GATHERING UP FRAGMENTS 327 



shield will remain here till a later date while I 

 minister to these scattered sheep on the icy wastes. 

 Ilak, the Eskimo who arrived, wished to return at 

 once. He told me that he knew his way quite well 

 and that his friends expected him to return with 

 tobacco and biscuit which they were " longing for." 

 Tied dogs to sledge some ten in all and pressed 

 on our way, wind being still strong and snow falling 

 pretty freely. As we journeyed on, wind and snow 

 increased. This was driven by the violence of the 

 wind on one's face, where coming in contact with 

 my beard and skin it formed a kind of ice plaster 

 which could only be removed by the naked hand, 

 the removal of which from one's fur gloves resulted 

 in the inside of glove itself being freely dusted with 

 particles of driving snow ; these again melted with 

 the warmth of hand when returned to its necessary 

 cover. The sensations thus produced both in the 

 face and hands by this experience might almost be 

 described as unmitigated torture, to say nothing 

 of the sensations produced in the whole body by 

 the continual fury of wind and jolting of sledge. 

 Wind still increased, but Ilak kept the dogs well 

 in hand, and for a time he was able to keep the track 

 which had been made by other Eskimos who had 

 travelled to Kikkerton. Night, however, drew on 

 apace, wind and snow increased, and at last we could 

 see nothing. My companion kept on yelling at the 

 dogs. On they went in spite of heavy wind, which 



