ON HERSCHEL AND FLAXMAN ISLANDS 321 



did not think that two men alone would have any chance 

 of carrying out a successful sledge trip across the ice, neither 

 did he think that he was justified in abandoning the prospects 

 of doing some good scientific work for the scant hope of success 

 over the pack ice. To a certain extent I agreed with him ; he 

 had sacrificed a year's work in his own branch to go on the ice 

 with me, and I could hardly expect him to go again. But, 

 nevertheless, it was hard to give up the hopes I had cherished 

 so long, and again and again we discussed the question, until 

 at last we let it drop, seeing that there was nothing to be done, 

 the more so as I also had my doubts as to the possibility of 

 carrying out a sledge trip successfully without a third man to 

 help. 



What, then, was to be done ? This was the next question to 

 be decided. We had not enough surveying instruments to 

 allow two parties to go into the field, and as Mr. Leffingwell 

 had commenced, and besides had much more experience in- 

 surveying work than I, it was, of course, for him to continue. 

 He said he would be able to do so with natives to help, and 

 insisted on the uselessness of my prolonging my stay, as I 

 could not do any work worth my while. Reluctantly I gave 

 in ; to go home now, with so much work we yet could do 

 undone, was hard, and I thought it over for several days before 

 I definitely gave up all thoughts of staying and commenced to 

 think of my journey across country back to civilization. As a 

 last endeavour I tried to get natives to go out on the ice with 

 me, but no one would listen to me. The Eskimos for genera- 

 tions have had the greatest fear of pack ice, and the fact of 

 our return from our former expedition was only explained as an 

 extraordinary piece of good luck. 



On September TO we saw a umiak crossing over to the 

 island from the mainland, which rather surprised us, as we had 

 not yet been expecting any of the natives. We went down to 

 the village to see who it might be, and were glad to find our 

 old friend Sachawachick. Sachawachick had come down from 

 the mountains as Hipana (Douglamana's son by a former 

 connection) had become very ill. Mr. Leffingwell, who knew 

 more about doctoring than I, thought that the boy had typhoid 

 fever. His illness was a great sorrow to old Douglamana, who 

 told us that they had come down from the mountains with him 



A.I. Y 



