HURRICANE. 393 



to seek other shelter. The storm came from the north- 

 east, and the first mischief done was to pick Hans's tent 

 up and carry it off down the valley like a balloon, and 

 finally to drop it in the lake. Without waiting long to 

 lament over the unhappy circumstance, the whole Es- 

 quimau party set out for Etah. As they passed our 

 tent, Kalutunah stopped a moment at the door, and 

 despite the fierce wind and the snow which covered 

 him all over, he sthT bore the same imperturbable 

 grin. " You should have seen Hans's tent ! " said he ; 

 and the old fellow fairly shook with laughter, as he 

 recalled the ridiculous scene of the suddenly unhoused 

 party and their vanishing tent tearing away toward 

 the lake. But his satisfaction reached its climax 

 when he informed us that it was going to blow harder, 

 and that our turn would come directly. Sure enough 

 it was as the savage had predicted ; for, soon after- 

 ward, Ave heard a great noise, — the photographic 

 tent had given way, the instruments and plates were 

 scattering over the stones, the glasses were being all 

 crushed up into little bits ; and, while we were spring- 

 ing up to go out and save the wreck, our windward 

 guys gave way, and our canvas protection following 

 the example of Hans's seal-skins, left us standing in 

 the very jaws of the storm. As may be supposed, we 

 did not delay long in finding our way back on board. 

 I found the schooner in a somewhat critical situa- 

 tion. The spars had been sent aloft and caught the 

 wind, and the vessel being still firmly locked in the 

 ice, the masts were subjected to a dangerous strain. 

 I thought, at one time, that they would be carried 

 bodily out of the schooner, and had guys fastened to 

 the mast-heads and secured to stakes driven in the 

 ice to windward. The loose ice was all blown out of 



