

WINTER QUARTERS 131 



sledge some of it home as soon as the fine weather commenced. 

 I sent some new footwear with them for Mr. Lemngwell, to be 

 left in Ned's house, and wrote explaining what arrangement 

 we had made. 



A native, Terigloo, his squaw, and three qhildren came down 

 to the ship on November 27, en route for Point Barrow. It is 

 queer to see a caravan like that threading its way through 

 darkness and storms to so distant a goal as Point Barrow. 

 Terigloo's sledge was very heavy ; he had food for about one 

 month, and skins enough to make it worth their while to take 

 so long a tramp. First came his squaw, with their youngest 

 child on her back and leading, another by the hand. It was 

 her work to encourage the five dogs to do their utmost, calling 

 them, whistling at them, running ahead for part of the way, and 

 jumping about. Terigloo himself, with a hauling strap over 

 his shoulder, plodded along, walking by the side of the sledge, 

 working so hard that the perspiration was streaming down his 

 face, cracking his whip and yelling at his dogs ; while the third 

 child, the eldest, was running behind, his stumpy legs almost 

 too short for the loose snow. When he became tired his father 

 let him ride on the sledge, but it was heavy, the trail was long, 

 dogs and men were doing their utmost, and it was not often 

 that the youngster was permitted such luxury. They pitched 

 their camp alongside the vessel. 



From November 25 to November 28 we had splendid 

 weather, and we saw that, however unpleasant it could be when 

 the wind was howling and the snow was drifting, it was just as 

 beautiful when the sky was clear and not a breath of wind 

 stirring. On the southern horizon we could see the mountains 

 stretching far away to the east and west. On the sky was the 

 glow of the sun, long ago out of sight below the rugged 

 mountain tops, which in their turn reflected the golden reddish 

 tints of the clouds above. The red became more intense 

 higher above the horizon, then gradually changed into violet, 

 until it reached so deep a blue in the zenith that not even an 

 Italian sky could match it. 



These days in the Arctic are the finest that a man can see. 

 The air is fresh, clean, and bracing ; walking about outside, 

 even if it is cold, is one of the greatest pleasures of life, and we 

 feel this joy of living so much that we frisk about like puppies, 



K 2 



