1915] THE WINTER OF 1915-16 ei3 



of Doctor Hunt, to withstand the rigors and privations 

 of a third year. Tanquary, I hoped, would consent to 

 remain with Ekblaw and Hunt at the sub-station at 

 North Star Bay. The stubs of his toes were healing 

 rapidly. Doctor Hunt, who, for many reasons, should 

 have been given first place on the retreat, magnani- 

 mously consented to remain in the North, where his ser- 

 vices, in case of sickness or accident, either at Etah, 

 Umanak, or on the ship, could be available. 



With plans completed and everything settled I was 

 away again northward by way of the sea ice, reaching 

 Umanak in twelve hours with my face a bit frosted. 

 My dogs, fed on caplin (Mallotus villosus), were now 

 in wretched condition, for they had been traveling for 

 three months with but little rest. Not an ounce of 

 meat at Umanak, and the dogs too weak to travel ! 



Koo-la-ting-wa, a good fellow, lived at Netchilik, 

 some sixty miles north. His caches were filled with 

 narwhal. I would send for him to come at once and 

 bring meat for my dogs. On the third day he was there 

 with all the meat needed, enabling me to start right 

 back with him and the other Eskimos on January 4th. 



Koo-la-ting-wa accompanied me all the way to Etah, 

 where we arrived on January 12th, finding Jot, the only 

 white man left, happy and well and full of interesting 

 experiences which he could narrate in a most masterly 

 manner. Jot is a born story-teller, drafting his partially 

 bald head, his wizened face, his arms, hands, and body 

 completely into his service as a raconteur. 



During my absence We-we, our house servant, dis- 

 covered a can of whisky in the medical department. 

 Jot consented to her request that she should hold exer- 

 cises commemorative of her two-year anniversary at 



