AND KAYAK 129 



was making in a hollow ; then we poled on 

 again while the tea was warming over the fire- 

 place of stones. There was a short rest for 

 the men during the afternoon, when the sails 

 were up and we beat to and fro along a sheltered 

 run ; but soon the captain said something that 

 brought forth a chorus of " Aha's," and 

 caused a general turning of heads. There was 

 a peculiar turbulence about the water in 

 front of us, and there was something familiar 

 about the hills around ; there on the right 

 was the beginning of the sled-pass over Kigla- 

 peit, and we were entering on the piece of 

 water that never freezes. Soon we were 

 tumbling and twisting among the currents of 

 a sort of miniature whirlpool, and the oarsmen 

 were straining and shouting in time while the 

 captain steadied the boat as well as he could 

 with the long sculling-oar at the stern. I had 

 seen the black spot of water on the white 

 sheet of ice only a month or two before, and 

 many a time as we passed the place on our 

 winter journeys I had wondered why Julius 

 led the dogs close under the rock. All the 

 explanation he had given me was " Sikko- 

 karungnaipok-tava " (never frozen) ; but now 

 I understood how the power of the battling 

 currents gives the ice no chance to set, even 

 in the bitter cold of January. 



