AT FLAXMAN ISLAND IN SUMMER 



303 



Some Eskimos from Point Barrow arrived on a trading 

 expedition on July 23 and brought a nice collection of different 

 articles. They were fine-looking people, clean and neat, and as 

 they were not going any further than our place, they stayed on 

 the island and frequently came to the house. The natives 

 belonging to our part of the country had almost all come to 

 Flaxman Island, and 

 much trading took 

 place down in the 

 village. 



The steamers might 

 be expected any time 

 about the ist of 

 August, and some 

 native or other 

 would sit on the top 

 of our house, or on 

 the mast behind it, 

 watching for hours at 

 the time, both night 

 and day. We took 

 no long walks during 

 those days of waiting, 

 and we had taken 

 care that certain 

 signals, which could 

 be seen all over the ESKIMOS' ARRIVAL FROM POINT BARROW. 



island, were to be hoisted whenever the smoke of a steamer on 

 the western horizon told us that we were once more in touch 

 with civilization. But the weather was bad, a gale was blowing 

 from the east almost every day, and heavy fogs, which hardly 

 ever lifted, made us feel very uncomfortable. At last, on 

 July 29, the weather was fine again, warm and perfectly clear, 

 and about noon, when Dr. Howe and I were out for a walk, 

 we heard the signal shot, and turning round we saw our flag 

 flying from the top of the mast. That meant " steamer coming," 

 and we went back to our house as fast as we could. From the 

 top of it we could see the ship plainly, picking its way between 

 the grounded ice and the floes and only a few miles away. The 

 news that the steamers were coming spread like lightning over 



