CHAPTER VI 



WINTER UPON US 



McCormick Bay Frozen over — First Sledge Trip to the Head of the Bay for Deer — 

 Shaky New Ice — First Aurora — The Strange Light on the Opposite Shore 

 — First Visit from the Natives — Return of our Hunting-party with Ten Deer — 

 More Natives — Second Severe Snow-storm of the Season — Still more Native 

 Visitors — Great Amusement over the White Woman — Farewell to the Sun. 



Tuesday, October 6. McCormick Bay is frozen over so as 

 to support the dogs and sledge, and Ikvva has been on several 

 seal-hunts. He finds one of the holes in the ice which the 

 seals keep open all the winter and where they come to breathe. 

 Here he takes up his position, being careful not to make the 

 least noise. Sometimes he waits for hours before the seal 

 comes up, and sometimes the seal skips that hole entirely. 

 When it comes he drives his spear through the hole quick as 

 a flash into the head of the animal. In this way all the seals 

 are caught during the fall and winter. Ikwa went out on his 

 sledge with his " mikkie " (dog) after "pussy" (seal) to-day, 

 but did not get any. 



The day has been, like yesterday, dark and cloudy, but the 

 temperature has been higher, averaging 20° instead of 12'^; 

 the wind has been blowing quite fresh from the east. Mr. 

 Peary has set the boys at work building a sledge for a prospec- 



