448 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



skins of the other three were cached a long way up 

 the coast. 



Our next harbor was Harriford, and here Kid- 

 lobber was to leave us. Without loss of time we were 

 off, and ran into the place in the late afternoon. Im- 

 mediately anchor was dropped a large number of 

 Eskimos all women and children came alongside in 

 whale-boats. I invited them aboard, and the whole 

 crowd scrambled on deck, save two who rowed back 

 to the tupeks to get another load to swell the number. 

 The absence of men was accounted for when the 

 visitors explained that the whaler Morning, Captain 

 Adams, had arrived a few days earlier, killed two 

 large black whales, sighted several more, and the men 

 had gone with the ship to assist in a further search 

 for whales. 



There were thirty-five of the Eskimos on deck at 

 one time, and I took advantage of the opportunity to 

 have some of the women clean my bearskins. They 

 did it very expeditiously, and made a splendid job of 

 it, for which I was particularly grateful. Our visit- 

 ors remained with us until daylight, then we sent 

 them ashore, Kidlobber going with them, and con- 

 tinued our homeward journey. 



Shortly after leaving Harriford the weather grew 

 thick with heavy squalls, and for safety we put to 

 the open sea, with the expectation of making land 

 again near the mouth of Cumberland Sound. 



On the tenth we crossed the Arctic Circle, and said 

 farewell to the region of long night and midnight 

 sun, and on the afternoon of that day passed Cape 



