PREPARING FOR ARCTIC DAY 229 



When traveling, of course, I had to live as the Eski- 

 mos did, and at such times share their lot and adapt 

 myself to their methods and customs. I had enough 

 of their society at these times to be quite satisfied to 

 do without it when eating and sleeping in the shack. 



Washdays were the most trying periods of my 

 life. I always dreaded them and always gave thanks 

 when they were over. It was a tedious job to melt 

 sufficient ice in my big copper boiler, and heat the 

 water; and I always permitted a great many clothes 

 to accumulate before I washed them. I never did 

 wash them, in fact, until everything I had was soiled. 

 Generally it was an all-day's job. I found that the 

 toil was considerably lessened by soaking the clothes 

 for a number of hours in water in which was mixed 

 a liberal quantity of Pearline. Before washday was 

 ended, however, I invariably had a severe backache. 



For some time after my return from the walrus 

 hunt below Cape Alexander, I suffered a great deal 

 with lumbago, which shortened my walks and which 

 restricted exercise considerably, but there was plenty 

 of work to keep me engaged, at such times, about 

 camp. The oil stove that had been injured I mended 

 very nicely, though at first it seemed a hopeless under- 

 taking to put it into serviceable condition again. 

 One never can tell what one can do until necessity 

 drives one to it. Then I constructed a fishing rod, 

 in anticipation of spring. This was made from wood 

 cut from the running board of a broken sledge, 

 worked down carefully with a knife, with guides 



