SLEDGE JOURNEY INTO INGLEFIELD GULF 143 



Fortunately I had a sealskin cover over my deerskin bag, 

 and the water had not penetrated it ; therefore my deerskin 

 knickerbockers and flannel wrapper, which I always take ofif 

 after I have pulled m.yself down in the bag, fold and place 

 under me, were perfectly dry. My poor husband did not 

 fare so well. He had folded his trousers, kamiks, and stock- 

 ings and placed them under his head as a pillow, and of 

 course they were soaking wet. Not having a cover to his 

 sleeping-bag, the water had soaked through, and it was this 

 that had wakened him. 



After a time we managed to dry out, and, continuing our 

 journey, reached our little island at midnight. As we ap- 

 proached the island numbers of ptarmigan were seen flying 

 about the rocks, a circumstance which determined us to name 

 the spot Ptarmigan Island. We secured a few of these beau- 

 tiful, snow-white birds, and, after taking observations for posi- 

 tion, proceeded on our course to Tawanah's igloo, which we 

 reached shortly after four A. M. 



While preparing the morning meal, I was the center of an 

 admiring circle. Men, women, and children formed a perfect 

 ring about me. Never had they seen such a stove, and never 

 such cooking. They chattered incessantly, and plied me with 

 so many questioiis that I began to despair of getting anything 

 to eat. Finally I gave each a tin of cofi"ee and some crackers, 

 and this kept them busy long enough for me to eat my meal, 

 and we then turned in. 



We awoke about four o'clock in the afternoon, and at once 

 began our exploration of the surrounding cliff"s and the neigh- 



