4 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



and with no other expectation at the time than to re- 

 turn home in the autumn with the ship. 



For many years I had desired to extend my hunt- 

 ing-trips into this region, and had now taken advan- 

 tage of an opportunity to do so. Walrus and other 

 large aquatic game would be certain to offer good 

 sport, in all probability there would be opportunity 

 for a polar bear hunt, and possibly some trophy might 

 be obtained of the musk-ox, so coveted by sportsmen 

 because of the fact that it inhabits only the most re- 

 mote and inaccessible regions of the Far North. 



I particularly desired to secure musk-ox and other 

 trophies, not only to round out my own collection 

 representing the big game animals of North America, 

 which for several years I have hunted with some suc- 

 cess, but also to obtain specimens for other scientific 

 collections. 



The novelty of the voyage, the expected sport, and 

 the collection of trophies were, then, my only reasons 

 for being on the ~Erik, and I had no part whatever 

 in the Polar expedition to which the vessel was 

 attached. 



My arms consisted of a 30-40, a .35, and a .22 auto- 

 matic Winchester rifle. Mr. Norton and I had to- 

 gether provided ourselves with a whale-boat equipped 

 with a three horse power motor, to be used on short 

 cruises at such times as the ship might be in harbor, 

 and to assist in hunting. Tents, oil stoves and other 

 necessary camping utensils, suited to the region we 

 were to visit, completed our equipment, together with 

 a supply of such articles as we might find useful in 



