PREPARING FOR ARCTIC DAY 221 



gathered terrific momentum in its descent, struck a 

 large stone on the way, and broke into three pieces, 

 scattering the coal in every direction over the snow. 

 Kulutinguah had a very narrow escape from being 

 killed. He was holding the upstand at the rear of 

 the sledge, for the purpose of steering, and was 

 thrown with great force against a large boulder. 

 Fortunately he escaped with nothing more serious 

 than a bruised knee and arm. 



Oxpuddyshou was preparing to move his family 

 to Peterarwik in the course of a few days, waiting 

 only for better light. He hoped to kill some walrus 

 there, after which he was to return to Annootok and 

 cross to Ellesmere Land to hunt musk-ox. I had 

 determined to take advantage of the first opportunity 

 that offered to go into the musk-ox country, and when 

 I learned of Oxpuddyshou's plan, suggested to him 

 that he engage with me as a guide for the hunt, of- 

 fering a substantial reward. He agreed, and in the 

 interim, before his walrus hunt, we decided to make 

 a trip to Etah to bring up and get in readiness such 

 supplies as we should need for the expedition. 



On this trip to Etah we were accompanied by 

 Awhella, who took his mother the oldest Eskimo 

 woman in that part of the country to his Etah igloo. 

 The weather was bitterly cold, and though we made 

 a quick journey the poor old woman suffered a great 

 deal. It was so cold, in fact, that on nearly every 

 sledge journey noses and cheeks were pretty sure to 

 be frozen. When we reached the shack I took the 

 old woman in, started a fire as quickly as possible, 



