352 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



part of this was over rough ice, where walking was 

 of the hardest imaginable character. 



Even though I had done a great deal of walking 

 while in the North, it had generally been without 

 snow-shoes, for during the winter season snow is usu- 

 ally hard enough to bear one, and I was therefore 

 not sufficiently accustomed to their use to wear them 

 on a long distance tramp without discomfort. In 

 addition to this the snow had a light crust, through 

 which I broke, and the undercrust was wet and 

 soggy. These were anything but favorable condi- 

 tions for snow-shoeing. My ankles and insteps be- 

 came so lame and sore that I was forced down to a 

 very slow pace. Then to add to the discomfort a 

 strong wind sprang up, against which I was at 

 times scarce able to keep my feet. At length I be- 

 came so weary that now and again I would take my 

 snow-shoes off, lie down upon them for a short rest, 

 and then make a fresh start. How many hours or 

 miles I traveled I do not know. The wide detours 

 from a direct course, which I was forced continually 

 to make, doubled or tripled the distance, and some- 

 times it seemed as though I should never reach my 

 destination. 



When at last I came to the ice-foot three miles 

 north of Annootok, tide was at ebb, the ice-foot, 

 which it was necessary to climb, towered high above 

 me, and a wide crack in the sea-ice below separated 

 me from it. This drove me through a lot of rough 

 rafted ice, before at length I attained it, and when 

 I finally reached the shack I was so exhausted that 



