334 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



catch and found that we had secured three hundred 

 and twenty-five. The little auk is an excellent food 

 bird, its flesh resembling in texture and flavor the 

 English snipe. 



While in the rookery on the mountain-side I be- 

 came weary, and sat for a little while near a large 

 rock, remaining very quiet. In a few moments sev- 

 eral of the beautiful little birds alighted upon my 

 head and shoulders. 



Every day some fresh species of bird appeared. 

 On June the ninth I saw the first large flock of eider 

 ducks that I had observed, and others came in great 

 numbers, until our whole Arctic wilderness was alive 

 with the new life of spring. 



It will be remembered that this was the period of 

 perpetual day. Above us the sun made a small circle, 

 remaining boldly in view in the high heavens through- 

 out the twenty-four hours. Sleep seemed less neces- 

 sary than during the dark period, and I found that 

 comparatively little satisfied the demands of nature. 



It was as difficult to keep account of time now as 

 it had been during continuous night, and I was by 

 no means certain that my reckoning of dates was 

 correct. On the ninth of June, according to this 

 reckoning, the temperature reached eighty-six de- 

 grees, with the thermometer exposed to the direct 

 rays of the sun. This was very warm indeed as con- 

 trasted with that recently experienced. Water 

 rushed in great streams down mountain-sides, rapidly 

 and visibly the snow was disappearing from the land, 



