THE DANGERS OF THE SEA 391 



such a scene of rough, wild, storm-tossed sea, dashing 

 spray and massive icebergs, interspersed with tran- 

 scendent beauty of coloring. That so short a time 

 before we had been at its mercy, tossed upon its sur- 

 face with nothing but our frail little craft between 

 us and eternity and had escaped, was hard for me to 

 realize. Our escape was surely a miracle, and I could 

 not but feel that I had been guided in my manage- 

 ment of the boat by the hand of Providence. 



Finally tired nature asserted herself and I fell 

 asleep. When I awoke the gale was still blowing 

 and it seemed that the tent could hardly stand another 

 instant. The sky was overcast and a fine mist fall- 

 ing. There was no chance of getting away by water, 

 and I decided to walk back the twelve miles to Etah 

 and leave the boat for the Eskimos to take down 

 when the wind subsided. But after talking it over 

 with Kulutinguah, he told me the others said they 

 could not return to Etah as they wished to get to 

 Annootok as quickly as possible, and that if I walked 

 to Etah they would leave the boat and walk to Annoo- 

 tok at once. I objected to the boat being left in the 

 position where it then was without some one to guard 

 it, and though they promised to return later for it I 

 declined to leave it or permit them to leave it. There 

 was a great deal of talking and argument which 

 finally ended in an agreement that we all remain 

 until the weather moderated and continue our journey 

 together to Annootok by water. 



It should be understood that though my Eskimo 

 companions were panic-stricken when the storm 



