SLEDGE JOURNEY INTO INCILEFIELD GULF 1 25 



Our sledi,^e reached the west end of Herbert Island at eight 

 o'clock, and two hours later, having crossed over to Northum- 

 berland Island, we came upon a cantonment of four snow- 

 igloos. These were occupied by families from different settle- 

 ments, who congregated here to be near a patch of open water 

 a short distance off, where they caught seal. The largest 

 snow-igloo was occupied by Tahtara, his wife, his father and 

 mother, and some small children. This was put at our dis- 

 posal ; another was occupied by Ikwa and family, together 

 with Kyoshu and his son, while Myah and his wife were ac- 

 commodated in a third. The mistress of the remaining igloo 

 was making an awful noise and trying to come out of her 

 habitation, while a man was holding her back and talking to 

 her, but she screamed and struggled so long as we remained 

 where she could see us. I asked Mane what was the nature 

 of the trouble, and she told me that the woman was pi-bloc- 

 to (mad). 



As the wind was blowing fiercely and the air was thick with 

 drifting snow, Mr. Peary urged me to come into the igloo, 

 which I did, rather to please him than to get out of the storm. 

 Now as long as I have been in this country I have never en- 

 tered an Eskimo hut ; hearing about the filth and vermin was 

 quite enough for me. But Mr. Peary said the snow-house 

 was much cleaner, etc., etc., and seeing that it really made 

 him uncomfortable to have me stay outside, I yielded. Can I 

 ever describe it? First I crawled through a hole and along 

 a passage, about six feet, on my hands and knees ; this was 



