THE WHITE WORLD 



I sputtered out to them to grab the thing and hold it 

 together. All, of one accord, did so. I got up to think 

 a moment and then laughed myself. The sight was the 

 funniest I ever saw, but I had to save my mould. Slowly 

 each man drew away, the plaster getting the " set." After 

 a few moment's rest, we had to cut the " husky " out of 

 his crust. For the next hour and a half it was hammer, 

 split, and wedge. Piece after piece came off, till finally 

 the native was liberated, more dead than alive. He was 

 wrapped in blankets and carried to the galley fire, where 

 hot brandy and coffee were given him. Two of the natives 

 rubbed him with canvas to restore warmth. 



I returned to look after the wreck. I believe I worked 

 harder during those three hours than I ever did in my 

 life before. Figgins had a backache for three days. After 

 this, word had evidently traveled through the tribe to look 

 out for opixnah, which is the Eskimo name for white owl. 



Taking the cast of the face, the most difficult work of 

 all, gave me much trouble, as the subject had to lie on his 

 back, allow a quill to be stuffed up each nostril with cotton 

 batting, and tissue paper over the eyes and mouth, while 

 the skin was well oiled, clay built around the head, and 

 plaster poured over all. The heat from the plaster as it 

 hardened often blistered the skin, and just as the " set " 

 was reached, the fellow would blow up, and away would 

 go the mask, cracked and broken. I would save these 

 pieces and try again, until I secured many good masks. 

 All of these were then packed in sawdust, boxed up and 

 stowed away, to be worked over some day for the Museum 

 of Natural History in New York. I had thus the honor 

 to be the first professional artist to take casts of the Arctic 

 Highlanders over the Arctic Circle. 



My outfit for art work on these voyages to the Arctic was 

 at first elaborate; subsequently very simple. A good sup- 

 ply of colors in oil, water, pastels and crayon, academy 

 boards, sketch books, easels and all the usual tools of a well- 

 appointed studio were placed on board; but with few ex- 

 ceptions I might have saved much expense, which, on my 

 return, I charged up to " experience." For instance, my 

 sketching umbrella, stool and many other things with which 

 I had carefully provided myself, were never used. 



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