252 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



another band of Eskimos living somewhere on the 

 ice floe. After a drive of some hours over very 

 hummocky ice, I found our friends. They received 

 me with much joy, put my kettle over their oil 

 stove, filled it with snow-water, which they had 

 previously made for their own use, and indeed they 

 were altogether most kind and hospitable. 



" Having made a kettle of coffee, I invited them 

 to have a cup with me, and a right jolly party we 

 were as we eagerly devoured some hard biscuit and 

 warmed our chilly frames with the coffee. 



" Towards evening it came on to blow and drift 

 furiously. One of the men who has been gone since 

 early morning to catch seals has not returned, and 

 with this gale abroad the people are somewhat 

 anxious regarding him. 



" During the night the storm increased, and our 

 little dwelling seemed almost to rock with the vio 

 lence of the wind. Fortunately the snow-house is 

 situated on the lee side of a large boulder of ice 

 some eight or ten feet high, and this acts as a break 

 to the wind. What would become of us should 

 the ice the frozen sea on which we are encamped 

 break up, I hardly know. For the season is advanc 

 ing, and there can hardly be more than three feet of 

 ice between us and the sea beneath, a thought which 

 does not add to one's comfort when trying to sleep 

 in the snow-house, four miles from the land and with 

 a gale of wind raging without." 



