142 



CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



and when we wanted to start we could not see fifty yards before 

 us. It kept on blowing for two days, and when it calmed down at 

 last our worst fears were realized ; the strong westerly wind 

 had raised the level of the water so much that it had flooded 

 the ice, frozen fast to the bottom of the shallow waters outside 

 the river. We tried to start, but the water was too deep ; so we 



NED S BABY CHILDREN. 



returned to Ned's cabin, soaking wet with water and perspira- 

 tion. And it was lucky that we did return, as the gale blew 

 up afresh, and for three days we were again confined to the 

 house. 



The Eskimos are very eager to learn reading and writing 

 English, and Gallikar, who had been taught the latter accom- 

 plishments, partly by the missionary at Point Barrow, partly by 

 a miner who lived one year at Collingson's Point, was in his 

 turn teaching Ekajuak's son, Ejakok. Every evening, when 

 the day's work was done, the two boys would sit down 'on the 

 floor, and for several hours they were busily engaged with their 

 books and slates. Gallikar read quite well, and studied mining 

 from some ancient books on the subject, the only literary 

 treasures of the house, besides the school-books which he had 

 got at Point Barrow. Ejakok was getting on very well, and 





