THE WHITE WORLD 



Our curiosity was particularly excited by finding the 

 natives so expert with their kayaks or canoes. They 

 seemed to be able to go out on the high seas without 

 danger. In making the port of Upernavik, we were inter- 

 ested in seeing a kayaker come out from behind the bend 

 of the channel in which we were moving, to approach the 

 ship. The sea was comparatively heavy, and yet the man 

 had apparently no difficulty in making his way over the 

 tempestuous waters. When he reached the side of the 

 ship, we recognized how it was done. It was effected by 

 the arrangement of his outer clothing, which was made of 

 water-proof skin, and fastened by a drawing string around 

 the lips of the manhole, or opening in the kayak, through 

 which the man enters the lower part of his body, and then, 

 by tying a string around his wrists and the face openings 

 of the jumper-hood, very little water can enter or penetrate 

 his clothing. 



Upernavik was a place of great interest, as it was at that 

 time, and I believe is to-day, the most northerly town in 

 which white people dwell. There were a few Danes in the 

 village, besides the officers appointed by the royal direc- 

 tory of Denmark. These latter took charge of the busi- 

 ness of purchasing oil and skins from the natives, and sel- 

 ling to them such articles as they needed — coal, stoves, and 

 goods of different kinds to be utilized in making their 

 summer dresses. The association with the Danish Govern- 

 ment redounded greatly to the advantage of the natives. 



As we proceeded further north, the ice floes became 

 more and more numerous, and again and again we had to 

 halt because of obstructions and work our way back. 

 Occasionally we would find what appeared to be an ex- 

 cellent lead, only to discover that it ended in solid ice, 

 which was impassable for the ship. After passing Cape 

 York, however, and entering the north water, we were 

 not embarrassed by the floes, and the vessel proceeded in 

 open water, until we had crossed the parallel of seventy- 

 seven degrees, where we again encountered heavy obstruc- 

 tions of ice. 



The season was waning, and we were growing more 

 and more anxious to enter the field of our labors north of 

 Smith's Sound. We passed rapidly the crimson cliffs of 



