1915] THE WINTER OF 1915-16 205 



It now began to look much as though the main ex- 

 pedition would relieve the relief expedition. But to- 

 morrow I would meet Green and know everything. 



All the igloos were crowded. Rather than squeeze in 

 between two highly perfumed natives and awake cov- 

 ered with lice, I preferred to pitch my tent on the ice 

 and sleep alone. There are no guest-chambers in the 

 Northland. One room in a house; and that room mostly 

 bed, and in that bed everybody sleeping — father, moth- 

 er, all the children, and all the visitors. Naturally it is 

 a commodious bed and deep in skins and grass. Each 

 morning the lady of the household reaches in under 

 the skins and pulls out handfuls of grass for the boots 

 of her lord and master and of her children. By early 

 spring the once soft mattress has disappeared piece by 

 piece, and soft spots on this rocky couch are rather diffi- 

 cult to find. 



Oo-tah called to pay his respects in the evening in 

 company with his newly acquired South Greenland 

 wife, ordered of Rasmussen. In giving this commission 

 Oo-tah negligently failed to specify just what was 

 wanted. His first look was not encouraging. A closer 

 examination was discouraging. He didn't want her and 

 he said so; nevertheless, he bravely received her for better 

 or worse, without ring or promise or other ceremony. 

 He feels better now. He realizes that he must have 

 been mistaken as to her commercial value. Being a 

 stranger in the tribe, she exchanges fairly well for the 

 wives of his friends, and is even loaned for a month at 

 a time without being missed. One man in speaking of 

 his wife declared that she was nearly perfect. She had 

 one fault only — she didn't like to be loaned! 



In the evening of November 5th, Green arrived in 



