276 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



fine, and so was the stew which the people made for us. The 

 family consisted of a man and a woman, rather young, with three 

 children. They looked prosperous, pleasant, and clean, and we 

 enjoyed their hospitality very much. 



But the natives would not believe us when we told them 

 where we had come from ; they could not think it possible that 

 men had been on the ice for so many days, had travelled over it 

 for miles, and had been outside the first open water. " Oh, no, 

 white man, plenty lie, white man come from Point Barrow " ; 

 and whenever we, or rather Mr. Leffingwell, who had not for- 

 gotten so many of his Eskimo words as I had, told them that 

 we really had been there, they looked at each other, smiled 

 incredulously, and held their own counsel as to our truthfulness. 



We spent a pleasant day with our new friends, and as Mr. 

 Leffingwell's eyes were much better to-day, there was nothing 

 to trouble our minds. 



Monday, May 13. We left our friends at 5.30 A.M., and after 

 we had given them some small presents, chiefly some food we 

 had left, we started for the ship as fast as we possibly could. 



The day passed slowly, but we made fine progress, and when 

 we camped at 5 P.M. we had gone thirty-six miles. 



Temperature only 5 C. Wind S.W., eight to ten miles 

 an hour. 



Tuesday, May 14. We intended to reach Cross Island to-day, 

 as we wanted the food which we had cached there when we 

 went out, and it was all the more tempting because there were 

 dried apples and other good things among it. Long ago, when 

 on the ice, we had commenced to anticipate the dinner we 

 were to treat ourselves to when we arrived there, and it had 

 been the pleasant subject of many a talk. However, we 

 travelled all day and passed so far inside the island that we 

 could not see it. Towards night we saw Pole Island and made 

 for it, but a fog came down, shutting out everything from 

 our view. We knew the direction, but although we used the 

 compass we missed the island, and camped on the ice. To- 

 morrow we shall be at home ! 



Travelled thirty to thirty-one miles. Temperature 4 C. 

 Wind W.S.W., fifteen miles an hour. 



Wednesday, May 15. Home again ! We started early and 

 kept a sharp look-out for the vessel. But it was not till noon 



