WINTERING IN THE bay 27 
in finishing their house and shed. Floating ice soon hampered 
landing operations. On the 17th October the ice in the harbour 
set fast and, soon after, the work of transporting materials to 
and from the shore was done with sleds. 
By the end of the month, the ship had been placed in a north- 
and-south position, so that her bow faced north into the prevail- 
ing cold winds. The decks were covered with a temporary roof, 
made from a part of the lumber intended for the police build- 
ings. This housing kept the snow from the decks, and greatly 
increased the inclosed space on the ship. it later proved so 
comfortable that the carpenter worked in it, almost without 
interruption, throughout the winter, at the repairs to the launch. 
The house and shed were made weather-proof, and a supply of 
provisions and outfit, sufficient to keep the ship's company until 
the following summer, was stored in them, as a precaution 
against the destruction of the ship by fire. The galley was 
moved from the deck to between-decks, and the range connected 
with two large copper tanks, in which the daily supply of ice 
was melted; at the same time all the provisions likely to be 
injured by frost were stored alongside the range. All the oil 
and powder were stored on an island away from the provisions, 
and the boats placed either on shore, or on the ice alongside the 
ship. 
Shortly after our arrival the natives congregated about the 
ships, and to avoid misunderstanding, an agreement was made 
with Captain Comer, that he should care for the Aivillik tribe, 
mile the Kenipitu tribe would belong to the Neptune. By this 
arrangement, about a dozen able-bodied men and their families 
fell to our portion, and about double that number to the Era. 
The men were employed, during our stay at Fullerton, in bank- 
ing the ship with snow, hauling ice and other necessary outside 
work. Several of them hunted continuously, and at small cost 
kept the ship in fresh caribou meat throughout the winter. 
