NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



down and the stench from the walrus carcasses 

 in the neighboring engine room was almost over- 

 powering. The mixture of bilge water and walrus 

 blood which dripped into our cabins extended to 

 other bunks. Peary took Raven's bunk in the after 

 cabin while Raven was on watch and David crept 

 into the bunk with his father. Kellerman's bunk 

 was over mine and his heavy duffle bag hung on a 

 hook beside the bunk. I would watch this bag 

 as it swung far out into the cabin each time the 

 ship rolled over to starboard and nearly went on 

 her beam ends. Before morning the wind abated 

 somewhat, and at six o'clock Peary came down 

 to call all hands on deck to hoist the foresail, which 

 had been got down with such difficulty the evening 

 before. Coming on deck we found the sea 

 considerably quieter and were much cheered to 

 learn that with this following wind we might be 

 able to reach North Sydney by nightfall. The 

 gloom of the night before had passed and the 

 spiritual barometer was rising fast. 



In the afternoon we were able to make out in the 

 distance the harbor of Sydney and shortly after 

 dark we sailed into port from a relatively quiet sea. 

 The voyage had lasted sixteen days and on getting 

 ashore next morning we learned of the West India 

 hurricane which had just destroyed Miami, Florida, 



106 



