1916] THE WINTER OF 1915-16 219 



and three men — Ekblaw, Mene, and Oo-bloo-ya. Open 

 water had compelled them to cross the ice-cap from the 

 head of the Clements Markham Glacier. Missing the 

 Sonntag Pass, they had attempted a descent on the 

 south side of the fiord, resulting in considerable excite- 

 ment and the wrecking of Mene's sledge. 



Ekblaw had been one week on the road. He re- 

 ported that Captain Comer was in charge of the sub- 

 station and that Doctor Hunt was at the ship, where 

 he was needed in attendance upon a young man suffer- 

 ing with tuberculosis of the bowels. His recovery was 

 considered doubtful. Doctor Hovey was in very poor 

 health, but was slowly recovering from the keen dis- 

 appointment experienced by his compulsory return. 



It was good to see Ek again, for Jot and I had talked 

 each other pretty well out. Fortunately, we were born 

 in the same place, Provincetown, Massachusetts, and 

 had much in common. Every wharf, building, home, 

 street, person, crab, and fish was talked over again and 

 again. In naming every house from one end of the 

 old town to the other we stood ready to correct each 

 other if a single mistake were made. 



The long spring trip was always the culmination of 

 our winter's work and plans. A few more skins for 

 boots and mittens, and rawhide lines for sledge lashing 

 and whips, were needed; these could undoubtedly be 

 secured at Nerky, to which we directed our course on 

 the 29th, via the ice-cap route. 



Due to a strong northeast wind and heavy drift, 

 Mene and I lost Oo-bloo-ya and Noo-ka-ping-wa within 

 an hour. As we arrived in sight of the projecting cliffs, 

 in the region of Cape Saumarez and Cape Robertson, 

 neither of us knew where we were. I had been there 



15 



