1916] THE WINTER OF 1915-16 215 



ing snows swept from the neighboring 1,000-foot hills 

 toward the open water in the middle of the Sound. 

 Such weather conditions were a bit discouraging to a 

 man ambitious to maintain his good health by daily 

 exercise, which is just as essential as good food. How 

 we berated those winds! And yet we realized that but 

 for those winds our fiord would be deep with snow, 

 making good walking and sledging most difficult. With 

 hands clasped behind the back and body thrown for- 

 ward, so that our heads were level with our waists, we 

 have bucked those biting winds for weeks and months. 



Panikpa surprised us on January 31st with the report 

 that he had seen and fired at two caribou at Alida Lake, 

 four miles from the house. Sixty years ago they were 

 so numerous that often 100 could be counted feeding 

 around the shores of this lake. Doctor Hayes, when 

 wintering across the harbor, having more fresh meat 

 than he could possibly use, fed his dogs upon caribou 

 meat. 



Panikpa's report put every one on the alert. Caribou 

 meat at this time of year would make a delightful change 

 from walrus and seal. Continuous heavy wind and 

 snow, however, discouraged us from climbing the hills 

 to the plateau above, the wind-swept feeding-ground of 

 Arctic hare, caribou, and, in years gone by, of musk- 

 oxen. Many of the massive skulls of the last named 

 were found in the vicinity of Etah. At the present 

 time, however, this species does not exist upon this 

 western coast until the latitude of 81° is reached. 



On February 14th a drop in the wind and a rise of 

 temperature to eighteen below zero started both Jot 

 and me out with our rifles, I to the lake, where there 

 were unusually large numbers of blue foxes, and Jot 



