AT FLAXMAN ISLAND IN SUMMER 



307 



weather had become bad again, and it was very thick, so we 

 thought that the steamers must have passed us when we had 

 seen no signs of them on August I. Storkersen sent a note to 

 me that night, asking me to come down to the house, as his 

 foot was getting worse. My old fears were aroused at once, and 

 I started off imme- 

 diately to see what 

 was the matter. 



His foot was 

 slightly inflamed, and 

 small pieces of bone 

 kept on coming out 

 of the wound. I told 

 him that I would send 

 for the Doctor at 

 once, but that it did 

 not look so very bad 

 to me. We talked 

 over the future, and 

 Storkersen assured 

 me again that he had 

 no thoughts of leav- 

 ing, if only his foot 

 got beyond danger before the Doctor left. I told him that I had 

 heard further rumours to the effect that he wanted to go back 

 with the rest of the crew, but he denied any such intentions in 

 the strongest terms. I had no fears for his foot, so after our talk I 

 went back to the village reassured and full of hope. I had hardly 

 lain down to sleep in Sachawachick's place when I heard the 

 natives running to and fro outside the tent, calling " Umiackpok 

 kaily " (steamer coming). I was on my feet in a second, went 

 down to the beach, and there the steamers were, looming through 

 the fog and close to land. A few minutes later I was shaking 

 hands with Captain Porter, S.S. Beluga. He also had some 

 provisions for us, but, as he had broken his propeller, he asked 

 me for permission to take them down to Herschel Island. Of 

 course I could say nothing, as he was doing us a service in 

 taking them up at all, and he promised to land them on his 

 return. 



Everything was now ready for sending back the crew. I had 



x 2 



INVESTIGATING AN ESKIMO GRAVE ON FLAXMAN 

 ISLAND. 



