WINTER QUARTERS 99 



place, and when he came back he told us about it. When later 

 on we came ashore he showed me many places where we 

 could see the ice in the face of the cliffs, with only one to two 

 feet of soil on top. 



The first days after our arrival were beautiful, calm, warm, 

 and clear, and, although Hicky is still on the sick list, the work 

 of unshipping provisions and coal is going on well. We put up 

 a tent on shore, in which we stored the food, piling the coal 

 about the bottom of the tent, and also building a large rack of 

 driftwood on which to place our sledges, kayaks, and other 

 bulky articles. The object was to get as much stuff as possible 

 on shore and keep as little as possible on board. 



As we wanted to be on a friendly footing with the Eskimos, 

 we had told Tullik to come down to the ship so that Dr. Howe 

 could do something to her back. She and Uxra came on the 

 2ist, timid and rather scared, but we treated them kindly, and 

 Dr. Howe fixed a plaster of Paris jacket so as to support her 

 spine. 



Uxra told us that he would go out hunting cariboo on 

 the mainland when we got a west wind so that he could use 

 his umiak, and as we were very desirous of getting some 

 fresh meat, it was agreed that two of us should go along with 

 him. As Mr. Leffingwell wanted to get his instruments in 

 shape and commence studying the geology of Flaxman Island 

 before the winter set in, Dr. Howe and myself made up our 

 minds to go. Before starting we talked the situation over, and 

 as we did not dare to go east with only one year's food, it was 

 decided that we should try to raise some more money and have 

 food for one more year sent up next summer. Mr. Leffingwell 

 proposed to go to Herschel Island with the mail in time to 

 reach the mounted police control ; at the same time he wished 

 to do some preliminary surveying work along the coast. 



On September 23 we started with Uxra and Tullik. The 

 umiak was rather overloaded, as we took a sledge and two 

 dogs with us, besides food for four people for two weeks. 

 Uxra had another sledge and three dogs, and a large tent, 

 stove, cooking utensils, and a lot of more or less useless 

 articles. 



On the same morning, before we left the ship, Flora gave 

 birth to eleven pups. As they were too many for her to take 



H 2 



