38 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



to the northward. Norton, Larned and I, with four 

 Eskimos, went forty-two miles south in the power- 

 boat to Arawagauarui Point to bring up a cache to 

 the main base. The shore was lined with heavy ice 

 and icebergs filled the coves, and constant watchful- 

 ness was necessary to prevent the boat being crushed, 

 but finally the cache was reached and the boat hauled 

 to a safe position. 



Before we were ready for our return, however, the 

 tide had left the boat high and dry, and much time 

 and a great deal of energy and patience were ex- 

 pended in relaunching her. At length we succeeded, 

 but to our consternation found that she had sprung 

 a leak, and water flowed into her faster than we could 

 bail it out. With a hatchet I ripped off the flooring 

 and discovered that in hauling her down over the 

 rocks two large holes had been rammed through her 

 bottom. 



They say that necessity is the mother of invention, 

 and so it was now. With no repair materials nearer 

 than Etah, we stuffed pieces of raw deer meat and 

 fat into the holes, battened it down tight, and found 

 our experiment successful, for though the boat still 

 leaked badly, and the Eskimos would not risk cut- 

 ting points, but insisted upon hugging the shore, we 

 did very well, and kept afloat by constant use of the 

 pump and by bailing. Walrus were very plentiful 

 on the ice, but we did not molest them, and finally, 

 after a hard and rather eventful trip, hailed Etah 

 and the ships with delight. 



With the assistance of our power-boat a number 



