CHAPTER VIII 



ARCTIC FESTIVITIES 



Creeping Toward the Winter Solstice — Household Economy — The Holidays — 

 Christmas Amusements — Christmas Dinner to the Natives — New-Year Fes- 

 tivities — Moonlight Snow-shoe Tramps — Reception in the South Parlor. 



Wednesday, December 2. Thanksgiving has come and 

 gone. We had a very pleasant time, and enjoyed our din- 

 ner as much as any one at home. The only difiference be- 

 tween day and night at Redcliffe is that during the day in 

 addition to the bracket-lamps we have a large Rochester 

 lamp burning. The huskies, as we continue to call the na- 

 tives, have named it the "mickaniny sukinuk" (baby sun). 

 Matt lights it at 8 A. M., and the officer on watch puts it out 

 at 10 P. M. Mr. Peary has made a rule that no member of 

 the party, unless ill, shall occupy his bunk between the hours 

 of 8 A. M. and 7 P. M. He has also changed from the four- 

 hour watches to twelve-hour watches ; thus one man has the 

 night watch for a whole week, and during this time sleeps in 

 the daytime, and one man has the day watch. At the end 

 of a week these two men are relieved by two others. The 

 boys think they like this arrangement very much better. 

 The native whom Ikwa brought back with him from Keati 



