NORTHWARD BOUND I7 



on Christmas eve. The hospitahty shown to us could not 

 have been more marked had our friendship extended over 

 many years. 



Our visit was a brief one, as we were to weigh anchor early 

 in the afternoon. We steamed away from Upernavik and 

 headed north. The fog had cleared away and disclosed a 

 giant mountain towering above us in the harbor. The sun 

 shone brightly, and the sea was smooth as glass and blue as 

 turquoise. The night promised to be a beautiful one, but I 

 resisted the temptation to stay up, having been up the entire 

 night before, and the greater part of the one before that. At 

 4 A. M. Captain Pike knocked at our door and informed us 

 that in half an hour we would be at the Duck Islands. 

 Here we were to land and all hands shoot eider-ducks and 

 gather their eggs for our winter supply. We were soon on 

 shore, and then began a day's sport such as I had often read 

 about, but never expected to see. The ducks flew in thick 

 flocks all about us, and on every side were nests as large as a 

 large hen-nest, made of eider-down and containing from three 

 to six eggs. The nests were not hidden, but right out on the 

 rocks in full sight. Alas ! we were too late ; the ducks were 

 breeding, and out of 960 eggs we did not get over 150 good 

 ones. As I had not taken my gun, I spent the time in gath- 

 ering down, and collected forty-three pounds in five hours. 

 After returning to the " Kite " for breakfast, we visited a 

 second island, and there I bagged a bird, much to my satis- 

 faction. Altogether ninety-six ducks were shot. * 



