WINTER QUARTERS 153 



besides breaking up the ice and causing us very great incon- 

 venience for some days, kept Mr. Leffingwell in Ned's cabin 

 while we had work enough for all hands on board the schooner 

 and on shore. 



It was not till February 7 that the vessel commenced to 

 leak again, and so badly that the pumps were kept going all 

 day. A new crack had been found just alongside the vessel, 

 which may have started the leak afresh. I began to fear that 

 the sternpost was damaged, as it was wedged into the ice and 

 the ship was listing more and more, but, owing to a heavy 

 snowdrift, we could not get at it to examine whether anything 

 was wrong or not. 



The wind kept up a veritable merry-go-round outside, and 

 for several days it blew most furiously. I was sorry, as it 

 delayed Mr. Leffingwell still more, and there were many points 

 regarding the outfit which I was longing to talk over with 

 him. 



On Sunday, February 10, we had a very cold day ( 40 C.), and 

 a westerly wind of about fifteen miles an hour was blowing the 

 snow along the surface. Some of the Eskimos, who came down 

 in order to spend the Sunday as usual on board the vessel, told 

 me that Mr. Leffingwell and Dr. Howe had come to the village 

 and were now being thawed out in Sachawachick's igloo. I 

 started down, and before I arrived I too was in need of a 

 regular thawing out myself, though' the wind had been fair. 

 Nothing exciting had happened on Mr. Leffingwell's trip, except 

 that they had been laid up in Ned's cabin for several days, and 

 one day on the trail, waiting for the strong westerly gale to 

 cease. 



They both spoke very enthusiastically about the way in which 

 their dogs had pulled on the way down to Ned's cabin ; there 

 had been 150 Ibs. for each dog. 



When we came back to the ship I had a multitude of new 

 plans to communicate to Mr. Leffingwell, and I was pleased to 

 hear that he approved of them all. I was particularly glad 

 when he agreed to leave the kayaks behind and to substitute 

 a raft instead. My reasons were that kayaks are rather 

 troublesome to carry along on a sledge, that they are apt to 

 get broken, weigh a great deal, and make the sledge top heavy. 

 In those days we spoke about nothing but our outfit, and 



