THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 565 



It seems that Eskimos have always used chewing-gum. They 

 got it from spruce trees or made it of seal blood in primitive times, 

 and now take to the commercial variety of it more readily than 

 to any other imported commodity. They no longer relish gum 

 made of seal's blood and considered it a hardship that, although 

 I had outfitted them with some commercial chewing gum when they 

 left the Star, they had long ago run out. It sounds more like a joke 

 than it really is to say that contentment with their situation in Mel- 

 ville Island was materially increased when they discovered this 

 gum by-product of their coal mine. 



The Eskimos had made a brave attempt to repair the sled and 

 Eskimos are ingenious at such things beyond belief. But even so 

 it was rickety. Nevertheless, the party had intended to start for 

 Cape Murray in about a week. It would have been pleasant to 

 find them there but it was easy to decide, sitting before the cheerful 

 fire, that it was better now to have them spend the winter here and 

 to make Cape Grassy the outfitting base for the coming spring. 



A report from Storkerson gave details of his last spring's work. 

 He had been to the Bear to get his family, and had found every 

 one there in good spirits and Captain Gonzales and his officers 

 determined to bring the ship to us in the summer if they could. 

 There had not been time for a trip to the northeast corner of 

 Victoria Island to complete the survey begun the preceding fall 

 and that work still lay ahead. As to Castel and Emiu, he had 

 thought it best to send them to the Bear unless they specifically 

 asked to stay in Melville Island, for he did not want to be trou- 

 bled with men who were discontented for whatever reason. But 

 both had asked to stay, volunteering to refrain from all complaints 

 about the food and do their best to help. The last part of the 

 promise, as Storkerson realized, was superfluous. They were ex- 

 cellent men except for their inconvenient views as to a meat diet. 



A letter from Gonzales confirmed what Storkerson said about 

 his intention to bring the ship to Melville Island. It was of a 

 cheerful tone but contained no other important message. 



There was a report from Wilkins. It had been our understand- 

 ing when we separated that if things looked well on the Bear he 

 would be free to proceed to Bernard Harbor and go out with the 

 Alaska. He now reported not only that he felt sure the Bear would 

 do her best to come to Melville Island, but also that personal news 

 from Australia made him especially anxious to get south. He had 

 been able to get still and moving photographs of the Prince Albert 

 Sound Eskimos who in the spring had been encamped in Prince of 



