344 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



narwhal region was in the vicinity of Annootok, and 

 I particularly desired to secure some good specimens. 



From a hilltop I could see the harbor ice breaking 

 up and rafting, a great number of icebergs drifting 

 close to land, and with a heavy swell and high wind, 

 white spray could be seen shooting high in the air 

 in all directions. The Eskimos were all ready to 

 leave for Annootok, but in answer to my question 

 when they would start, answered, "Witchow, witchow, 

 trongie, anor." [By and by, no wind.] 



I was to accompany Abidinguah north, and in the 

 interim, while we were waiting for the wind to sub- 

 side, asked him to go trout fishing with me to a small 

 pond, some distance up the bay, at the foot of 

 Brother John's- Glacier. Here I caught five fine 

 large fellows, the largest of which I should say 

 weighed six pounds. I not only enjoyed the sport 

 but upon return to camp fried trout proved a luxuri- 

 ous addition to the camp menu. 



The glacier above the pond where we fished had 

 begun to move. On its west side was a hill, some 

 thirty feet in height, of gravel and rock deposit. 

 Every few minutes the glacier gave forth a loud 

 noise, and following the noise great masses of stones 

 and dirt loosened by the glacier's movement were dis- 

 lodged from the hill, to roll down its steep side. As 

 we were about to leave, a thunderous report was 

 heard beginning far back over the glacier, and ap- 

 proaching with a long, rolling sound until it appeared 

 quite near, when it died away. This, Abidinguah 

 told me, was the opening of a crack, or crevasse. 



