232 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



nearly dark when we reached Littleton Island, and 

 here I witnessed one of the most impressive and 

 beautiful sky effects I have ever seen. This was 

 not an aurora, nor yet anything resembling a sunset 

 afterglow. The whole southwestern segment of the 

 horizon was lighted by very bright silvery lights 

 formed in an arch ; but instead of coming down from 

 the heavens, they were thrown up from the ice, and 

 continually changed color and size. It was a phe- 

 nomenon that I had not observed before and Ilabrado 

 informed me that it was unusual and rarely seen. 



A light wind from the north when we left Annoo- 

 tok had developed into a gale before our arrival at 

 Etah and the night was very dark when the shack 

 was at length reached. There was a big rent in the 

 canvas roof, the place was nearly filled with snow, 

 and we had a hard job clearing it out and straighten- 

 ing things up before a fire could be started in the 

 stove. It was very cold, the high wind added to our 

 difficulties, and we had to climb upon the roof with 

 flat stones to make repairs. Several hours were thus 

 consumed before we were free to lie down to sleep. 



When I awoke in the morning the fire was out and 

 a thermometer hanging near the head of my sleeping- 

 bag registered twelve degrees below zero. The 

 warped boxes of the shack admitted the wind to such 

 an extent that we were unable to get the place warm, 

 and after breakfast I sought the shelter of the sleep- 

 ing-bag again, and was sleeping soundly when Kulu- 

 tinguah and Tongwe arrived. Tongwe and one of 

 the piccaninnies had their noses and cheeks painfully 



