512 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1956 



in one of the Eskimos, Pangiyuk, to discuss the situation. Like most 

 of the other Southampton Eskimos, Pangiyuk speaks hardly any 

 English, but Swaffield, through years of experience as a Hudson's 

 Bay manager, has developed a considerable proficiency in the Eskimo 

 language. 



Pangiyuk said that the sea ice, though somewhat rough and sloppy, 

 was still safe for sled travel and that his dog team and three others 

 were ready to take us down to Native Point as soon as the weather 

 permitted. The sky was then dark and overcast, it was raining and 

 windy and the barometer was falling; but the weather changes with 

 surprising rapidity in the Arctic, and by next morning the rain had 

 stopped and the sun was out. Our food supplies, tents, sleeping bags 

 and other equipment were hauled down to the rocky beach and loaded 

 onto the four sleds. Because of weight limitations, the aircraft that 

 had taken us to Coral Harbour had been able to bring only half 

 of our food supplies. The remainder was to be brought over from 

 Churchill on the July flight and delivered to us at Native Point by 

 the Eskimo Peterhead boat that was to take us to Coats Island. 



It was perhaps just as well that we had no more of a load for 

 the four sleds were already filled to capacity. A skiff was lashed on 

 each sled and the boxes and other gear piled inside (pi. 1, A). This 

 was necessary in order to keep the supplies from getting wet, as the 

 sleds were very low and would have to traverse areas where at this 

 time of year there would be up to six inches of water on top of the 

 ice. It was also desirable as a precautionary measure in case we en- 

 countered wide leads in which a sled without a boat would sink. 



As the weather was fine and the night as bright as day, we planned 

 to go directly to Native Point without stopping for the night, hoping 

 to make the 40-mile trip in around 10 hours. This proved to be a 

 somewhat optimistic estimate, for the trip required 14 hours, including 

 time out while the Eskimos hunted seals basking on the ice beside their 

 breathing holes. 



The sleds were pulled by from 8 to 10 dogs who jogged along at a 

 good trot to the constant accompaniment of the drivers' "Wo-ah" 

 (right), "Ah-ee" (left), and other sounds more like grunts than 

 words but which were clearly intelligible to the dogs. Sometimes, 

 though, when the dogs had not responded properly there would be a 

 deluge of words — undoubtedly Eskimo invective and profanity — simi- 

 lar in purpose to the conventional remarks a mule driver uses in ad- 

 dressing his team. When language failed, the long whip would swish 

 out and the offending dog would emit a surprised yelp and start 

 pulling. 



There was almost as much water as ice surface, though most of 

 it was only a few inches deep, in pools that usually contained deeper 



