72 MY ARCTIC JOURNAL 



My husband and I are keeping house alone. All the boys 

 have gone on a deer-hunting expedition, while Ikwa, with the 

 dogs, is after hares. We have had Mane here all day at 

 work on a pattern deerskin stocking. The day has been dark 

 and cloudy, and it has snowed lightly. 



Friday, October 23. Last night it snowed a very little, 

 and this morning it is cloudy and gloomy. We sat up till 

 midnight, then the alarm was set for two o'clock, at which time 

 coal had to be put on the fire — an operation to be repeated at 

 four, and again at six. Mane has been with us all day, with 

 her two piccaninnies, at work on deerskin stockings. The 

 elder child, Anadore, is just at the age (two years) when she is 

 into everything, and she tried our patience to the limit. We 

 cannot allow Mane to take the furs to her igloo to sew, as they 

 would be filled with "koomakshuey " (parasites), and some 

 one must stay in the room with her to superintend her work. 

 I am doing very little besides getting the meals and fixing up 

 odd jobs about the rooms; reading Greely's work is about the 

 extent of my labor. To-night at nine o'clock the thermometer 

 is 10°, and the moon is shining brightly. 



Sunday, October 25. This morning there was about three 

 inches of new snow on the ground, and the cliffs back of the 

 house are beginning to look white. About 2 P. M. huskies 

 were seen coming across the bay, and a half- hour later they 

 had arrived, — Kayunah, his"koonah" (wife) and three picca- 

 ninnies, and Arrotochsuah, his koonah and one piccaninny. 

 Arrotochsuah's koonah was very much amused at me, and 



