NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NORTHWEST PASSAGE. 265 



swans, geese, loons, dncks, eiders, and many small birds. The ptar- 

 migan came in March and went in November. The only stationary 

 animals were the Arctic fox, the stoat, and the lemming. The vege- 

 tation was rich, and large tracts were to be seen quite covered with 

 flowers. There were butterflies, flies, and some other insects, not to 

 omit several milliards of gnats. The winter set in somewhat earlier 

 this year than the preceding one, and the ice formed a week sooner. 

 The reindeer, of which there had been great numbers the previous 

 autumn, were this year very seldom to be seen. The whole of our 

 winter provision thus consisted in 1904 of only 20 deer, and these 

 we had shot far inland, whereas in 1903 we could have killed as many 

 as we liked quite close to the vessel. However, the Eskimo, who 

 had spent the summer reindeer hunting in northern America, brought 

 us a quantity of venison, and from other quarters we procured 

 salmon, cod and trout, so that we were well provided for the next 

 winter too. In the middle of October the Eskimo returned from 

 their summer excursions, and then visited us in great numbers, but 

 went off again to fish before the darkest part of the winter set in. 

 Toward Christmas they returned to the vessel, and we then had the 

 pleasure of their company for nearly two months. On November 20 

 we had a visit from an Eskimo family of a quite strange tribe. They 

 proved to be Kinepatu Eskimo from Chesterfield Inlet, near Hudson 

 Bay. The man's name was Atagala. He knew English sufficiently 

 to explain that near where he lived two large vessels were lying. For 

 an old Mauser rifle and 400 cartridges he undertook to take a mail 

 down to them and return Avith an answer, about 1,500 miles. On May 

 20, the next year, a sledge team of 10 dogs swung into our harbor. 

 It was Atagala. He brought us a mail from the Arctic, a ship 

 belonging to the Canadian Government, which was wintering at 

 Cape Fullerton, in Hudson Bay. She had originally been the Gauss, 

 and was built by the German South Polar Expedition, but was now 

 out to inspect and choose suitable spots for small garrisons. Major 

 Moodie was in chief command, and Captain Bernier in command of 

 the ship. An American whaler, the Era, was also wintering at the 

 same place. Captain Comer, of the Era, and Major Moodie sent 

 me 10 sledge dogs, as I had written to the former, stating that the 

 greater number of our dogs had died in the course of the first winter. 

 During our seventeen months' intercourse with the Nechjilli 

 Eskimo we became by degrees so intimate with some of them that 

 they little by little lost the mistrust they usually have for strangers, 

 and showed us complete confidence. We, however, never really 

 acquired their language, and consequently could not thoroughly 

 understand their life. What I have to tell about them, liowever, is 

 based partly on careful observation and partly on information from 

 the Eskimo themselves, and this being the case, I venture to think 



