ESKIMOS ON BOARD 



dreams, in fact, of plenty; and that was why this 

 tribe of wandering hunters settled in Killinek. 



The stout little vessel fought her way through the 

 awkward currents of Gray's Straits : there were two 

 men clinging to the wheel, steadying the ship as she 

 danced and throbbed, and the water was all broken 

 by little whirlpools on which the sea-birds feared to 

 settle. But this was the way to Killinek; and 

 presently we caught a glimpse of the village through 

 a rift in the line of rocks. A flag fluttered up as we 

 passed, and little puffs of smoke among the Eskimo 

 tents showed us that the people were firing guns to 

 welcome the ship. It seemed only a tiny point of 

 life in the most desolate land imaginable, but it 

 brightened us up ; and when the rocks hid it from us 

 as we passed on towards the harbour mouth, we felt 

 as if the sunshine had gone. 



We turned into a narrow, deep channel, plenti- 

 fully sprinkled with buoys and marks, and dropped 

 anchor in sight of the Mission station. We were at 

 once surrounded by a swarm of skin canoes, each 

 paddled by a smiling, brown-faced Eskimo. Boats, 

 crowded with women, and with the water all but 

 pouring in, flopped about, waiting for a chance to 

 come alongside ; and almost as soon as the anchor 

 had found the bottom the deck was crowded. The 

 folks jostled one another, and peered into our faces. 

 "Aksunai, aksunai," they said; "welcome! be strong." 

 Those of us who knew how to talk started chatting 

 right away ; the less favoured contented themselves 

 with handshakes and grins, and shouts of " Hooks- 

 and-eyes " or " Auctioneer," a parody of " Aksunai," 

 at which the Eskimos laughed uproariously. The 

 cook's galley was besieged : here was something new. 



26 



