24 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



the hunt to trade with Mr. Peary for such necessaries 

 or luxuries as arms, ammunition, tobacco and so on. 

 A little tobacco, for instance, will go a long way to- 

 ward purchasing the assistance of an Eskimo, and 

 if he is entirely out of the weed, he will exchange 

 for it nearly anything he has, except his fire-arms. 



Early on the morning of August third the Roose- 

 velt arrived from Cape York with fifty Eskimos, 

 men, women and children, and one hundred and 

 seventy dogs on board, all picked up at Meteorite 

 Island and destined to Cape Sheridan to assist in the 

 Polar undertaking. This conglomeration of Eskimo 

 and dog gave the Roosevelt an odor quite distinctively 

 her own, but still in force and power of penetration 

 not to be compared with that of the Erik, with her 

 whale meat. Nothing could quite attain to that. 



Shortly after the Roosevelt's arrival Mr. Peary 

 paid a visit to the Erik, and arranged a walrus hunt 

 for Norton, Larned and myself, assigning three 

 Eskimos to guide and assist us. Some provisions 

 were placed in our whale-boat, as it was quite uncer- 

 tain how long we should be absent, and without delay 

 we were off. 



Three hours up the Sound, two large bull walrus 

 were sighted on a small cake of ice. We matched for 

 shots and Larned and I won. Approaching as close 

 as expedient to the sleeping game without the risk of 

 startling it, Larned and I each designated his animal 

 and fired together. My shot was a lucky one and 

 my bull was killed instantly, but Larned, less fortu- 

 nate, only wounded his. One of the Eskimos bar- 



