ETAH TO NEW YORK 269 



their belongings, their dogs, and the walrus meat 

 which I had secured for the purpose of carrying them 

 through the winter, as I was bringing them back at 

 the close of the hunting season when they could hope 

 to secure only a scanty supply of food before the winter 

 set in. By night everything was landed, and several 

 tents set up on the shore. As the darkness came down 

 it began to snow, accompanied by light wind from 

 the southeast. In the morning the whole country 

 was white with snow and a vicious southeaster in 

 progress which held us here until the following morn- 

 ing. This time was occupied in getting the Roosevelt 

 ready for rough water. From Cape Union to here all 

 provisions, ammunition and equipment of all kinds 

 had been carried on deck ready to be thrown ashore 

 or out upon the ice whenever the necessity arose. 

 This deck load was now transferred to the hold, and 

 the ship generally put in better trim for the mauling 

 which we were sure to receive at this season of the 

 year once we got clear of the ice. As soon as the 

 weather moderated sufficiently we steamed to Cape 

 York where four families were found. Here we made 

 fast to the newly formed land ice and remained 

 three or four hours while repairing a bent eccentric. 

 The natives here reported that the ice in Melville Bay 

 had gone out but a short time previous, and during 

 the entire season no ship had been able to approach 

 the Cape, an occurrence which has not happened 

 before since my acquaintance with this region, dating 

 back to 1 89 1. 



Leaving Cape York late in the afternoon of the 

 26th, in a dense snowstorm, which doubled the gloom 



