AND KAYAK 21 



question was whether they might eat the pro- 

 visions I had given them for the journey." 



It came out later in the day that one of the 

 men had eaten his pork and biscuits as soon as 

 he got them, I suppose as a sort of foundation 

 for his journey. Actually on the road, he 

 would have been content to chew an unpro- 

 mising slab of tough dried fish ; but I think 

 he must have felt rather relieved when the 

 missionary gave him permission to demolish 

 the pork. 



The ship did not dally in Ramah ; we only 

 stayed one day, because of the lateness of the 

 season ; and on the morning of the 7th of 

 November, 1903, we dropped our anchor in 

 Okak Bay, in sight of the biggest of the Eskimo 

 villages ; and there, at the old settlement of 

 Okak, among the dull little huts that dotted 

 the hillside, and close to the tapering tower 

 of the Mission Church, I saw my future 

 home. 



There seemed to be plenty of bustle and stir 

 at Okak. The paths between the huts seemed 

 alive with people, all dressed in proper Eskimo 

 style, with hooded smocks and knee-boots. 

 Men and women were running from their 

 homes, crowding to the little wooden jetty in 

 front of the storehouse, and the children, 

 dressed like small copies of their parents, were 



