122 MY ARCTIC JOURNAL 



an hour and a half they arrived. After dinner I helped Mr. 

 Peary reload one of his cameras, and in this operation I could 

 see how nervous he still is. For the first time since I have 

 known him he has the blues, and pretty badly at that. He has 

 lost confidence in himself, and is harder to nurse than after 

 his accident on board of the " Kite." However, he insisted on 

 photographing and measuring all the newcomers, and this kept 

 us up until nearly two o'clock — Mr. Peary photographing, the 

 doctor measuring, and I recording. I saw that he was very 

 much exhausted, and I gave him his salt-water sponge-bath 

 under the blankets, after which he slept well, something he 

 has not done of late. 



Wednesday, April 6. Yesterday the sun was warm enough 

 to melt the snow on top of the house, and I put my eiderdown 

 pillows out for an airing. To-day has been so lovely that the 

 women took their sewing on top of the house, where they also 

 took their babies, stripped them, and placed them on a deer- 

 skin, allowing the sun to beat upon them. The little ones 

 crowed and seemed to enjoy it hugely. In company with 

 Astrup and Annowkah Mr. Peary sledged across to Herbert 

 Island to get some blubber for Annowkah's family that had 

 been cached there last summer. He got back at midnight 

 and looked very tired, having walked at least twenty-five 

 miles, but he is in better spirits, and I hope the trip will bene- 

 fit him in spite of his fatigue. During his absence I thawed, 

 scrubbed, cut up, and tried out twenty- five pounds of bacon, 

 getting twelve pounds of clear fat; I also cut up and tried 

 out four pounds of toodnoo (venison tallow), which gave me 



