we 
 left behind in the camp last night the large 
 sledge, hoping to manage during the remainder 
 of the journey with the small one, weighing 
 only thirteen pounds. Advanced seventeen 
 miles." 
 
 During the whole of the next night we were 
 wrapped in dense sheets of cloud. The snow 
 was even and loose, showing such slight traces 
 of wind-marks that they could not be dis- 
 tinguished in the fog, and since we had not the 
 least breath of air for our guide, it was im- 
 possible to keep our course without stopping 
 
254 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 every few minutes to consult the compass. So 
 after a few vain efforts there was nothing for 
 it but to camp, and to await finer weather. 
 
 It IS indeed a wonderful experience, that 
 of travelling for hours across a snow plain 
 wrapped in an impenetrable shroud of vapour. 
 During previous stages, relying on the strong 
 wind for a guide, we had been able to push 
 on in spite of such hindrances. It was as if 
 we were walking vaguely in a grey-white room, 
 with nothing on which to rest the exhausted 
 eye : no shadows, no ascertainable source of the 
 strong light ; nothing but dark clouds, silently 
 gliding one by one over a solid but apparently 
 void field, are depicted against this shining 
 emptiness. It affected our nerves in a most 
 trying manner. 
 
 On the afternoon of July 25th a period of 
 delicious clear sunshine commenced, which, 
 although often accompanied with biting south- 
 easterly winds, was most acceptable after the 
 depressing cloud-passage of the preceding 
 weeks. The angry gods of the air had for a 
 long time done their best to check our advance. 
 
Ilonicward thmiii^rh the Clouds 255 
 
 Now they seemed to be relentinir. Th^ g.^i^,^ 
 finally abated, and the sun shone until home 
 was reached. 
 
 As this good weather set in we arrived on 
 the slopes of the western coast, soon reaching 
 lower tracts, where the going was good, and 
 the day's marches correspondingly long. Five 
 days laier we were ninety miles nearer to our 
 goal, and we were five thousand eight hundred 
 feet higher up. We could now keep the course 
 without resorting to the compass, by repeatedly 
 observing the angle of the direction of the 
 path, and our shadows thrown before us upon 
 the glittering snow. Our provisions began 
 rapidly to disappear: one by one we bade 
 farewell to delicacies, such as butter, meat- 
 powder, chocolate ; and the inland ice became 
 if possible less and less attractive. Fortunately 
 our journey was soon to come to an end, 
 for each day we made rapid progress. We 
 had reason to be satisfied with the result of 
 the expedition. Had the strength of all our 
 dogs given way during that trip along the 
 north-east coast, as happened to several of 
 
256 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 them, or had any accident or illness be fallen 
 one of us, we could scarcely have hoped to 
 see our starting-point again. 
 
 The temperature during the journey had not 
 been particularly severe ; for, since the sun in 
 these regions is shining day and night, the air 
 is continuously heated. On the other hand, it 
 is certain that the plateau of inland ice between 
 the latitudes of seventy and eighty degrees is 
 throughout the winter, while the sun is below 
 the horizon, one of the coldest, if not absolutely 
 the coldest, of all reo^ions in the northern 
 hemisphere. 
 
 During the last part of the journey we 
 made up our minds by a brilliant finish to 
 end our journey in a manner worthy of old 
 sportsmen. On the night of July 31st we 
 quietly commenced with twenty - six miles. 
 When the stage was ended observations were 
 taken, proving that we were already south of the 
 Peterman Fjord. Our altitude was then five 
 thousand feet. We shaped our course in a more 
 southerly direction, and during the following 
 five nights the distances were respectively. 
 
IIonicuaRl throuo-h the Clouds 257 
 
 twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, twenty-ei^ht. ^1 
 thirty-four miles. On the last but one of these 
 runs we observed the most inagnificent mirage 
 of the coast around Inglefield Gulf, the real 
 outlines of which we only discovered some time 
 later. Highest stood Northumberland Island, 
 with its long shining snow-domes to the south.' 
 Lower and far nearer were the well-known 
 landmarks around MacCormick Bay. We had 
 not seen any bare land since leaving Independ- 
 ence Bay. 
 
 About midnight, during our last laborious 
 struggle across the snowfields, just on the top 
 of some large snow-waves close to the point 
 where our journey had commenced, suddenly, 
 at a distance of about a mile and a half, we 
 caught sight of some dark specks, moving 
 sometimes in a body and sometimes separatel)^ 
 That they were human beings there could be 
 no doubt : but who ? Was it the Doctor and 
 Mr. Gibson with some Esquimaux on the look- 
 out for us.? Impossible! It must be some 
 members of the expected relief expedition, on 
 an excursion to have a look along the edges of 
 
 '7 
 
258 \\"itli Pcary near the Pole 
 
 thti gigantic ice-masses. The vessel by which 
 they had arrived was at this moment possibly 
 at anchor in MacCormick Bay, waiting for us. 
 Before long the unknown company seemed to 
 see us. At least we thought we could hear 
 some distant " hurrahs," and a little later the 
 feeble report of a gun. We immediately replied 
 by a double^shot from our rifles. We pressed 
 on, and the nearer we approached the surer 
 we became ; nor had we made any mistake. 
 At the head of a little party dressed in modern 
 touring outfits, and with glittering alpenstocks 
 and ice-axes, was the well-known American 
 geologist, Professor Heilprinn, from Philadelphia, 
 the head of the relief expedition. The remaining 
 seven were all gentlemen of repute from 
 Philadelphia, among them being four scientists, 
 an engineer, an artist, and a journalist. The 
 entire company were without snow-shoes or 
 skis, and, the night-frost not having been strong 
 enough to form any crust on the top of the 
 deep and wet snow here along the coast, 
 every one was wading in snow-powder far above 
 the knees, sometimes sinking up to the hips. 
 
Homeward throug"h the Clouds 259 
 
 So much mure astonishing, therefore, was the 
 unllagging en(^rgy and staunch perseverance of 
 these sportsmen, who had already covered about 
 eight miles across almost impassable ground. 
 
 When within about a hundred yards of each 
 other, we commenced on 
 both sides to fire with 
 our snapshot cameras, 
 the quick subdued reports 
 of which lent a certain 
 martial finish to our 
 greeting, as of a fin-dc- 
 siccle infantry fire. vSoon 
 we were but a few paces 
 apart, when suddenly a 
 thundering ninefold 
 " Hurrah " resounded 
 throuf^h the thin hififhiand air. Hand-shakes 
 and enthusiastic greetings were exchanged with 
 thc;se noble fellows, who, in the sealer Kite, 
 had come to carry us back to civilisation. A 
 moment to be remembered was this first en- 
 counter W4th fellow-men after seventy-two days 
 of weary existence upon Polar snowfields ; and 
 
 I)U. I-RKDKIUCK A. COOK 
 
 ( noitcr to the I'!.\pC(/itioii), 
 
26o W'ith I\\iry near the Pole 
 
 uith intense (Mijoyment we received the first 
 interestino- news of the world's events during 
 the past year. Slowly, and in lively conversa- 
 tion, we moved downwards to the shore, upon 
 which we soon arrived. Our journey was at 
 an end. 
 
 For more than ninety days we had been 
 living upon Greenland inland ice, during which 
 time about twelve hundred miles were covered. 
 The northern extension of the gigantic Greenland 
 ice cover had been determined by us very 
 accurately, and we had also proved, so far as 
 proofs were possible, the northern limit of the 
 mainland. 
 
 Beyond this, we had determined that the 
 Greenland coast rapidly converges beyond the 
 seventy-eighth degree of latitude, and that north 
 of this parallel there exist disconnected tracts of 
 land, free from ice, and of comparatively small 
 dimensions. Finally we had in no inconsiderable 
 degree increased our knowledge of the meteoro- 
 logical and altitudinal facts of those portions of 
 the Greenland ice farthest to the north. When 
 we came down the mountain plateau, where 
 
Homeward throujrh the Clouds 261 
 
 thr.e months before we had laboured";;;^ 
 suffered over the transporter our provisions, 
 we suddenly caught sight of the tjord beneath 
 "s. We two travellers from afar were for the 
 mon,ent by o..rselves, having arrived so„,ewhat 
 m advance of the others. Involuntarily we 
 halted, remaining for a moment in „,ute con- 
 templation. I believe tears were stealing into 
 our eyes while we stood gating blankly in front 
 "* us ; ,or anything „,ore beautiful we had never 
 looked upon. Green and bright in early sumn,er 
 morn,ng, ,he fjord lay stretched out ,• and upon 
 "s surface shining icebergs swam like giant 
 swans. Around it the perpendicular „,ountain 
 S-1-, with bands of varied colours and all sorts 
 of shades, rose majestically, their rellections cut 
 sharp and clear in the dark sea. .And i„ one 
 of the snug corners of the fjord la>- at anchor 
 a s„,all three-n,asted craft, with ste^tm up, its 
 ascending sn,oke fonnmg artificial clouds in th,- 
 calm a,r. Now and then the lively gibberin-, 
 "ies of a passing Might of auks reached us 
 where we were standing. b'arther below two 
 snow-white hares were frisking merrily an,o„. 
 
262 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 the stones, in a purling watercourse. From a 
 cold, lifeless desert we had returned to a world 
 full of animation and beauty. 
 
 An hour later, with our five faithful dogs, 
 we were aboard the small steamer, where the 
 sailors, old acquaintances, offered us their honest 
 tarry fists, congratulating us upon our success. 
 I scarcely need say that our first thought, upon 
 our arrival on board ship, was to indulge in 
 a thorough wash and a change of clothes ; and 
 when on the fore-deck a friendly sailor relieved 
 us of several pounds of long entangled hair, 
 we became presentable and could go to table, 
 where we remained for some time. 
 
 Two days later, having got all our things 
 on board, the Kite steamed away to our winter 
 quarters at the entrance to the bay. Here we 
 were enthusiastically received by the other 
 members of the TLxpedition, the Doctor, Mr. 
 Gibson, Mr. V'ctrhoctff and Mr. Pt^iry's servant 
 Matt, all of whom met us down on the beach. 
 
 Behind them wer(; a crowd of our d(!ar 
 native friends, who long ago had lo.st all faith 
 in the success of our journey on the big 
 
HoniL'U'ard through the Clouds 263 
 
 glacier. Their faces U-ani^T^T^igl^of 
 us, and they listened with breathless suspense 
 when later I gave them a detailed description 
 of our finding musk-cattle on the distant coast 
 Numerous were the questions that I had to 
 answer as to the appearance of the country 
 the fitness of the coast for habitation, and so 
 on ; and, with their usual intelligence, they did 
 not feel satisfied until I had minutely sketched 
 on a piece of paper our route across the big 
 glacier and the coast beyond. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE ESQUIMAUX MANXER OF LIFE, CUSTOMS, 
 CHARACTER, MORAL AND SOCIAL CIR- 
 CUMSTANCES 
 
 ""PO us the daily life of the " Innuits " appears 
 -■' most extraordinary. Their winter is 
 passed in low, narrow huts built of stone and 
 moss, always erected in the immediate neighbour- 
 hood of the sea. The length and width of the 
 hut is scarcely four yards each way, and the 
 ceiling is so low that a man is compelled to 
 stoop beneath it. Not infrequently two huts are 
 so close together that a wide opening pierced 
 through the dividing wall unites them, while 
 always housing two families. The interior of 
 the hut is reached through a long narrow 
 passage, also of stone. This has to be\raversed 
 in a crouching position until a narrow square 
 opening in the upper part of the wall is passed, 
 which is the entrance to the sitting-room. Just 
 
 ^04 
 
The IisquinKiux Manner of Life 265 
 
 abovtj this is a square window, covered by gut 
 skin, and usually coated with thick white frost. 
 In the centre of this pane there is a small hole 
 through which the tainted hot air makes its 
 J^scape in winter-time in a thick steaming column. 
 This opening serves also as a peephole at such 
 times when voices are heard without, or some 
 unwonted noise arouses curiosity. 
 
 The family sleep at the rear, on a stone plat- 
 form, raised about half a yard above the floor, 
 and covered with bear or reindeer skins. Upon 
 one of the two side bunks, and on a level with 
 the sleeping place, is a dish-shaped lamp of 
 soapstone, over which hangs an oblong cooking 
 vessel of the same material, suspended from the 
 ceiling by a cord. It is by this long clear lamj.- 
 llame, fed by oil and with finely rotted turf as 
 ^^ wick, that the small room is lighted and 
 heated. Little is required for the latter pur- 
 pose, the walls and roof being comfortably 
 air-tight, and the room at some distance from 
 the walls being provided with a wainscoting of 
 sealskin. Any draught through the entnmce 
 which is always open, is provided against, for 
 
266 With Pcar\' near the Pole 
 
 the cold outside air is prevented hy its specific 
 gravity from rising into the house. 
 
 When the llame burns out for want of atten- 
 tion, which is likc:ly to occur during the night, 
 the light is rekindled by striking sparks from a 
 piece of Hint, or magnetic iron, on to exceedingly 
 fine and dry turf fibres. In the immediate 
 neighbourhood of the winter huts some small 
 stone chambers are usually built, half over and 
 half under the earth, where the housewives 
 keep their stock of ready tanned skins and other 
 valuable raw material, and the hunters store 
 their winter pelts. 
 
 The meat stores are usually at a distance 
 from the house, and covered by heaps of stones. 
 Towards the end of spring, when the days are 
 growing long and light, and the sun's rays are 
 spreading a little warmth over the landscape, 
 the Esquimau cjuits his oppressive winter 
 quarters, packs the family sealskin tent on the 
 sledge, and takes to the road, true vagabond 
 that he is, in order to (;rect his summer resid(!nce 
 u[)on some site; free from snow in the; neigh- 
 bourhood. In most cases he will tear off the 
 
Tlic T'.s((uiniau\ Manner of Life 267 
 
 roof of his wintt^r hut before leaving it, that 
 the house may be thoroughly aired during his 
 absence. 
 
 About twenty years ago, when still without 
 
 WIMIEK HUTS. 
 
 boats, they used to retreat with thciir suniiiier 
 tents into th(; fjords, in order to hunt seals where 
 the ice tak(;s long(!St to break up. 
 
 Their tent is made of sealskin from which 
 the hairs have been removed. It widens at 
 
268 Will, ,v.,ry n^.^,. t,,^, p^^i^, 
 
 the bottom in . kind of .samci'rcuk7Tl",r~ 
 -ndmg above the upriglit front wall in a sharp 
 «hort ridge. The inner skeleton, on which 
 the whole is upheld, is made of narwhal horns 
 and wooden laths. The door, which opens in 
 'ront of the tent, is covered with a gut-skin 
 curta.n ; and in the background there is, as in 
 "' houses, the raised platforn, cox-ered with 
 skn,.s, which affords .sleeping acco„,n,odation lor 
 the family. 
 
 These tents are used from the beginning of 
 May ttll the middle of .September, when the 
 i-^squ.mau.v return to their huts, seldom, however 
 to .settle down in their homes of the previous 
 wmter, for they hold that change is enjoyable', 
 l^oth m the summer tent and in the winter hut 
 the duty of attending to the lamp falls to the 
 housewife. The blubber pieces have to be 
 removed as they gradually melt away, and 
 wthou, eon,st,mt attention the llan.e smokes 
 terribly. 
 
 All the most important household work falls 
 to the wo„,ans lot, and is not always of the 
 choicest kind, for the Esquimau., lack the sense 
 
The I':s(|uiin.'ui\ Manner of Life 269 
 
 of cleanliness. 'I'lie stone pot. the flat vessels, 
 and (IrinUinc.- cup. and shelf on which the i)r()- 
 visions are stored, an? covered with a thick layer 
 of blubber and clotted blood ; and it may easily 
 Ik; iina<rined that all this is more than (tnough 
 to rob the white man of his appetite. lUit 
 aftcT a long day's tramp across trackless snow- 
 fields and in Arctic temperatures, when the 
 elasticity of the muscles is relaxed, and the 
 cells of th(; body seem to unite in one sino-le 
 cry for food and wat(.'r, the sons of civilisation 
 would never hesitate to share the ruiUi dishes of 
 the friendly Esquimaux, and to drink from, their 
 blubb(!r-greased cups, if his own more; dainty 
 provisions ran short. The dishes which the 
 Esquimau hostess can offer at various seasons 
 to her family or guests are neither many nor 
 elaborate. The flesh of walrus, seal, narwhal, 
 bear, reindeer, and hare or auk, and at rare 
 intervals salmon trout, mixed commonly with 
 blood, forms the foundation of her cooking. 
 Spices, salt, or any other condiments are unknown 
 to her; and even blubber is chiefly used for 
 illuminating purposes. 
 
270 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 AlthoLii^h as a rule it is c()()k(Hl, the: meat is 
 often eaten raw, especially when frozen. It is 
 not considered a delicacy until it has become 
 tainted and giv.es f(jrth the pungent odour of 
 old cheese. The liver of various animals is also 
 eaten, as are the contents of the reindeer's 
 stomach, which consist almost exclusively of 
 vegetable matter, and form a rare delicacy. 
 Dogs' flesh is occasionally eaten, but only under 
 stress of circumstances, which must be very great 
 indeed before a native will sacrifice any of his 
 full-grown pack. At Cape York Settlement I 
 have been treated to frozen puppy, which, hungry 
 as I was, I found very palatable;. The tr.ite of 
 this is exactly that of the ice-bear, which in its 
 turn reminds one of melons. 
 
 For drinking the Iv. jimaux use nothing but 
 water. When, at the commencement of our 
 acquaintance;, we offered them tea and coffee, 
 the;y touched it with their lips and rejected it 
 promptly. In the; course of time, however, most 
 ")f them began to appreciate these beverages, 
 to which we occasionally treated them ; and 
 biscuits, te)o, they soon learned te) like — a fact 
 
The H,s(|uiniaiix .Manner o. Life 271 
 
 '" "^" ■^"■'■^''■«' '"^-"ing '.f th,. w„rd tlu.y ar,- 
 |. breadiess peopl,... Naturally enou^.h, ' ,hey 
 know nothing of spirits and tobacco/ and we 
 took good care not to initiate them. It was 
 orange that they have never learnt the use of 
 '■•ny stimulant, but in this matter they are still 
 '""ocent, which no other race upon the globe 
 apjjears to be. 
 
 The indoor meals are taken in a very rude 
 and easy fashion. The hotrsewife pn'ts the 
 cooked pieces of „,eat into a pot. fron, which 
 the vanous members of the family-all of them 
 more or less naked-will draw as much as they 
 want, carrying it to their mouths with their 
 left hands, and holding a sharp knife in tlieir 
 r.ght, with which they slice off savoury mouthfuls 
 close to their lips. Twice ' tried to imitate 
 this, but although I went to work so carefully 
 that all the dark rascals were bursting with 
 laughter, 1 had to consider myself very fortunate 
 that I kept my nose intact. 
 
 Out in the open air, on sledge journeys or 
 huntmg e.Kcursio.is-when the .neals usually 
 
272 with Peary near the Pole 
 
 consist offro/cn meat — thf; etiquettes of the tahlt; 
 is this : that each person cuts morsels to suit 
 his fancy from a common block of food. The 
 number of daily nieals depends very much upon 
 whether th(^ day is spent at home; — in the hut 
 or tent — or in outdoor exercise. In the first 
 case th(;y will take four or five meals, so drawn 
 out that th(;y represent one continuous feast 
 from morning to nio^ht. Hut on the march the 
 meals are usually limited to a li<^ht c(^ld breakfast 
 and a hot and more substantial supper. 
 
 Marriages amonj^st the Innuits at Smith's 
 Sound form a lif(;lono^ contract, as they do with 
 us. The relations existinij^ between husband 
 and wife are generally (excellent, even if at 
 rare int(,'rvals a case of divorce occurs. As an 
 instanc(N Agna, the mother of Kolotcmgua, some 
 years ago obtained a divorce from Kaochu, 
 Kolotengua's father, on the j)retext that really 
 Kaochu was so old that Ik; did not suit her any 
 lonoier. So soon after she attached herself to a 
 jovial, middle-aged, fit, shiny widower, Kala, 
 with whom she is living most happily at the 
 present moment- As an excuse for this lady, in 
 
The Hsc|uimaux Manner of Life 273 
 
 many respects so worthy, it must he atlmittetl 
 that life had indeed dealt hardly with [)Oor 
 Kaochu, for although not strictly old, he walked 
 with a pottering gait, his one leg bent with 
 rheumatism, his face dry and full of dirty wrinkles, 
 his nose and cheeks bluish from wind and weather, 
 his eyes red-rimmed, and his hair— the hair — yes, 
 well, let us stop at that. And yet this limping 
 imp has a sense of humour, and the power to 
 raise laughter on the lips of his neighbours. 
 Neither has he suffered iVom any want. Mis 
 friends look after that, particularly his taithlul 
 foster-daughter, who manages his house. 
 
 Polygamy is unknown among the hLs([uimau\ 
 at present, although they may have some in- 
 clinations in that direction, and possibly under 
 more favourable conditions of Hie miufht not 
 hesitate to introduce the system. Changing 
 wives, however, is very common, especially on 
 journeys. These changes may stand good tor a 
 long period, especially between mat ire couples, 
 of which the two halvc:s are sulfering from 
 mutual weariness of one: another. 
 
 WhiMi a wife and husbantl meet again in the 
 
 18 
 
274 W^itli l\':iry near the l^)1c 
 
 course of a few weeks, they are usually so 
 thoroughly cured ol' their dissatisfaction that the 
 whole arrano'ement only lends adtlitional proof' 
 
 ^' ■■>'"..■ 
 
 
 • ■ % 
 
 
 
 E 
 
 
 ^i|^ 
 
 w 
 
 r^i 
 
 
 » -^hGI 
 
 
 -■m.5*' 
 
 ;'*&;?«■■ 
 
 ;,.*? ^ 
 
 ^- J 
 
 ft. fe.^ji^ft V ^K'<»'^. X ll^^l^P^^ 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 ■■P 
 
 //iffi 
 
 m«fift^^b 
 
 
 
 
 
 % 
 
 J 
 
 -1 i ' ' 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 IMKRIOK Ol' IlL 1. MKN IN TllK lOkKC.KOU M), WO.Mh.N UN lUi; 
 
 I'l.AI 1-OK.M lihlilMi. 
 
 to the correctness ol' that mutual selection made 
 in days Li'one bv. 
 
 Among the; unmarried the strictest chastity is 
 generally obserxed. The position of the married 
 woman, in spite of the fact that she has on all 
 
The Es(|uinKiu.\ Manner of Life 275 
 
 matters of serious diffLTence to submit to the will 
 of her husband, is scarcely less dignified than 
 that of the man ; while the burdens of life are 
 divided evenly between them, just in the way 
 which people at homt: think natural, the husband 
 supporting the family by hunting, or at home 
 mending his wea^jons and fishing gear, the wife 
 cooking, looking after the children, preparing 
 the skins, and making clothes and kaiuiks with 
 active diligence. The relation between jxirents 
 and children is affectionate. The children are 
 generally very handsome while they are quite 
 young, their good looks falling off as thev irrow 
 older. On birth they receive their name from 
 their parents — usually a single word, signifying 
 some natural object. There is hardly ever any 
 (juestion of punishment, nor is such treatment 
 wanted, for more genuinely well-jjehaved children 
 one could not [)ossib]y hnd. They look touc^' 
 ingly sweet, these small folk, when they cue 
 playing in the open air some; game corresponding 
 with our "touch," or when sliding upon tiny 
 toboggans made by their fond fithers. They 
 never fight, ami onl)- quarnd in the miklcst w.iv ; 
 
276 With IV^ary near the ]\)\c 
 
 abusive words are unknown : they are, in fact, 
 Hke a company of dirty anj^^els. 
 
 Grown-up people also amuse themselves with 
 tobogganing, but otherwise it may be said that 
 the Esquimaux do not generally care much for 
 games or amusement. Life itself is their deli(>-ht. 
 though it may be of a severer kind than that of 
 any other people. 
 
 When the men return from hunting, gossip and 
 innocent chatter is their pastime in the evenin<r, 
 now and then interrupted by some stranL^e, 
 monotonous song, quaintly rendered either by a 
 bachelor or an old maid, or by all the company 
 m unison. Such songs are always accompanied 
 by regular dull blows upon a drum, made of a 
 bone ring upon which is stretched a skin. 
 
 Marriages are contracted at an early age : by 
 the men so soon as they think themselves able 
 to afford a wife— that is to say, at any age 
 between sixteen and twenty— whilst the girls are 
 considered marriageable at fourteen. As a rule 
 affection is the foundation of ev(;ry union. There 
 is little enough temptation to marry for money 
 or any worldly gain. The )-oung couple enter 
 
'I'lic li:s<|iiim;uix .Manner of Life 27- 
 
 i"to th,. n,nv conditio,, of life uitl,out~^s<7i^- 
 c(Temony, tliough not until aftor u lon^ cncracre- 
 "i<-"t. Th,. number of children in a fiunily^is 
 con,n,only three or four, though sometimes live 
 or s.x are born to the same parents. 
 
 A stranger arriving fron, a <Iistant s,:ttlement 
 "'•"her .says " goo.l day," nor receives any 
 .^'reetmg from the men or women he is visiting 
 A modest smile is all he has to ofti^r as a"^n 
 introduction, which is as bashfully returned 
 On<. of the elders presently makes a subdued 
 rentark-, or even asks a question, and by decrees 
 conversation is set ,a-going. When the vkitor 
 's about to leave, the same form.ality is cone 
 through. He bids no farewell, but quietly 
 h.tches up his dogs, ,-,nd possibly departs to a 
 Pl.'ce many miles away without .-uldre.ssing so 
 much as a word to his host. Th<:ir intercourse 
 always e.xhibits a spirit of independence astonish- 
 ing to Europe^ms. 
 
 liefore .setting out upon .a sledge journey an 
 Esqumi.LU takes good care to llll him.self to 
 tlie full with water, even if he is not at the 
 moment thirsty. He knows w.:ll .mough what 
 
278 Willi I\";ii-v near ihc I'olc 
 
 fearful thirst lie may lia\c to endure Ixlorc he 
 comes within si.L;lit of human hahitations, a 
 thirst made mon- unl)earal)I(; hy the dry Arctic 
 air. I had an opportunity of convincinj^r niyself 
 of the |)rudenc:e of this precaution. 
 
 /\ chief reason \vhi(di makes it possihic for 
 the I'.sfiuimaux at Smith's Sound to eiKhire th<; 
 lonir winter ni^dits of four months, is their 
 naturall)' social disposition. Youn^- peoj)I(: 
 .^•enerally occup)- mon; of th(; time of darkness 
 in visits to relati\'es and fri(;nds than the\- 
 spend at home, and if they do stop at Iiouk; 
 for a short |)eri<)d it is rarely without having- 
 first secured some jL^uests and companions. 
 Durin.^^ the months of December and januar\- 
 th(; darkness is so continuous that all journeys 
 must he ])ianned for thosc^ hours when th(; 
 moon is up, and the moon (which app(!ars every 
 four weeks) m()V(;s in the vault of heaven for 
 seven days on end. throwin.cr a most brilliant 
 li.niit upon the snow-white plains. 
 
 An extract from my diary for December v^t, 
 
 189;,, will record m\ impressions durino- a sledge 
 
 journey In the moonlight, a journey on which 
 
'^Ii^' I'^s(|iiiniaii\ .\fanncM- r.f \ ^fc 279 
 
 ' ''■" ■■'<^^--'^^l''"'i<-<l .H.ly l,y ,n ,,M lv.,,nm,u, 
 ''""■>■ "' ^^•"••''- "I>n:ss<:,I in n„r w.,nn skin 
 ^■^'^'t^^ ^"kI sitlin- sihMilIy .i|H,n th,: Inu- sl..l-r. u,- 
 '^''^'^ '^'^^'''^ nppnrtunity to admin: ihc womhTluI 
 sa:n.ry around us. ()n<. .an scara.Iy iniacin. 
 anything so .ntin.Iy lacking \n aniniationf so 
 ^'^^solatc, as th,: landscape hrfnu'. us. It was 
 '•'' ^'^""^'^ ^^■'' ^^■^^•-- no |„n;^<:r ,novin^ „n our 
 own pkin.:t. hut were su.ldcniy transportc<I to 
 thv. surfiu:,- ol some mysli,: strange spot, in the 
 ^"ifverse. so desokite. so chstant and different 
 ^'•'>ni a„y iu.man dweHin.ir-pk.ce was that loadity. 
 We hahed twice to arrani^e the doo-straps ; the 
 silcMice of death reio^ned over the countrv, and 
 '>nly now and then wcmhI heavy si^hs reached 
 lis from mountain recesses dose hy, as ice- 
 '>I<>^l<s fathered upon rocky points and lech^es 
 '■^"^^ '^''' ^'^''^ •^^"' 'Hie white broken Mn 
 ••^•-'H,pd us. iHumined in ,-.hostIy fashion hy the 
 paK: silent moon, hrou-ht to our minds a church- 
 yard in wiiU(-r-time, numerous ice blocks hearino- 
 ^^" ^"^^^'^"ny likeness to snow-cktd tombstones 
 ■'^nd Larc^.e m(,numents. Mono- the precipitous 
 coasts to the north, where the icc-pLain touched 
 
2cSo A\'iih IVary near tlic Pole 
 
 'li'- l'"i<l. was seen ;, l,;,n,l nf sliinin- silvr. 
 I"-'"I"^-<<1 l>y the (catino- nl ic,. (-ast u\Hm the 
 '■'"■'^^^ ''I 'li^li ti.Ic. |-;„- in thr south, dark 
 '^•i-i<l'>ws of the distant coast <-xton(I(:,| ; upon 
 the mountain plateaux rose lofty domc's of 
 perennial snow and ire. far hack inland, and 
 Ixyond the white -(-ntly swellin- surface of th(' 
 s<-a. Ahove this fluttered the mysterious aurora, 
 now flamino- red. now glimmering with all th(; 
 colours of the rainbow. The transparency of" 
 the atmosphen; was remarkahh;. 'Ihr. rwrm'.d 
 outlines of th(^ mountains, their clefts and gaps 
 mad(^ promincMit l,y thct dark shadows, could 
 1h' seen distinctly at a distance; of more than 
 forty miles." 
 
 Again I wrot(; :— " What a change from this 
 picture; was th(; scene; which met our ey(;s inside; 
 th(! walls of the little l<:s(|uimau hut! Men 
 talking and eating, children crying, and W(;ath(;r- 
 l)cat(;n w(,men pack(;d closely together, all mon; 
 or 1(;ss nak(;d. and showing distinct marks of 
 their iinwashein state. 
 
 " 'I'he; hut in which I live; helonos to youncr 
 Aune)lka. he; who lost his wife; last ye-ar, hut 
 
The I'.s(|iiiinau\ Manner of IJfc 281 
 
 is imw married ,iL;'.iin to .1 widow with three 
 children. An uiicoinnion lark ol cleatiniiess 
 rules here, so that I (eel (ar less comfort and 
 j)l('asure than I have experienced in other 
 
 AI'KORA r.OklCAI.IS. 
 
 Esquimaux homes. Aunolka has, howe\-er, this 
 excuse, thai his hul lies on th(; direct n)Ut(^ 
 hetwecMi our wint(;r quarters and nunu^rous 
 I*)squimaux settlements, so that, lor th(^ time 
 l)ein<^, it has te serve as a family hotel antl 
 
282 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 travellers' rest. It is not the lirst time that I 
 / have taken shelter beneath this roof. Upon 
 the last occasion there were twenty-one people 
 inside, and I had a small boy as a pillow, 
 while four other children lay across me :'s a 
 coverlet. Next morning I paid my host liberally, 
 which was by no means necessary. The payment 
 was an old worn-out tooth-brush, which all pre- 
 sent put instantly to the test." 
 / Happiness and joy beam from ^heir broad^ 
 
 sallow faces when the February sun begins to 
 ' dress the clouds next the horizon in golden 
 garments, after the oppressive darkness of winter ; 
 and when at last the sun itself rises in full glory 
 above the southern horizon, their joy is un- 
 bounded. Then men and women, old and 
 young, flock together upon the crags which form 
 a background where the view is widest, there 
 f to greet the returning ruler of light with bright 
 glances of gratitude and joyful shouts of welcome. 
 The Esquimaux at Smith's Sound have no 
 exact measure of time. To note any particular 
 hour of the day they fall back upon the position 
 of the sun or of the stars. To describe a 
 
The Esquimaux Manner of Life 283 
 
 certain season they employ references to im- 
 portant annual events, such as "the days of 
 removing into tents," or "when the auks arrive 
 from the south," or "the days when the sun 
 leaves us." 
 
 One would be inclined to suppose that a people 
 such as the Esquimaux, making such a hard 
 struggle for existence, and seldom sure whether 
 the morrow will be a day of want or no, would 
 be serious — would look upon life as a term of 
 suffering which for some reason or other they 
 have to abide, and from which death only offers 
 a relief. But how far is such a supposition 
 from the real facts! To listen to their merry 
 laughter, to understand something of their 
 language, to appreciate their genuine and amus- 
 ing jokes and their witty sayings, and on hunting 
 excursions to hear their gleeful songs and bright 
 jests, is to arrive at the conclusion that these 
 people are, more than any other, satisfied with 
 the conditions of their life. 
 
 And by looking into the matter we see that 
 what at first appears extraordinary is not so 
 strange. We must in the first place bear in 
 
284 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 mind thiiir perfect health. It would be difficult 
 to find a healthier race, or one so uncontaminated 
 by civilisation. A little rheumatism may attack 
 those who are getting on in years, but this is 
 the only ailment that is at all common. Snow- 
 blindness, which so often troubles the men in 
 springtime, when the reflection of the sun strikes 
 up unbearably upon the naked eye, can scarcely 
 be considered as a serious complaint. Last but 
 not least must be borne in mind the fact that 
 this small Esquimaux community is founded 
 upon the principles of equality. It is a com- 
 munity where money is unknown, and love of 
 one's neighbour is a fundamental rule. We 
 have here, without going any further, an ample 
 guarantee for the happiness and contentment 
 of its members — a community where " liberty, 
 equality, fraternity" is not merely a plausible 
 cry, but a genuine reality. That this should 
 be possible is due to the conditions under which 
 these people live. The Esquimaux are good 
 because they have no temptation to be bad. 
 Suppose a hunter is more skilful than his fellows, 
 and so has accumulated more game than his needs 
 
The Hsqtiimaux Manner of Life 285 
 
 require. Shall he bury it beneath the ground, 
 and let it spoil? Or shall he try and sell it 
 where there are no purchasers ? No : willingly 
 he will divide his spoil among those who are less 
 skilled in the chase, whose arms are weaker, or 
 whose cares have left less time for sport. But 
 some one may say, " If superior skill has enabled 
 them to fill their larders in a comparatively 
 short time, will they not be inclined to indulge 
 in a period of rest or pleasant dalliance, rather 
 than continue their hunting for the advantage 
 of others?" To this it may be answered that, 
 so long as personal ambition holds the high 
 place that it does now in their emotions, there 
 is no danger of this, even if their natural good- 
 nature is not taken into account ; and it is in 
 accord with this that when a hunter kills more 
 game than he can bear away with him, he 
 leaves the remainder protected by a heap of 
 stones, that any who come by that way may 
 help themselves. Apparently they form a single 
 family, for whose common good every one exerts 
 his utmost energy, and it becomes an impossi- 
 bility that some should be in luxury whilst others 
 
286 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 starve, for they share the joys of Hfe as well as 
 its sorrows. 
 
 This marked affection for their neighbours 
 appears to be characteristic, and it is not sur- 
 prising when we remember how closely related 
 all the members of this little community must 
 be. Well do I remember the touching anxiety 
 displayed by the members of a community among 
 whom I was staying, owing to the prolonged 
 absence of a young hunter. How often have 
 I witnessed the home-coming of the tired sports- 
 man, loaded with savoury meat of the reindeer! 
 To keep it for himself and the use of his family 
 would be an unheard-of act. Company there 
 must be, and all, young and old, must be bidden 
 to the feast. 
 
 It is exceedingly rare to see two Esquimaux 
 quarrel, and if this does occasionally happen, 
 their anger is moderate:. An Esquimau does 
 not grow noisy, or use bad language ; and grown 
 men never quarrel at all. If they cannot agree, 
 and one thinks himself injured by another, he 
 simply leaves the place. They are, in f:ict, 
 an essentially meek-spirited race, who dislike 
 
The Esquimaux Manner of Life 287 
 
 discussions or disputes; and they often render 
 services to those for whom they have a strong 
 personal dislike. 
 
 According to the defective information which 
 we could gather on the subject, the average 
 duration of life among the Esquimaux is sixty 
 years, when they fall away through general 
 debility, and often die from inllammation of the 
 
 lungs. 
 
 Their honesty is absolute, and theft is 
 unknown, as they have all things in common ; 
 and for this reason they did not hesitate to help 
 themselves, during their first intercourse with 
 the Peary Expedition, to any tritles that pleased 
 their eyes, and which they felt quite justified in 
 appropriating. But when once they were told 
 that we did not approve of this we were able 
 to rely upon them implicitly ; although they were 
 sharp enough to see the injustice of our taking 
 possession of their country without giving them 
 any return, or asking their consent, and 
 systematically clearing long stretches of valley 
 and highland of the reindeer so valuable to 
 them. They were rarely guilty of falsehood 
 
288 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 towards us, though they would try at times to 
 make fools of us white men, who considered 
 ourselves such knowing fellows. Yet they show 
 a natural repugnance to speaking the truth when 
 that truth may be disagreeable to the listener, 
 and under such circumstances they will try to 
 evade it by all kinds of devices. On the whole 
 their morals are at all events in full accord with 
 the ideals of Christianity ; but while we who are 
 living under different conditions of life, daily 
 tempting us to disregard ideal principles, must 
 often content ourselves with owning their beauty 
 and our incapacity to live up to them, the poor 
 Innuits may more easily maintain their standard, 
 since they are born under more simple and 
 sounder conditions. 
 
 The good-humour of the Esquimaux is 
 inexhaustible. Their exuberant mirth is es- 
 pecially apparent when a number of them are 
 together at one time, as was often the case at 
 the stations of the Peary Expedition. It would 
 be useless to attempt to describe the scene 
 which took place when, for instance, half a dozen 
 male Innuits caught sight of a donkey for the 
 
The Hsquimaux Manner of Life 289 
 
 first time in their lives. Such scenes can only 
 be appreciated by witnessing them. Their 
 amazement was unlimited, though there was none 
 of that childish joy that one would expect from 
 these dark heathen, but on the contrary a 
 shower of witty and brilliant remarks, now about 
 its long ears, now about the plump round belly, 
 now about its hairless tail, which, they held, 
 would make a splendid whip handle when the 
 frost set in. One of the acknowledged clowns 
 of the tribe was that small sturdy benedict, 
 Ekva. For hours he would sit in the midst of 
 a small crowd, talking and jabbering, causing 
 continuous merriment among his hearers. I can 
 still call to mind how he once suddenly made 
 his appearance in the course of a hunting trip 
 in his kajaky dressed only in his bearskin 
 trousers and an old starched white shirt. 13ut 
 below this outward show of mirth beat the 
 tender heart of a father. During his visit he 
 never forgot to put a part of every biscuit we 
 gave him into a small and very dirty sealskin 
 bag. It would bring happiness to his little 
 two-year-old Annedor on his return home. 
 
 19 
 
290 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 Among the Esquimaux at Smith's Sound there 
 are no chiefs in authority over the others. 
 Every one is his own master, and no one 
 interferes with his neighbour's business ; but the 
 elder man who once has had, or still possesses, 
 more than ordinary skill, seems to exercise a 
 certain unassuming authority over his comrades 
 in a settlement. It may be safely said that 
 liberty is the guiding principle among these 
 h^py citizens; not that liberty which is 
 bounded by the strict letter of the law, but 
 liberty as complete as one could hope for in 
 this world, the liberty of mutual confidence. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 INTELLIGENCE AND ARTISTIC GIFTS, RE- 
 LIGIOUS IDEAS, CUSTOMS, ETC. 
 
 " I "HAT the Esquimaux at Smith's Sound, as 
 •*• well as their brethren farther south, are 
 intelligent and gifted, we may conclude from 
 their many ingenious weapons, and their hunting 
 devices ; for in late years, during their intercourse 
 with the members of the two Peary expeditions, 
 they have had special opportunities of manifest- 
 ing these qualities. They would often astonish 
 us by the ease and quickness with which they 
 manoeuvred our whale-boats after but a few 
 hours' practice ; and still more remarkable was 
 the rare appreciation which they exhibited when 
 listening to our verbal descriptions, or looking 
 at the pictures brought with us from distant 
 civilised lands. 
 
 I consider Kolotengua to be one of the most 
 gifted members of the tribe, at least of the 
 
 391 
 
292 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 younger generation. He was about thirty-five 
 years old, small of stature, but of stout build, 
 with muscles of steel, and possessing uncommon 
 physical strength. His eyes were small and lively, 
 and he could see objects far beyond the usual 
 range of vision. His long black hair, naturally 
 wavy, formed a handsome frame about his bold 
 face ; otherwise he reminded me of the popular 
 pictures of Indian chiefs. None in all the tribe 
 could be prouder than Kolotengua ; no one more 
 independent and free, more faithful in friendship, 
 more cool in moments of danger, or more skilful 
 as a hunter. Tunvingua was his wife : a 
 laughing child, with rosy cheeks and glittering 
 white teeth. These two enjoyed a pastime 
 which scarcely a member of the tribe understood 
 enough to appreciate, or, at all events, never 
 ventured to imitate, — they sketched. Now it 
 would be the ships of the white men that they 
 immortalised ; now people, huts, or tents, kajaks, 
 or hunters. I could provide them without 
 difficulty with paper and pencil, as I had for- 
 tunately brought with me more than sufficient 
 for my own wants. Many of these sketches 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 293 
 
 were most interesting ; all of them, without ex- 
 ception, showing keen powers of observation. I 
 may as well transfer a few examples of them to 
 my sketchbook in facsimile, so that my readers 
 may judge of their artistic merit for themselves. 
 The first picture, sketched by Kolotengua, 
 
 '-v^ 
 
 represents a hunting scene : two hunters, one 
 Esquimau, with a bow and arrow, and the 
 other Kablunak, with rifle, have arrived by 
 sledge and dog over the ice, and have sighted 
 two reindeer on a headland. They have gone 
 close up, quitting the sledge and dog, and they 
 are seen in the picture approaching their prey 
 
294 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 by different paths. Were it not tbnt the 
 Kablunak to the left is somewhat thinly dressed, 
 and perceptibly drunk, the sketch would be quite 
 instructive. The second picture represents the 
 steam-sealer Kite. It was drawn from memory 
 by Tunvingua, on one of the first occasions that 
 
 she ever held a pencil in her hand. The 
 third sketch is also hers: it represents two 
 white men ! As the Kablunaks wear their hair 
 short, she has unhesitatingly drawn these bald- 
 headed, so that their ears play a very prominent 
 pare in the picture. 
 
 Kolotengua showed great admiration for the 
 numerous inventions of the white man, for his 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 295 
 
 shrewdness and his endless knowledge, and was 
 quick to imitate any useful scheme or fashion. 
 He was the first 
 Esquimau to intro- 
 duce a pocket in his 
 sealskin natcha, and 
 soon afterwards many 
 of the other young 
 men followed suit. 
 
 Kolotengua had one friend whom he loved 
 above all his companions : it was Kudla, his 
 equal in age. I cannot think of a better name 
 for these two than the word "jolly-boys." They 
 were always ready, always busy and bright in 
 some direction or other, and they carried with 
 them an inexhaustible fund of good-humour. 
 
 Once I happened to be present when Kolo- 
 tengua and Kudla came home from a reindeer 
 chase, in July 1894. Commencing conversation 
 with them, I noticed that Kolotengua's face, 
 hands, and the exposed parts of his body were 
 literally covered with mosquito bites, so that 
 he looked as if he were pock-marked, while 
 Kudla had escaped scot-free, 
 
296 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 Seeing that I was about to remark on this 
 strange fact, Kudla forestalled me, and explained, 
 with an assumed air of superiority, and a face 
 suddenly grown serious, that the mosquitoes had 
 unfortunately been very hard upon the little 
 Kolotengua when asleep ; but him, he added, 
 with a still graver face, pointing to himself, 
 the mosquitoes did not dare to touch. And 
 why not? Well, because even the moscjuitoes 
 refused the miserable liquid running in his 
 veins! It is a simple illustration, but it shows 
 that these fellows possessed satirical humour, and 
 
 a ready wit. 
 
 Even brighter if possible than these two was 
 the rollicking, sprightly Kashu. He might have 
 been somewhat over thirty. His face was broad 
 and round, and looked as if it had been cut in 
 wood in a great hurry by a carpenter. When 
 very happy he would laugh so that the corners 
 of his mouth stretched upwards to the back of 
 his head, at the same time closing both his 
 eyes ; when in danger of his life, however, never 
 more than one was shut. Although a thief and 
 a liar under certain pardonable circumstances, 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 297 
 
 he was nevertheless a thoroughly splendid man. 
 A bolder and more energetic companion for 
 one's travels it would be difficult to find, or 
 
 THREK "JOLLY-I'.OVS. 
 
 one with greater powers of physical endurance. 
 Kashu erected his tent close to the winter 
 quarters of the second Peary expedition ; and 
 regularly every morning, even after the frost 
 
298 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 had set in, he might be seen taking a trip 
 outside his tent without a thread upon his 
 body, making his meteorological observations 
 for the day. Whenever there was any fun 
 going on among us white men Kashu must 
 join in, nor was he ever absent when we were 
 ski-running down the hills behind the house. 
 Consequendy he became by degrees a hardened 
 and comparatively skilful runner, but he never 
 attained elegance. He was of the broad -gpuge 
 type, and had the habit of making the most 
 frightful grimaces directly he got up a little 
 speed. When the pace became greater, he 
 closed one eye — a sure sign that he considered 
 himself in serious danger. 
 
 Among the old folk may be mentioned 
 Arodoksua and Migibsunga, Kashu's parents. 
 To show that the old man understands a little 
 of hygiene, I must tell how, having long ago 
 ceased to hunt, and consequently getting no 
 more exercise in this way, he regularly takes a 
 long walk across the ice every forenoon, puslxing 
 an empty sledge in front of him. He suffers 
 now in his declining years from rheumatism. 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 299 
 
 His wife in the meantime seems younger than 
 ever, and her tongue as a natter of course is 
 busily at work from early morning till late at 
 night. If strangers are present it is always 
 her incomparable boy Kashu she depicts; her 
 other son, the half-witted Anangana, she mentions 
 more rarely. '< Kashu,— ah, that's the boy!" 
 But as she begins to tell you how handsome 
 he is, there steals into your mind a recollection 
 of that wooden face, that indiarubber mouth 
 and those half-open eyes, and some self-control 
 is needed to preserve your gravity. 
 
 In all the tribe there is no more worthy 
 pair than Ingapaddu and Ituschaksui ; they are 
 the parents of Tunvingua, and have altogether 
 six children, the greatest number that has been 
 known in one family in the memory of the 
 tribe. They are both remarkable people in the 
 matter of duty, upright and honest, affectionate 
 and sympathetic to the full. Ituschaksui particu- 
 larly is a splendid specimen of a mother. I saw 
 her once running across the ice to a couple of 
 her youngsters, who were playing about a mile 
 from the shore, merely to tell them that they 
 
300 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 really must put on their mittens, as it had 
 begun to blow so sharply. 
 
 Ituschaksui's father is old Kommonapek, one 
 of those who in earlier days immigrated from 
 the west across Smith's Sound. At that time 
 Ituschaksui was quite a young girl, very different 
 from the plump round matron who now answers 
 to the name. She has two younger brothers, 
 now married — Ascio and Panipka. The whole 
 family is exceptionally gifted, especially the 
 sickly Ascio, with his pale narrow face and 
 thoughtful e) es, characteristic of his genius ; for 
 he is level-headed, with a power of apprehension 
 quick as lightning. On account of his weak- 
 ness, his young wife undertakes many of the 
 duties that usually fall to the husband's share, 
 and as a result of this she now has a somewhat 
 masculine appearance. I can sec her now, 
 driving her sledge with extraordinary skill, and 
 cracking her whip like a man. 
 
 Panipka is of a more retiring and philosophic 
 nature : he prefers to have his tent or his 
 winter house in a secluded place, where daily 
 visitors are not to be expected, and where he 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 301 
 
 can enjoy a quiet but industrious life in the 
 company of his wife and children. 1 have 
 often had long talks with him, and he has 
 always used the opportunity greedily to cc^ect 
 information about foreign parts. His confidence 
 in the white man is very great, and he has a 
 burning desire to see their country and towns, 
 their railways, their horses and other animals- 
 all those wonderful things which hitherto he 
 has seen only in pictures. Whether he will 
 ever have his desire fulfilled is more than 
 doubtful, though his intellectual horizon is wider 
 than that of many a person living in the heart 
 of civilisation, and quite a volume of thought 
 lies behind each simple and ingenuous question. 
 Among the Esquimau tribe at Smith's Sound 
 there are four brothers (the fifth is dead), of 
 whom three at least are of splendid physique. 
 They are Miuk, Kayegvitto, and Otonia. 1 he 
 first as well as the last are two men so excellent 
 and so straightforward that their biography is 
 already given sufticiendy in those two words. 
 With Kayegvitto it is somewhat different. He 
 is a kind and good-tempered fellow, but has 
 
302 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 one comical fault — intolerable conceit. The fact 
 that he is a few inches taller than all his 
 comrades, and stronger than they are, has gradu- 
 ally puffed him up to such an extent, that he 
 lives at the present moment under the firm 
 conviction that he is the head of his tribe, and 
 ought to be treated as its chief This notion 
 has probably come to him since the arrival of 
 our expedition to the country. He noticed that 
 one of us was regarded with considerable respect, 
 and granted immediate obedience by all his 
 companions ; and it seems to have occurred to 
 his simple mind that he was best fitted to play 
 the same part among the Innuits. Such vanity 
 is the more remarkable as conceit is an unknown 
 characteristic among the Esquimaux, and his 
 fellows take it at its true worth. " Kayegvitto, 
 — well, he is mad, poor fellow ! " they will say, 
 with a gende smile. 
 
 The man's vanity, however, once proved of 
 considerable benefit to us. It was mid-winter 
 during the second Peary expedition, and we had 
 fallen short of food for our dogs. We knew 
 that Kayegvitto possessed considerable stores 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 303 
 
 ^r^^t Nascha, u settlement to the south 
 side of Whale Sound ; so it was decided that 1 
 should go across and negotiate a deal, and return 
 next day by moonlight. AH the male inhabit- 
 ants turned out to meet me, Kayegvitto, of 
 course, well to the fore. For a moment, when 
 he first saw it was a white man who came, he 
 disappeared into his hut, to return immediately 
 decked in an old threadbare coat that he had 
 bartered during the previous winter from a 
 member of the Expedition. In this he evidently 
 thought he had assumed full dignity. Falling 
 in with his mood, I advanced quickly towards 
 him, and, grasping his hand, shook it cordially 
 several times-a ceremony that is not practised 
 among the Esquimaux, but the significance of 
 which they have learned to understand. Kayeg- 
 vitto was highly flattered. I explained my 
 message to him. Mr. Peary, the big master 
 fi-om the distant countries, wanted meat for his 
 starving dogs, and so I came to ask Kayegvitto. 
 the big chief of the Innuits, to assist him. He 
 had much meat ; no one caught so much as he. 
 He alone was chief among the Esquimaux. 
 
304 With Peary near the Tole 
 
 This last sentence tickled Kayegvitto's fancy 
 to such a pitch that he repeated it incessantly, 
 and at last invited me to pass the night at his 
 house— an offer which I, of course, acceptc:d. 
 It was not until the following morning that our 
 real conference took place. Once or twice I 
 called this large, strong-limbed man "chief" 
 among his fellows ; and the words had hardly 
 left my mouth before he commenced with an 
 indescribable superiority to command the loiterers 
 around to set to work at once to load my sledge 
 with meat. For his own part he rendered inter- 
 mittent assistance, condescending now and then 
 to give a final kingly kick to some of the heavier 
 pieces. The Esquimaux, who of their own free 
 will for the moment played the part of Kayeg- 
 vitto's humble servants, were excessively amused 
 by the whole comedy, and, pitying the poor fellow's 
 folly, were good-natured. enough to play out their 
 parts to the end. Kayegvitto received a suitable 
 present, which he had apparently not expected ; 
 and I left the " great chief" standing in the moon- 
 light, still arrayed in his thin coat although the tem- 
 perature was nearly forty degrees Fahr. below zero. 
 
to 
 
*. 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 307 
 
 Living among the tribe was a little orphan 
 lad, Kadluktu. He was a handsome boy and 
 very smart, and we naturally took so much 
 interest in him during our visit to the settlement 
 that he lived for a long time in our hut, sleeping 
 under Matt's bunk, and sumptuously fed on 
 remains from our meals. Matt took quite a 
 fatherly interest in this young five-year-old. 
 First he washed his whole body thoroughly, 
 and then he engaged a couple of women to 
 clean his clothes, a friendly office for which it 
 was high time. Afterwards they cut his hair 
 as close as that of a seal, and Kadluktu emerged 
 from their hands changed and civilised. The 
 poor little fellow had no fixed home, but lived 
 now with one family and now with another, and 
 always on the best and happiest terms. 
 
 Then there was Kaoni, an extraordinary 
 simpleton, with four children and a rather bulky 
 wife. I have a suspicion that this man was a 
 bit henpecked, and the tribe invariably amused 
 themselves at his expense : he was so pitifully 
 awkward in everything that he undertook, and 
 such a stammerer, that his queer personality 
 
3o8 With Pcary near the Pole 
 
 naturally plays a chief part in all the funny 
 
 stories whispered in the community. 
 
 On our last expedition we took with us an 
 
 Edison phonogra[)h, to which the Esquimaux 
 
 were frequently invited 
 to listen. The un- 
 prejudiced state of their 
 minds when they were 
 first introduced to this 
 extraordinary invention 
 is noteworthv. Inex- 
 plicable as the apparatus 
 must have; appeared, 
 thev did not connect it 
 with anything super- 
 natural, but lauufhed 
 and made fun over the 
 voices which seemt^d to 
 
 KADl.TKir Civil, ISl'.I), 
 
 come from nowhere, as if this latest scientific 
 wonder w('re a toy with which they had played 
 all their lives. And yet how natural would it 
 have been for them to take these voices as 
 emanating from the spirit world, which plays so 
 prominent a part in their religious conceptions ! 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 309 
 
 Their (juick intelligence seemed to have instantly 
 rejected this solution of the marvel, and they 
 classed the phonograph with many other wonders 
 of which th'i white man possessed the secret, 
 and as a purely natural product of human 
 ingenuity and labour. 
 
 Most of the Esquimaux can count with ease 
 up to twenty, and this in spite of the fact that 
 in the ordinary course of events they never 
 have occasion to make use of so high a number. 
 When any quantity exceeds four or five they 
 express it by a comprehensive "many." or some 
 similar word. Yet during the long winter even- 
 ings, when they sit in their huts carving pretty 
 ornaments In ivory, they will occasionally start 
 counting as a pastime, and the brightest will 
 count up even so far as thirty and forty. 
 Ordinarily they use their fingers to count upon : 
 I, atasitk; 2, maglnk \ ^^ pingarsut; ^^, sissauii \ 
 5, tcdliimct. If they have to go on to six 
 thev call this the iirst linger of the second 
 hand, or igliianc-atasuk (generally abbreviated 
 to igliuxnc) ; seven Is the second linger of the 
 other hand, igluxnc-uiagliik, and so on. When 
 
310 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 ten is reached, and all the fingers are exhausted, 
 most of them contrive to start over again ; 
 but now, as their fingers are exhausted, they 
 take count of their toes : thus thirteen is called 
 three toes on the one foot ; seventeen, two 
 toes on the second, and so on. Has he to 
 go beyond twenty, which he calls the end of a 
 whole man, the Esquimaux says for twenty-one, 
 one of the second man {inmiit-aipach-sjani 
 atasuk). 
 
 Their inventive powers and mechanical gifts 
 are wonderful. These qualities come to the 
 fore when the Innuit sets to work to repair his 
 rifle, or any other instrument he may barter 
 from the white man, for which work the tools 
 at his disposal are of course quite inadequate. 
 Perhaps, for instance, the spring of the gun-lock 
 breaks : months may pass before the owner of 
 the gun or any of his neighbours hit upon a 
 remedy ; but one fine day the Esquimau will 
 appear upon the scene with his gun upon his 
 shoulder in as good working order as ever. 
 Probably the old lock has not been removed ; 
 possibly the spring is no longer of steel, but 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 311 
 
 made of a long piece of ivory lashed at one end 
 to the gun-stock. The old hammer is allowed 
 to remain, and is cocked by the insertion of a 
 small wooden piece under the elastic ivory, which 
 on the sudden removal of the wedge drops with 
 considerable force against the priming, and the 
 thunder of a report follows. 
 
 East of Cape York are some large meteorites, 
 which Lieutenant Peary examined in the spring 
 of 1894. To some extent natives had made 
 use of this supply of iron for arrow and harpoon 
 points, when the English Arctic explorer Sir 
 John Ross discovered them at the beginning 
 of the century. It is difficult to understand, 
 however, how it was converted into weapons 
 without the use of heat, a resource of which 
 they knew nothing when we arrived among 
 them. 
 
 One of the many ingenious devices of the 
 Esquimaux is the peculiar plan they adopt to 
 protect the dogs' paws from the hard ice- 
 crust, which in spring-time forms on the surface 
 of the snow. They provide them with tiny 
 socks of //^^su^-sk'm, which they tie round the 
 
312 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 bottom joint of the leg, and so save the clogs 
 from sore feet. 
 
 When it is borne in mind that the Esquimaux 
 have never enjoyed the sight of a living tree, it 
 is the more extraordinary that they should be able 
 to distinguish between hard and soft wood, that 
 they should know white from red pine, and oak 
 from ash. How their simple hearts would rejoice 
 at the sight of one of those grand rustling 
 oaks, or dark green pines, of which the parts 
 of their sledges are made ! 
 
 The musical temperament is common amongst 
 the Esquimaux, but is still undeveloped ; in fact, 
 it exists at such a low point that they cannot 
 understand our simplest melodies. Certainly 
 there are exceptions. Ituschaksui, for instance, 
 learnt to sing several of our popular songs, among 
 others, " Tara-ra-boom-de-ay," which the rest, 
 who joined in the chorus, rendered in th- most 
 gratingly false tones that could possibly be 
 conceived. And yet these same people, knowing 
 their national songs by heart, would sing them 
 in chorus with perfect harmony. 
 
 The bump of locality is strongly developed in 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 313 
 
 the Esquimaux, and they have a certain standing 
 as astronomers, even if they had not succeeded 
 in distinguishing fixed stars from planets when 
 we first met them. Nor must it be forgotten 
 that the starry heavens in those regions can 
 only be observed during less than half the year. 
 Jack and his Team is, according to their 
 tradition, a herd of reindeer ; the Pleiades, a 
 team of dogs in pursuit of a bear ; the stars of 
 Cassiopeia form the feet of a large stone lamp ; 
 the three bright suns in the belt of Orion are 
 steps cut by an Esquimau in a steep snow- 
 ravine to reach the top ; Castor and Pollux in 
 the Twins are the side stones to the entrance 
 of an igln ; Arcturus and Aldebaran are hunters ; 
 whilst the planet Jupiter is the mother of the 
 sun. The sun is a young girl, the moon her 
 lover, pursuing her around the vault of heaven. 
 The effect of the moon on the tide has long 
 been a familiar fact to them. 
 
 The religious ideas of the Innuits are not 
 highly developed, but at a very interesting 
 stage ; for in this little community we can at the 
 present time find traces of the religious belief 
 
314 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 of jur forefathers, such as, in its main features, 
 it must have been thousands of years ago. In 
 fact, we are here standing face to face with a 
 people just emerging from the stone age — an 
 aboriginal tribe, bearing the impress of a past 
 time. What invaluable material for inquirers 
 into the development and history of the human 
 race ! The religions of the civilised world to-day 
 have assumed fixed and definite forms, and may 
 most of them be summed up in a few short 
 articles of belief It is different, however, with 
 the faith of the Esquimaux and their religious 
 ideas. These are undefined and often personal. 
 Such doctrines as they hold, if we attempted 
 to analyse them, would undoubtedly contain 
 articles of belief, but it is doubtful whether they 
 could be summed up at all. One is not surprised 
 at this. In large communities the individual 
 may reasonably rely upon the truth of doctrines 
 accepted by the millions surrounding him ; but 
 when, as is the case with the Esquimaux, public 
 opinion in its most imposing aspect does not 
 represent more than a couple of hundred persons, 
 it seems quite natural that the individual should 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 315 
 
 form his own ideas, apart from any established 
 doctrine. This has been confirmed in the course 
 of conversations which I have held with the 
 natives upon religious topics. " Do the Innuits 
 believe that there is a life after death ? " was one 
 of the first questions that I put to Kolotengua, 
 having at last gained his confidence on a subject 
 which these children of nature are usually 
 disinclined to discuss with a stranger. " Yes," 
 was his reply ; " when an Innuit dies his shadow 
 goes to a land below us, where there is good 
 hunting, and much sunshine. And yet some 
 say that the soul departs for a land high up 
 in the air, and nobody is sure which is correct. 
 The Innuits are few, but of you white men 
 there are so many, and you know all things. 
 Tell us now about this." What I answered 
 does not belong to this narrative. I fear it 
 was not in the spirit of Hans Egede, the 
 missionary, though I went so far as to promise 
 him an eternal life far happier than the earthly, 
 and better consolation one could not give to a 
 man afraid of the thought that he must die. 
 
 When the cultured man in more thoughtful 
 
3i6 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 moments suffers under a multitude of troubles, 
 when his mind is sick and sorrowful, and there 
 come over him feelings of desolation and 
 unhappiness, he turns with prayer to an almighty 
 and merciful God, and thus finds the relief and 
 sweet consolation he so sorely needs. So, too, 
 the Esquimaux have their spiritual consolations. 
 Powerful, but invisible spirits occupy in their 
 minds the place of God ; and they believe that 
 these may be so influenced by the Angekoks, 
 or conjurors, as to be made to assist them in 
 the difficulties of daily life, to cure disease, to 
 ensure good luck on their hunting expeditions, 
 and so forth. Men, as well as women, may 
 become Angekoks, and yet all are not equally 
 fitted for this mission. Adroitness, cunning, and 
 some histrionic talent, are all needed to secure 
 the amount of respect which is essential to the 
 position. Uninitiated girls or boys who feel 
 themselves particularly attracted by the mystic 
 works of the Angekoks, become pupils of the 
 existing seers. Their apprenticeship extends 
 over several years, and admittance into the fold 
 is attended with many secret ceremonies. 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 317 
 
 The most important of the spirits acknowledged 
 by the Esquimaux is Tornahuksuak, the Giant 
 Shadow. Disaster is his to inflict, as well as 
 benefit to bestow ; and he is believed by the 
 North Greenlanders to exist solely on the land, 
 having, according to the reports of the Angekoks, 
 the figure of a man of supernatural size. Should 
 an avalanche of stones, or some similar natural 
 disturbance break alarmingly upon the calm 
 of a summer day, several of the Innuits will 
 exclaim simultaneously, in voices anxious and 
 subdued, " Tornahuksuak ! Tornahuksuak ! he is 
 wandering among the mountains." The Spirit 
 of the Sea, who, according to tradition, is 
 characterised by his long black tentacles, is 
 known as Kokvoia ; and there are besides many 
 other spirits and mystic beings of an inferior 
 class. In fact, there exists quite a wealth of 
 superstition, about which the Esquimaux are so 
 vague that I have despaired of collecting the 
 myths and classifying them — a task made more 
 impossible by the fact that so many of them 
 are innocent products of the fertile imagination 
 of individuals. How many Angekoks there are 
 
3i8 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 among the two hundred and fifty Innuits at 
 Smith's Sound it would he difficult to say ; for 
 much difference of o[)inion exists among the 
 tribe as to who Jire to be called conjurors and 
 who are not. It seemed to me that whoever 
 can produce a little feeling and mysticism in 
 their incantations, dabble in the profession 
 whenever an opportunity is offl^red. 
 
 It is one thing, however, for one to call 
 himself an Angekok, and another to be ac- 
 knowledged as entitled to this distinction. Of 
 those who can inspire their fellow - creatures 
 with a feeling of veneration and respect 
 there cannot be more than half a dozen in 
 the tribe, of whom two are women. The 
 youngest of the four male Angekoks, and the 
 most distinguished, is Kayapaddu. He is about 
 thirty-five years old, smiling and fat, with a 
 jovial face, and only needs to put on the blue 
 smoked spectacles that were presented to him 
 by Mr. Peary to have the exact look of a good 
 old-fashioned minister. During one of his 
 spiritualistic stances the light of the oil lamps 
 was subdued until one could hardly see one's 
 
Intcllii^^cncc and Artistic Gifts, etc. 319 
 
 next-door neighbour, and Kayai)a(ldu, drum in 
 one hand and drumstick in the other, would 
 
 i^fl'^^Wfct t 
 
 ^ * 
 
 ^li^^Km 1 
 
 i] 
 
 ^^HH^^- . '- ' "^ '^ ^. 
 
 ^ ^£ 
 
 m 
 
 W ' "*^^ f % 
 
 ?.a^f. 
 
 1 . / ^ 7^2^- 
 
 
 ^nam 
 
 
 
 Vam 
 
 
 M. 
 
 /\ m 
 
 
 wM 
 
 
 Mm 
 
 
 Mm 
 
 
 ' "mKM 
 
 ONF, OF TIIK FAIR SEX ANT) CHILD, 
 
 move forward, singing and beating upon his 
 instrument ; commencing his song in a low 
 monotonous voice, he would gradually rise to 
 a higher and higher pitch. Right and left his 
 
320 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 b(xly would sway in a growing paroxysm, and 
 his long hair lluttcring wildly in the air inten- 
 sified the strange expression of his face, until he 
 seemed to be suffering from all the plagues of 
 Egypt. As time passed the perspiration would 
 begin to pour from his forehead, he would press 
 his hand to his head, now yelling, now moaning, 
 now bursting into demoniacal laughter, while 
 he invoked the spirits to arrive, the strange 
 aerial beings who should bear his message to 
 mightier powers. There were frequent changes 
 in his voice : now it was his own, now that of 
 the spirits. He became more and more noisy, 
 gradually working his audience into such a state 
 of nervous exaltation that they trembled with 
 emotion, and some, chiefly the elders, began 
 to excel him in the wildness of their cries. If 
 it was to cast out some disease, or to save the 
 life of some poor dying creature, he would con- 
 tinue thes(! religious exercises hour after hour, 
 rarely giving in until his patient was either 
 dead as a stone, or showing unmistakable signs 
 of improvement. In the former case it was of 
 course said that recovery would have been 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 321 
 
 impossible under any circumstances — that some 
 hostile spirit had already made the soul of the 
 sick one captive ; in the latter the conjuror's repu- 
 tation was increased to an extraordinary degree. 
 That the audience at these religious functions 
 believed spirits to be actually present, and com- 
 muning with the Angekoks, is certain ; and for 
 my part, I dare not doubt that the holy men 
 themselves are in earnest, remembering the 
 saying that he may tell a lie who believes in 
 it himself. 
 
 That faith in amulets, and in objects with 
 the power to protect their possessors against 
 danger or injury, so universal throughout the 
 world, we find also among the Smith's Sound 
 Esquimaux. Usually these charms are bracelets 
 of black, hairless sealskin, sometimes necklaces, 
 sometimes ivory figures representing men or 
 animals, sometimes litde scraps of clothing that 
 belonged to some deceased person. These relics 
 are consecrated by muttering incantations over 
 them — songs in unintelligible words ; and as a 
 rule the elders decide what objects young people 
 should collect for this sacred purpose. 
 
 21 
 
322 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 When an Esquimau dies the survivors of the 
 family have many customs to observe, to pro- 
 pitiate the spirits who are always ready to take 
 offence. The dead man's name must not be 
 mentioned ; for some time after his decease they 
 must give themselves over to lamentations, and 
 those who have touched the departed or come 
 into contact with his belongings have for a con- 
 siderable period to observe certain rules of diet 
 and dress. The corpse, before it is removed, 
 is arrayed in full travelling costume, and is 
 usually hauled out through the little opening by 
 means of a harpoon line. And then, at a 
 carefully chosen spot, ger'^rally some way re- 
 moved both from the ho. .s of the settlement 
 and the beach, it is entombed in a cairn of 
 loose stones. Occasionally the body is doubled 
 up, the knees beneath the chin, and rolled in 
 a skin to lessen the space required for inter- 
 ment. A house which death has visited is 
 deserted after the body has been removed, and 
 if it is ever again made use of it is, at all events, 
 not until after the lapse of a considerable time. 
 All those possessions of the dead, which it is 
 
Intelligence and Artistic Gifts, etc. 323 
 
 probable he will require on his long journey 
 to the land of the souls, are deposited near the 
 grave: the Esquimaux believe that the "souls" 
 only of these articles will be utilised by the 
 departed. And so, while the soul of man floats 
 to the distant sunlight of heavenly hunting-fields, 
 his dead clay sleeps on in the long rest of 
 nature, which the icy breath of the north wind 
 whispering between the stones during the pro- 
 tracted night of winter cannot disturb. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 TRAVEL TO MELVILLE BAY. 
 
 A DESCR 
 •^^^ already 
 
 DESCRIPTION of the sledge journey 
 dready referred to, to the coast of 
 Melville Bay will bring these pages to a fit 
 conclusion. I undertook the journey in the 
 spring of 1894, with no companions besides some 
 Innuits; and as the reader has by now some 
 acquaintance with the country and its people, 
 1 think he will follow the events with more 
 interest than would otherwise have been possible. 
 
 During the early days of April I made the 
 necessary preparations for my journey, which for 
 many reasons were not extensive. For my meat 
 supply I was compelled to rely entirely on any 
 game we might secure, and so it was of the 
 utmost importance to me to ensure the com- 
 panionship of a skilled native hunter, and who 
 better than our friend Kolotengua ? 
 
 My equipment consisted chiefly of a theodolite, 
 
 334 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 325 
 
 a thermometer, a watch, a compass, a telescope, 
 charts, and tables. For provisions the usual 
 supplies of pea-meal, tea, sugar, biscuits, and pork. 
 Then there were two rides with fifty cartridges, 
 a small stone lamp which depended upon a 
 supply of seal blubber, some reindeer skins, an 
 axe, and a few extra skin-stockings and kamiks. 
 By borrowing and bartering I got tog^ her a team 
 of eight dogs ; the sledge, which was made by 
 Kolotengua and myself just before starting, was 
 modelled after the fashion of those of the natives, 
 with ivory shoeing beneath its runners. Every- 
 thing was ready for our start by the morning of 
 April 6th ; and although the weather was some- 
 what doubtful, the sky being overcast and the 
 air, meteorologically speaking, boding ill (ther- 
 mometer at zero), we made a start in the 
 course of the forenoon. Between the dark per- 
 pendicular mountain walls of the fjord the fog 
 hung heavy and leaden-grey, though farther 
 inland a sharp north-east wind was sweeping 
 down from the naked hills and across the ice. 
 By turns we sat on the sledge or ran behind, 
 holding fast to the steering arms. We went at 
 
326 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 ii swinging trot across the crust-covered ice, 
 the weather in the meanwhile clearing. The 
 sun does not rise high so early in the spring, 
 and we could scarcely appreciate any warmth 
 from that source, but the length of time he 
 remained above the horizon saved us from any 
 cause of complaint; and indeed we needed a 
 long day, for the distance that lay between us 
 and the nearest Esquimau settlement on our road 
 was sixty miles, and we quite meant to reach it 
 before night, since our supper depended upon 
 the hospitality of the natives. 
 
 It was near midnight when we arrived at the 
 south-east point of Herbert Island, where our 
 friends had settled. The place was called 
 Oloschyni, and consisted of five snow-clad huts, 
 of which only two were inhabited. Here we ran 
 against Akpallia, just back from several weeks' 
 bear-hunting south of Cape York. Before turn- 
 ing in for the night we feasted on bear-beef, 
 boiled pork, and biscuits— the beef, by the way, 
 was in a frozen condition. Throughout the night 
 the kind old women were busy at work making 
 me a new pair of sealskin kamiks, since they 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 327 
 
 would not hear of my starting on a long journey 
 with the old boots I had on, out of which the 
 toes threatened to escape. In return for this 
 kindness I presented them with a fork of which 
 only two prongs remained, and thirty-five 
 matches. 
 
 The next morning there was a heavy fog ; 
 and since we had to steer our way across the 
 opening of Whale Sound towards some of the 
 huts on the south side, I thought we ought to 
 await fair weather, as no guidance by compass 
 could be taken from the chart, which here, as 
 everywhere, wps incomplete, and we might have 
 to grope about for a long time on the south side 
 of the Sound, should we chance to strike a wrong 
 trail. But Kolotengua only smiled gendy, and 
 seemed to imply it was rather rough on him to 
 make this suggestion that he should not know 
 the roads of his own country even in a fog ; 
 and as my confidence in this child of nature was 
 unlimited, we immediately set out for Netchilumi, 
 the nearest inhabited spot. For hours we 
 travelled through that fog, scarcely seeing the 
 snow beneath our feet ; but for all that Kolo- 
 
328 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 tengua succeeded in making a bee-line for our 
 goal. Some would probably say that he was 
 directed in the right course by animal instinct, 
 but this would be an insult to our good Esquimau 
 friend. No ; the human brain appears to be on 
 the whole very similar, whether it is in the skull 
 of the North Greenland Esquimau or in the 
 angular cranium of an African pigmy, and the 
 man could only have done what he did by means 
 of practical observations. The fact is that the 
 wind chops and changes very little on these 
 coasts, and when the breeze has any strength 
 at all it makes the fine loose snow whirl about 
 like dust. In this way all the little snowflakes 
 are moved around according to the invariable 
 laws of nature, in their wanderings shaping 
 themselves into different forms and figures, with 
 such uniformity that long parallel ribs are usually 
 heaped up on the surface of the snow. By taking 
 care that the angle between these ridges and the 
 desired line of march is continually the same, it 
 is perfectly easy to steer one's course, and this 
 was the method pursued in the present case by 
 Kolotengua. On our journey across the inland 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 329 
 
 ice, Mr. Peary and I had also learnt to make 
 use of this method in foggy weather ; but in that 
 far-off land of storm the indications are much 
 more distinct. The surface there often resembles 
 an ocean in a state of wild disturbance that has 
 suddenly lost life and congealed into a cold and 
 solid mass of ice. 
 
 In the afternoon we arrived at Netchilumi, 
 where we were heartily received by the in- 
 habitants of the place, and given lodgings with 
 the senior hunter, Terrikotti. This man had 
 quite a distinguished appearance. He was as 
 stately as a man in ragged bearskin trousers 
 and striking features possibly could be. We 
 spent a very comfortable evening with him 
 indeed. His good wife, without being asked, 
 fried pork, and made tea for us, Kolotengua in 
 the meantime singing weird songs, his rugged 
 features lit up with the flickering light of an 
 oil lamp. 
 
 Meanv;hile the master of the house and his 
 friends were listening to an improvised lesson 
 in geography, with the assistance of a Polar 
 chart and an inflated bladder, which I hit upon 
 
330 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 to explain the globular shape of the world. 
 But when it gradually became clear that by 
 this theory the inhabitants of the two opposite 
 hemispheres walked about with feet pointing 
 towards one another, the lesson was on the 
 point of coming to an abrupt termination, since 
 no one apparently was able to enter such wild 
 fields of imagination. In vain the attraction 
 of the earth was demonstrated by means of 
 falling objects, and I was in despair, when 
 suddenly a light seemed to dawn upon a young 
 half-grown boy. He began to talk rapidly, 
 expostulating and gesticulating with his fellow- 
 countrymen, until there was not one present 
 who did not accept the new theory. 
 
 The fog was denser than ever when we 
 went outside the following morning, and a 
 strong southerly wind having sprung up, we 
 remained weather-bound for a whole day. Mean- 
 while we made some investigations of the 
 locality, collected some minerals, and set four 
 women to work making us new trousers from 
 a handy supply of young bearskins. This 
 addition to our wardrobe converted us into 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 331 
 
 North Grctjnland cUmdics of the very first 
 water. 
 
 When we again set out the sun was shining 
 brightly and the cold was intense. Much to 
 
 OLACIKR IN lNGLi;rU;i.lJ GULK. 
 
 our delight we were informed by our host that 
 he would accompany us as far as Cape York, a 
 distance of a hundred and fifty miles. During 
 the previous autumn his son had left his kajak 
 at that place, and he wished to bring it home 
 
332 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 before the ice broke up. Terrikotti took his 
 wife with him, and they both looked upon the 
 journey in the light of a pleasure trip. He 
 had seven fast and powerful dogs, unusually 
 well trained, so that at a call from their master 
 they would turn to the right or lox^'t, stop or 
 quicken their speed, search for seals, or run 
 with their noses to the ground on the look-out 
 for bear-tracks or other indications of game. 
 The journey was made livelier and more interest- 
 ing by this addition to our company ; for now 
 that the natives were in the majority they 
 threw off a great deal of their reserve. They 
 followed their ancient customs, travelled in their 
 own way, and unconsciously threw light on 
 their religious views, looking upon the white 
 man as one of themselves. 
 
 In the course of the day we passed a tongue of 
 land stretching between Whale Sound and Booth 
 Inlet, terminating in Cape Parry, which at the 
 time was surrounded by open water, and was of 
 course inaccessible to any one travelling by sledge. 
 We had to turn inland, therefore, and in this way 
 reached the height of about a thousand feet 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 333 
 
 above sea level. Here the weather looked very 
 different from that of the lower regions, and 
 we could barely fight our way through dense 
 drifting snow and fog, and against a biting 
 wind which literally pricked our faces. But this 
 did not last long, for as soon as we had passed 
 the highest point of the snow-dome, with which 
 the tabula-shaped promontory was covered, we 
 met with a fair wind, and rushed at terrific 
 speed down a narrow deep valley, through which 
 we reached the sunlit glaciers and icebergs. 
 
 Far beyond these icebergs and iridescent 
 snowfields the sea lay extended, dark blue, and 
 wonderfully beautiful, glittering and glowing 
 where the sun's rays were reflected on the 
 rippling swell. Somewhat depressing was the 
 sight of it to one who was moving about with 
 a great home-sickness at heart. The memory 
 of the distant " ocean-encircled fatherland " came 
 upon me with overwhelming force, creating a 
 dreamy and melancholy mood. When I stopped 
 and gazed wistfully at that blue water, my native 
 companions asked with some astonishment what 
 I was looking for, and I found it hard to explain 
 
334 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 to them the thoughts that occupied my mind. 
 Yet these sentimental people intuitively grasped 
 the meaning of my words, and the old man 
 exclaimed again and again, in a low voice, 
 '' Ayoiiia /'' ("How pitiful," "how sad!") 
 
 Having descended from our overland crossing, 
 we continued along the flat coast of Booth 
 Inlet, passing on the way Fitzclarence Rock, 
 a small coast island about one thousand feet in 
 height, with gigantic sections of the mountain 
 broken away by the wet and frost of a thousand 
 years. These are heaped up in such quantity 
 and with such regularity around the whole 
 island that it lifts itself above the flat ice-fields 
 as an immense dark cone. Just south of 
 this we had to turn inland, the ice having been 
 broken up by the violent equinoctial gales, and 
 drifted far into the partly-open Baffin's Bay. 
 Fortunately the country was comparatively Hat 
 here, so we were able to continue our journey 
 without hindrance, in spite of the sharp stones 
 that occasionally protruded far enough through 
 the ice-crust to tear the polished ivory shoeings 
 from the sledge. 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 
 
 335 
 
 Shortly after midday \vc litifhtcd on somt: 
 fresh reindeer tracks, and, as we had no meat 
 for either ourselves or the lumgry dogs, a deer 
 or two would i)rove most acceptable. The 
 
 SNOW-lirr ON IIIUKN LSI. AMI. 
 
 natives were wild with excitement to get off, 
 so I supplied each with a rifle and employed 
 myself in the meantime by investigating some 
 quartz crags in search of minerals. Terrikotti's 
 wife remained behind to look after the dogs, 
 
33^ With Peary near the Pole 
 
 which of course could not be left alone, for if 
 once these trained wolv^es got away with the 
 sledges through those narrow mountain passes 
 our entire outfit would have been scattered in 
 a moment to the winds. In about ten minutes 
 I heard a report close '^y, and soon caught 
 sight of the little squat figure of Kolotengua* 
 on the top of a low ridge ; he was gesticulating 
 wildly for us to bring up the sledges. In a 
 moment we were by his side, and there sure 
 enough was a reindeer hind lying dead. A meal 
 followed, which was partaken of by four human 
 beings and fifteen dogs without distinction of 
 rank, except that the human beings knew enough 
 to appropriate all the choicest morsels. In the 
 end only a small steak was left, which was slung 
 upon the sledge along with the reindeer's paunch, 
 which was too much of a delicacy to be left 
 behind. We did not make much further pro- 
 gress that day, and after having been continually 
 
 * Kolotengua was upwards of 5 ft. 3 in. ; otherwise the 
 average height of the .Smitli's Sound Esquimaux is, with regard 
 to the man, 5 ft. i| in., and with regard to the woman 4 ft. 
 S'4 in. 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 337 
 
 on the move for thirteen hours, halted about 
 stiven o'clock in the evening, still on the north 
 side of Whalstenholm Sound, where we con- 
 structed our little snow-huts in a suitable drift. 
 
 Terrikotti's wife attended to the cooking ; and 
 every now and then, to find out whether the 
 water was hot enough, she thrust her flat hand 
 into the vessel, a method of registering tempera- 
 ture to which I could at first hardly reconcile 
 myself, but by philosophising a little over the 
 matter I came to the conclusion that after all 
 this was no worse than taking up in the hand 
 a piece of meat which another was to eat. I 
 therefore fell into her ways without demur. 
 
 The weather continuing bright, we were off 
 
 at 7.30 the following morning. Our road 
 
 now lay across Whalstenholm Sound. We had 
 
 intended to pass to the west of Saunders Island, 
 
 which lies about midway in the Sound ; but on 
 
 arriving there we were checked by open water, 
 
 and had to shift round to the other side. Before 
 
 doing so we took the precaution to test the 
 
 young translucent ice which lay beneath the 
 
 perpendicular mountain side, but it was of no 
 
 22 
 
338 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 avail, for the ice was undoubtedly too weak to 
 bear us ; and I was not sorry when this decision 
 was finally arrived at, since my previous experi- 
 ences on young ice were anything but pleasant. 
 
 Passing to the east of the island, we came 
 upon a fresh track of thr^^ bears — a male, a 
 female, and a cub. We followed them for a 
 long time, taking all sorts of twists and turns 
 across the monotonous stretch of ice, until at 
 last the sun's orb touched the snow-white horizon 
 in the north-west, slowly burying itself behind 
 distant icebergs. In vain the natives swept 
 the plain with my telescope — an instrument they 
 greatly admired — and finally we abandoned the 
 pursuit and resumed our former course. 
 
 A little later we passed Cape Athol, where 
 the ice was practically bare of snow, so that we 
 could increase our speed. After sixteen hours' 
 continuous travel we halted at midnight at a 
 place called Igludukugni. Throughout the day 
 the dogs had kept up a sharp run, and, including 
 the ground we covered when in pursuit of the 
 bears, we must have travelled more than sixty 
 miles. Though we had expected to find natives 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 339 
 
 at our new halting-place, all that met our eyes 
 in the gloom of that midnight hour was a long 
 deserted and half-demolished snow-hut, which 
 grinned at us mockingly, with its big black 
 holes formed in the soot-lined wall. The repairs 
 of this hut were immediately taken in hand by 
 Kolotengua and myself, while the old man and 
 his wife started digging in the snow crust 
 beneath a large rock close by, as, according to 
 all rules, they were sure to find some blubber 
 there for the use of any travellers who might 
 pass that way. They dug long and deep; and, 
 sure enough, there lay the blubber in consider- 
 able quantities. The man hacked part of it 
 into small pieces to feed the dogs, the goodwife 
 meanwhile preparing some of it for our lamps, 
 making the morsels soft and supple by chewing 
 them a little between her teeth, before she 
 arranged them on the lamp dish. 
 
 I n a short time we were once more comfortably 
 lodged in a cosy hut, merrily chatting over the 
 day's adventures. We had been near tasting 
 roasted fox that evening, for just before reaching 
 our night's quarters we had an exciting and 
 
340 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 very amusing chase after a couple of Arctic 
 Reynards, which escaped us by the skin of their 
 teeth. The whole performance reminded one 
 very much of a fashionable fox-hunt in England 
 — the very last thing one would expect to be 
 reminded of in Polar regions ; but really the 
 only difference was that instead of horseback 
 we followed the chase by sledge. When the 
 nights are litjht the small Polar foxes often 
 take long journeys over the silent sea of ice, 
 on the look-out for what may remain from the 
 meals of bears ; and it was two such speculators 
 that we fell in with. When our dogs caught 
 sight of the two dots which represented two 
 blue foxes, we barely managed to fling our- 
 selves upon the sledges in time to take part in 
 the sport. Away went the foxes ahead, and 
 away went the dog teams after them ; but the 
 sledges retarded the dogs so greatly that one 
 of the foxes was immediately lost to sight, 
 while the other kept straight ahead, only slightly 
 increasing his lead. Can this be permitted by 
 my sporting friends, who have been watching 
 the issue with such excitement ? Quick as 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 341 
 
 thought KolotengUci seizes his knife, bends 
 forward, and with a single cut severs the traces 
 of our swiftest dog. At the same moment our 
 competitor on the second sledge follows suit, 
 and like two arrows the dogs fly forward, gaining 
 on the fox at every stride. It is our dog, 
 however, who holds the lead, and our com- 
 petitor, not content with this, immediately 
 releases another long-bodied, green-striped fellow 
 on their tracks. With shouts and cries we 
 cheer on the dogs, and a laughing, jabbering, 
 screaming dispute is carried on as to the 
 chances of the chase. It was our dog who 
 kept the lead ; but the terrified little fox, run- 
 ning for dear life, escaped at last to the top of 
 a large iceberg, where he was safe from dogs 
 and rifles. 
 
 Next morning the weather was still clearing, 
 and the sun about noon became so warm that 
 here and there a solitary seal would pop up 
 through his tiny breathing-hole to bask in the 
 delicious warmth. It was midnight before we 
 arrived at Cape York. We had been on the 
 road for fifteen-and-a-half hours, and had 
 
342 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 / covered fifty miles. As we came to a halt in 
 fi-ont of the stone huts of the settlement the ther- 
 mometer registered twenty-three degrees below 
 zero, and, half- starving as we were, the cold 
 seemed doubly severe. We were received with 
 the usual frank hospitality, and afte- a hasty meal 
 fell asleep, from which we were not aroused 
 until late in the following forenoon. We halted 
 for three clays at the settlement, partly to give 
 the dogs a rest, and partly to await a change 
 of weather. Time was very heavy on our 
 hands during these days of waiting, for North 
 Greenland huts become rather narrow after 
 awhile to " the child of better days," when he 
 is caged up in them for any length of time. 
 When we were not asleep conversation was our 
 one resource, and many were the questions 
 mutually asked and answered, not only about 
 the customs, legends, and traditions of the 
 natives, but also about the distant southern 
 countries from which I hailed. I believe that 
 the Esquimaux of Cape York got a particularly 
 good idea of my own old rocky land, with its 
 whispering forests and green hills, and different 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 343 
 
 climate. Again and again I had to tell them 
 
 about Norway. 
 
 In the evenings there were interesting musical 
 soirees, given in some hut, where the whole 
 population gathered for the occasion. The 
 gut-string drum was, of course, in full operation ; 
 hysterical witches and old mystery men gave in 
 turn their monotonous songs and incantations. 
 
 At last, early on the morning of April 15th, 
 we continued our journey eastward in clear 
 weather ; and it was with a sigh of relief that 
 we lost sight of the settlement, the small Polar 
 parasites having been uncommonly busy during 
 the nights. Our course now lay in the direction 
 of Melville Bay Island, where I hoped to obtain 
 a o-ood view of the unknown inland regions, 
 should the state of the ice make it impossible 
 for us to reach them. Kolotengua and I were 
 once more by ourselves, the old couple who 
 had accompanied us thus far having stayed 
 behind at Cape York. 
 
 In the forenoon we passed Bushman Island, 
 situated about twelve miles east of the settle- 
 ment. Even before v/e had reached it I became 
 
344 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 aware that the coast lying just to the north 
 was not part of the mainland, but, on the con- 
 trary, belonged to two rather large hitherto 
 unknown islands, the firstfruits of the com- 
 paratively rich geographical harvest which the 
 following day's journey was to bring me in. In 
 the course of the afternoon, as we gradually 
 moved farther eastward, we saw several large 
 glaciers the existence of which I had always 
 suspected along the north-east coast of Melville 
 Bay. In fact, vast active glaciers lined the 
 coast from Cape York as far as the eye could 
 reach eastward. 
 
 We halted at six o'clock that afternoon, having 
 covered more than forty miles, and erected the 
 usual snow-huts for the night. Our position 
 was directly south of Cape Melville, and little 
 more than eight miles from the shore. The 
 ice which we crossed on this first march from 
 Cape York was very smooth, and quite different 
 from what I had anticipated. With the excep- 
 tion of an ice-belt about one mile wide, the 
 surface of which was a chaos of irregular and 
 angular ice-blocks heaped in majestic disorder 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 345 
 
 to a height of from six to eight feet, the whole 
 of the roMcl was level and smooth. This was 
 no doubt largely due to Kolotengua's remarkable 
 skill as an ice navigator, for ever on either side 
 there seemed a rugged and impenetrable wilder- 
 ness, whilst the passage immediately in front 
 was clear. 
 
 After a night's rest we started at eight o'clock, 
 in calm but somewhat misty weather. At noon 
 land could be seen, though indistinctly, to the 
 north-west, but by the afternoon everything 
 was hidden again by a dense fog. We stopped 
 again at five o'clock in the afternoon, having 
 made thirty miles; at the time it was snowing 
 heavily. The ice we had crossed during this 
 stage had been generally smooth, but we had 
 been checked by that sand-like snow which so 
 consistently inconvenienced us during our travels 
 in these regions. Next morning the ground 
 was covered by a few inches of freshly-fallen 
 snow, but as fog still continued, no land could 
 be sighted. About twelve o'clock, when every- 
 thing looked utterly hopeless and discouraging, 
 the mist suddenly lifted like a gigantic curtain, 
 
34^ With Peary near the Pole 
 
 openinj^ up ;i mao^nificent panorama to our view. 
 Tall, dark coast mountains, immense glaciers, 
 and lofty bluish snow-peaks, all charmingly lit 
 up by the radiance of the midday sun, lay 
 extended in wild disorder over the white plain. 
 This was our first glimpse of the hitherto un- 
 known coast. 
 
 Continuing the east-south-easterly course 
 which we had taken from the morning, at about 
 6 p.m. we reached a small solitary island, where 
 we decided to stop for a clay or two to make 
 observations. This island, which had previously 
 been sighted by English whalers, had in the 
 centre a cone-shaped rock some three to four 
 hundred feet high, offering a splendid point from 
 which to take a series of bearings of the glaciers 
 and promontories of the coast ; so we put up 
 for the night in our usual snow hut, built at the 
 bottom of a long mountain cleft on the south 
 side of the island. Next morning the weather 
 was eminently suitable for our survey, for the 
 air was transparent, bringing the most distant 
 mountains within close range. The island was 
 found to be in 75^ 41' 44" N. lat., and the 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 347 
 
 variation of the compass was 881° W. I also 
 sketched the; outline; of the entire coast, em- 
 bracing several new and important islands. 
 
 While I was thus occupied on shore, my native 
 friend was out seal hunting ; both we and the 
 doers were badly in want of meat, and we were, 
 besides, without any blubber for our lamp. 
 Within an hour he succeeded in killing a fair- 
 sized seal. From my point of vantage I watched 
 him through my telescope as he, flat on his 
 stomach, was crawling, or rather dragging him- 
 self, towards the sleeping seal. To my eyes it 
 lool-ed as if he were close enough to touch it 
 with his hand, but still I heard no report from 
 his rifle. At last a small cloud of smoke rose 
 into the air, and at the seime instant Kolotengua 
 had secured his prey with his knife, and for a 
 couple of days at least we were relieved from 
 all household anxiety. 
 
 Of the coast-line extending about a hundred 
 and thirty miles, bounded to the north-west by 
 Cape Melville and to the south-east by Red 
 Head, which 1 could overlook from the peak of 
 the small mountain terrace at Thorn Island, more 
 
348 Whh Peary near the Pole 
 
 than niiKJty miles were comi)osecl of larger or 
 smaller glacier frontages. These glaciers may, 
 without exception, be looked upon as some of 
 the more active ice-streams. Their broken and 
 utterly irregular appearance, together with the 
 immense numbers of bergs which spread along 
 the coast, lead incontestably to this conclusion. 
 When to the glaciers visible from Thorn Island 
 are added those I found between Cape Melville 
 and Cape York, and also the colossal ice-stream, 
 the north side of which could only faintly be seen 
 southwards of Red Head, and which probably 
 reached down towards the regions of Devil's 
 Thumb, there must have been altogether a 
 succession of glaciers extending over a hundred 
 and fifty miles, making a valuable outlet for 
 the ice masses of the interior country, and of the 
 highest importance in the natural economy of 
 the locality. 
 
 The glaciers of Melville Bay are the largest 
 and most complex of their kind as yet observed 
 on the Greenland coast. Most of them are 
 found very close to each other. With regard to 
 some of the larger ice-streams, as for example 
 
Tnivcl to Melville Hay 349 
 
 King Oscar's, Peary's, and Rink's glaciers, the 
 intervening land which divides their boundaries 
 is comparatively so insignificant that they might 
 be described as constituting tv/o immense glaciers. 
 With respect to the geological character ot the 
 coast formation, which occasionally projects 
 through the covering-glaciers either as dominating 
 promontories or solitary peaks, nothing of unusual 
 interest could be discovered. Volcanic rocks of 
 dark colour, contrasting strongly with the white 
 snow-dome, were of frequent occurrence. The 
 perpendicular mountain sides nearest the free ice 
 had generally a height of some two thousand 
 feet, the land rising in the background to a much 
 higher altitude, so that the uppermost snow-peak 
 at Cape Walker had approximately a height of 
 three thousand feet, whilst a lofty, shining dome 
 situated about twelve miles from the coast of the 
 north-west of the bay, and christened by me 
 Haffner Mountain, rose to about five thousand 
 feet above sea level. At Cape Melville there 
 was a comparatively long stretch of lowlands; 
 but of what nature 1 could not possibly determine 
 from where I stood. 
 
350 With Peary near the . Pole 
 
 Having n]cide my observations, I erected a 
 small cairn, and deposited there a tin box 
 containing a brief notice of our visit. Just before 
 retiring for the night we were surprised by the 
 sight of the first snow- sparrow, which afforded 
 us a topic of conversation during supper, when 
 we repeatedly assured each other of the rapid 
 approach of summer. Finding the next morning 
 that a complete change had taken place in the 
 weather, and that a strong south-east gale was 
 blowing, filling the air with fine drifting snow, 
 we were compelled to remain through the day 
 caged in our hut. A short extract from my 
 diary of that evening may be interesting : — 
 
 " In the course of the day Kolotengua has told 
 me many remarkable things of the Innuits 
 when sledge-travelling ; and his narratives have 
 strengthened my belief that no obstacles exist 
 that could hinder an Esquimau from making 
 a journey on which he had set his heart. It 
 therefore seems highly improbable, as certain 
 Arctic authors have opined, that the Esquimaux 
 at Smith's Sound have been cut off from inter- 
 course with their more southerly brethren by the 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 35 1 
 
 glaciers which have been formed comparatively 
 recently in Melville Bay. As to the route by 
 which the Esquimaux originally journeyed from 
 Smith's Sound to the southerly parts of Green- 
 land, it is my opinion that some of them must 
 have travelled across the north of the country, 
 and southwards down the east coast ; and others, 
 possibly the greater number, have gone southward 
 across Melville Bay, continuing along the west 
 coast. It is also my definite opinion that the 
 Esquimaux race is of INIongolian, and therefore 
 Asiatic origin. Behring Straits must, therefore, 
 have been the road by which they primarily 
 arrived. There are others, however, who are 
 inclined to the belief that the> came to Green- 
 land and the American Polar regioi.s across the 
 North Pole itself, having worked their way from 
 the New Siberian Islands over numerous con- 
 jectured groups of islands farther off." 
 
 We now shaped our course towards the north- 
 east corner of Melville Biiy, an unknown district 
 where I hoped to find much of interest, and 
 also to get some sport. We set out at 8 a.m., 
 steering for the perpendicular mountain ridge 
 
352 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 which, according to the faint indication of the 
 chart, must be Cape Murdoch. As we approached, 
 however, we discovered that this mountain ridge 
 did not form any projection in the coast-Hne, 
 but on the contrary stood back, forming a 
 solitary nnnatak in the mass of the immense 
 glacier, whose tall and perpendicular ice-frontage 
 absolutely blocked our way. We halted at 1.30 
 at a small island lying at the foot of this ice- 
 wall, where we determined to establish our 
 quarters for a day and a night. While Kolotengua 
 was busy building a snow-hut, I climbed several 
 hundred feet, in order to take our bearings ; 
 and presently my companion joined me, thinking 
 it would be interesting to get a good view of 
 this deserted corner of the coast, which no 
 merry caravans of Esquimaux had ever reached ; 
 but even to that easily-contented native the 
 place had no attractions. He shook his head, 
 exclaiming in a tone full of conviction, " Pryungit- 
 oksua nuna manni " ("the country about here 
 will not do "). 
 
 We constructed a little cairn when my ob- 
 servations were finished, and returned to the 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 353 
 
 hut. A few yards away, in the shadow of 
 an iceberg, the snow was riddled with several 
 deep holes, where a bear no doubt had been 
 digging for seals. We saw traces of this same 
 bear on the top of the island, which we our- 
 selves had reached with the utmost difficulty. 
 According to Kolotengua, it must have been 
 the search for grass or moss which tempted 
 him there, for bears enjoy a certain proportion 
 of vegetable food. While at supper we were 
 disturbed by the subdued barking of the dogs 
 outside. On investigation it proved to be a 
 false alarm, but on turning back towards the 
 hut we discovered that one of us in his haste 
 had pulled down half the house, so we had 
 plenty to do in repairing our building, and in 
 -xtricating the remains of our meal from beneath 
 
 the ruins. 
 
 At seven o'clock we continued our journey 
 in calm misty weather. We had scarcely been 
 two hours on the road when, coming round a 
 great tongue of land, we fell in with a large 
 ice-bear not more than eight hundred yards in 
 front of us. The dogs immediately got up 
 
 23 
 
3 
 
 54 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 steam. Wc swept across the snow, and were 
 close upon him. when Kolotengua cut the traces, 
 and in a moment the dogs had brought the beast 
 to bay. During the brief interval whilst I and 
 my companion were reaching the field of batde, 
 I had a good opportunity of watching the splendid 
 tactics of the dogs. So soon as they had over- 
 taken the bear they spread out in a semicircle 
 in front of their enemy, snapping at his long, 
 coarse hair, and showing such skill in their 
 manoeuvres that I had no doubt they clearly 
 understood the issue of the battle— breakfast 
 or no breakfast. Each time the bear lifted a 
 large paw to crush one of his assailants, the 
 dog would save himself by a quick jump, those 
 on the other side making the most of the 
 interruption to forward their own attack. A 
 couple of well-directed shots from our Winchester 
 rifles soon iDrought the battle to a close, and 
 within an hour our sledge was packed with a 
 handsome bear-skin, as well as a large quantity 
 of meat. The dogs, too, had a much appreciated 
 reward in the shape of a substantial meal, which 
 they, poor beasts, very badly wanted. 
 
Travel to Melville Bay 
 
 355 
 
 Our course now lay towards an island about 
 ten miles south-west of our previous day's 
 camping-place. We arrived there just about 
 
 "THKY Sl'KKAI) OUT IN A SKMIClkCI.K IN FRONT OK TIIKIR KNHMY, 
 SNAI'1'IN(; AT HIS I.ONC, iQAKSK HAIR." 
 
 noon, and halted to take an observation, the 
 weather having cleared. In the afternoon we 
 continued our course, finally resting for the night 
 at 5.30 p.m., after an interesting but very 
 fatiguing day. We had advanced a shorter 
 
356 With Peary near the l\)le 
 
 distance than usual — about twenty-six miles — for 
 the road was heavy with soft deep snow. 
 
 After a few more days' march, in which we 
 were very fortunate as to weather and road, 
 we found ourselves safely back at Cape York 
 Settlement. Here we resolved to remain for 
 two days to rest our dogs. The next day 
 being bright and summery, all dwellers in the 
 settlement, large and small, spent their time 
 basking in the sunshine, on a small open space 
 below the houses, where the ground was closely 
 strewn with bones and other refuse. The air 
 was certainly not very hot, but on the lee-side 
 '/' the snow-screen erected to keep off the 
 mountain draught, and with the sun shining 
 down upon our rosy faces, well-dressed as we 
 were in bearskin, we were able to rejoice in 
 the return of spring. In the centre of this lively 
 group was a large piece of walrus-meat, which 
 had certainly "an ancient and a fishlike smell." 
 Close by was an axe, which was requisitioned 
 whenever one of the party required a fresh 
 helping. The meat was hard-frozen, and 
 consequently difficult to cut up. Beside the 
 
Travel to ^lelville Bay 357 
 
 meat wms placed a lump of crystal-clear ice, 
 from which the assembly derived their supply 
 of water, for which purpose a small hollow had 
 been cut in the block. At the bottom was 
 placed a stone about the size of a man's fist, 
 and on this stone was gaily burning a piece 
 of blubber and moss. By degrees, as the ice 
 melted on the inner side of the excavation, the 
 water gathered at the bottom in a tiny transparent 
 basin, from which it was sucked up by one 
 thirsty mortal after another through reindeer 
 bone from which the marrow had been removed. 
 A festive mood pervaded the company, and it 
 no speeches were delivered or toasts proposed, 
 there was an air of liveliness in the conversation 
 and a determination to be merry shown by young 
 and old alike, which confirmed me in the idea 
 which I had already formed about the contented 
 nature of these people in their i^culiar station 
 
 of life. 
 
 The next day the natives got up a sham bear- 
 ficvht for our amusement. Two boys carried off 
 a bear-skin to a neighbouring iceberg. One of 
 them returned in a few minutes, and after a short 
 
358 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 interval the other appeared from his hiding- 
 place, wrapped in the large skin, and looking at 
 a distance by no means unlike a real bear, on 
 whose skin of golden lustre the sun danced 
 with every movement of the clumsy form. The 
 alarm is given by one of the older men. and 
 with considerable talent the make-believe hunters 
 allow themselves to be thrown into a state of 
 intense excitement. At the same moment the 
 dogs also discover the enemy, half a dozen 
 sledges are made ready, and in an incredibly 
 short time all the assailants are advancing 
 towards the bear, who wisely reveals his real 
 nature several seconds before the enraged dogs 
 get within reach. 
 
 Early in the morning my friend and I had 
 to say good-bye to the place and its hospitable 
 people. At the last moment, however, we were 
 surprised by the news that all the families present 
 had determined to accompany us on the road. 
 An irresistible desire to travel had suddenly 
 seized these free and independent people, and 
 why not satisfy the longing immediately ? The 
 resolution had been taken in a moment, and 
 
Travel to Melville Ikiy 359 
 
 in half an hour the whole settlement was on 
 the move, carrying with them all their stores 
 of skins, harpoons, lamps, babies, blubber, and 
 
 meat. 
 
 The number of sledges, including our own. 
 amounted to nine, drawn by fifty-three powerful 
 doc/s. The whole caravan presented a variegated 
 and picturesque group, in striking contrast to 
 its white quiet setting. We were not, however, 
 to enjoy this native escort for long, and during 
 that day and the following they gradually 
 dropped away along the coast to their skin- 
 tents, in which they would live now that the 
 spring had come in succession to the dreary 
 
 days of winter. 
 
 The first evening after our departure from 
 Cape York we halted at the head of a small 
 bay, where we passed the night and the greater 
 part of the next day, which was cold and 
 stormy. We took up our quarters in some aban- 
 doned huts, which we made habitable by means 
 of two ski staves and some seal-skins. Towards 
 evening the weather improved, and as the sun 
 was to remain for that night the first time 
 
360 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 .ibove the horizon, we determined to change 
 night into day, and to resume our journey 
 at once. As the road was good we moved 
 along quickly, arriving at the west end of 
 Saunders Island at 4 a.m. Here we slept in 
 a remarkable grotto, forming a gigantic hall in 
 the mountain wall, the lloor of which was 
 scarcely one foot above sea-level at high-water. 
 On the road we had passed the Akpan Settle- 
 ment, on the south-west side of the same 
 island, which was at the time deserted. 1 
 mention the place because there, as well as on 
 the continent directly south of it, remains are 
 to be found of some stone huts, which at the 
 present time are covered by the sea at high 
 water. In both places, therefore, the natives 
 have been compelled to erect new dwellings 
 for themselves in the rear of their old habita- 
 tions, whose sites had been claimed by the ocean. 
 Similar proofs of the sinking of the country 
 along these coasts had been noticed a little 
 farther to the south by the famous American 
 explorer, Dr. Kane. 
 
 On the evening of the 29th we left Saund(-TS 
 
Travel to Melville liay 361 
 
 Ishind in bright weather. We determined to 
 take the overland route to Whale Sound, to 
 avoid the journey round Cape Parry. On the 
 road we succeeded in killing a hare, which in 
 its white coat made an excellent target for our 
 ritles. as it sat perched upon a dark heap of 
 stones. I need not say what a relief it was 
 to taste this fresh meat, for in those days we 
 were often living from hand to mouth, and our 
 provision bag had long been more empty than 
 was stricdy pleasant. 
 
 We now resolved to attempt to reach the 
 south side of Whale Sound before halting again ; 
 and we finally arrived there after a fatiguing 
 journey of twenty hours. For the last time we 
 lighted the oil lamp, cooked what remained ot 
 our hare, and enjoyed a good long sleep beneath 
 the half-ruined roof of an uninhabited hut. 
 
 Thirteen miles now separated us from the 
 winter quarters of the Expedition, a distance 
 which we covered with ease on the following 
 day. May 13th. Thus our little expedition 
 came to a close ; and if its geographical results 
 were not of any far-reaching importance, it may, 
 
362 With Peary near the Pole 
 
 however, possibly serve to show future explorers 
 the road to one of the most favourable places 
 upon the surface of the earth for a careful study 
 of the giant glaciers, the laws of their move- 
 ments, and the many other phenomena which 
 attach to them. 
 
 ',*u;- 
 
 ■tJOBWr 
 
 AN ESQUIMAU C.RAVK 
 
 Printed by Hazell, Watson, & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury. 
 
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