52 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



I prepared at once to go to Annootok, and on August 

 twenty-fifth launched the whale-boat and with five 

 Eskimos headed northward. 



A stiff breeze was blowing, and when we passed 

 the point above Etah, perceptibly increased. Sails 

 were set and we were making good progress when, 

 without warning, a puff broke the step which held 

 the mast in place, and before the sail could be lowered 

 two boards in the bottom of the bqat split, and the 

 boat began to leak so badly that I feared it would 

 fill with water and sink, for it was heavily loaded, 

 before we could make the nearest land, which we 

 headed for at once. Fortune favored us, however, 

 and though crew and outfit got a thorough soaking, 

 we reached shore safely. 



Though the temperature was but thirty-one de- 

 grees, the air was cutting cold and I was chilled 

 through with the wetting. In view of this, the 

 steadily increasing gale, and the fact that we had 

 no facilities for making repairs, it was decided to 

 walk back to Etah, and return in the morning, if 

 weather favored, to mend the boat and resume our 

 journey. Six miles it was over the hills, and a hard 

 six miles, too, though the exercise was needed and 

 wholesome. 



That night I will long remember! With every 

 minute the wind increased in velocity until it attained 

 the proportions of a terrific gale, and at the same 

 time the temperature fell rapidly. The roof got 

 loose and we endeavored to fix it. Then the stove- 

 pipe blew off, and in the gale it was found impossi- 



