110 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



advantage of the little twilight that yet remained to 

 make a hunting trip to Etah. My stock of condensed 

 milk, tea, coffee and other things, was low, and I 

 had planned to make the journey with them to re- 

 plenish the supply; but when the time came I was 

 not yet far enough recovered to attempt it, and told 

 them to go without me. When the other Eskimos 

 informed Kulutinguah of this he protested at once 

 that he would not go one step until I was well enough 

 to be of the party. As a compromise it was decided 

 that they should delay but three days, and if by that 

 time I was still unable to undertake the journey I 

 would give up all thought of going until the next 

 moon. I would not permit them to tarry longer, for 

 Eskimos must hunt to live, and all periods of light 

 must be taken advantage of. This arrangement sat- 

 isfied Kulutinguah and my other friends, whose sense 

 of hospitality would not have permitted them to leave 

 me behind so long as they believed I desired to go. 



At the end of the three days the Eskimos assured 

 me that the ice was undoubtedly in such condition that 

 I could ride practically the whole way, and they so 

 evidently desired me to go that I decided to accom- 

 pany them. Sledges were quickly loaded, and 

 snugly wrapped in a musk-ox skin I took my place 

 on one of them, and we were off. 



I managed to keep comfortable on the komatik, 

 and the going was fairly good to Littleton Island, 

 save around Cape Inglefield and Cairn Point, at 

 which places the ice was rafted high and the Eskimos 

 had a hard time working through. To add to the 



