44 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



Dr. Kane prepared the hut at Anoatok for the reception 

 of the sick, and carried a large part of the provisions 

 there. During the first fortnight after the sledges left 

 the brig he journeyed between 700 and 800 miles in doing 

 this work by means of his dog-sledge — a mean travel of 

 about 57 miles a day. 



Before reaching open water on the 16th of June, 

 enormous difficulties had to be overcome, and one man 

 lost his life through an injury to his back in making an 

 attempt to keep one of the sledges from going through 

 the ice. 



The boats had now to be caulked and swelled to prepare 

 them for a long and adventurous navigation. 



Nearly the whole Esquimaux settlement followed and 

 assisted them as far as the open water, and Dr. Kane thus 

 describes the scene near the time of bidding them 

 farewell : — 



" Each one has a knife, or a file, or a saw, or some such 

 treasured keepsake ; and the children have a lump of soap, 

 the greatest of all great medicines. The merry little urchins 

 break in upon me even now as I am writing : — ' Kuyanake, 

 kuyanake, Nalegaksoak ! ' ' Thank you, thank you, big 

 chief ! ' while Myouk is crowding fresh presents of raw 

 birds on me as if I could eat for ever, and poor Aningnah 

 is crying beside the tent-curtain, wiping her eyes on a 

 bird-skin ! 



" My heart warms to these poor, dirty, miserable, yet 

 happy beings, so long our neighbours, and of late so 

 staunchly our friends. Theirs is no affectation of regret. 

 There are twenty-two of them around me, all busy in 

 good offices to the Docto Kavens ; and there are only 

 two women and the old blind patriarch Kresuk, 'Driftwood, 1 

 left behind at the settlement. 



" But see ! more of them are coming up, — boys ten 

 years old are pushing forward babies on their sledges. The 



