BUFFETED BY STORM AND ICE 65 



which seemed to presage, perhaps more than anything 

 else, the approaching long night of darkness. 



Storms now followed one another in close succes- 

 sion, and each seemed to gather new velocity as it 

 broke upon us with gale or blizzard. Attempts to 

 hunt walrus or white whale, both more or less plenti- 

 ful, were too hazardous and entirely futile, though 

 we did brave the elements and the heavy seas once 

 or twice, only to return empty handed and thankful 

 to escape the ever present driving ice floes. To add 

 to my discomfort I wrenched my back badly one day, 

 and for several days could scarcely get about. 



Sipsu's wounds I dressed pretty regularly, keep- 

 ing them as clean as possible to avoid gangrene, 

 though to keep any part of an Eskimo clean is all 

 but hopeless. Finally healing was pronounced, and 

 on September twenty-seventh I had the satisfaction 

 of seeing him around and well on the road to re- 

 covery. 



On the ninth another attempt had been made to 

 reach Annootok but, as in the previous instances, we 

 were ignominiously forced to retreat in the face of 

 heavy ice. 



At this time the country was swept by a blizzard 

 so terrific that I feared our shack would blow away. 

 Several of the boxes utilized in its construction were 

 actually shifted from their positions, opening up wide 

 cracks; and the canvas roof was loosened. This led 

 me to fear that the house at Annootok would be 

 completely blown away. There was much work still 



