154 ^IV ARCTIC JOURNAL 



the water looked as if it had had its face badly freckled, so 

 covered was it with black specks ; each speck represented a 

 seal taking his sun-bath. Yet it is very difficult for the natives 

 to catch these creatures, as the ice is rotten and will not bear 

 their weight. 



On reaching Redcliffe House I saw Kyo dressed in a pair 

 of woven trousers, a blue flannel shirt, and a pair of suspen- 

 ders given him by Matt, and Mr. Peary's old gray felt hat, 

 which I gave him a day or two ago, and which he hesitated 

 to take, because, he said, it was not mine to give, and Mr. 

 Peary would say on his return, " Ibly tiglipo, ibly peeuk 

 nahme " (you steal, you are no good). He looked precisely 

 like an Indian as he stood there, busy putting up his tent on 

 the brow of the hill directly back of the house. This place 

 has been free of snow for some time and is perfectly dry, while 

 his igloo, as well as the other two, is constantly wet from the 

 melting snow. He is filled with the idea of going to America. 

 Every night he comes for a magazine to look at after he has 

 gone to bed, as he has seen some of the boys do. He says 

 Mr. Peary will be his " athata " (father) and Missy Peary his 

 " ahnahna " (mother) on the ship, and when he gets to Amer- 

 ica he will learn how to read, and then he won't have to select 

 books with pictures. Whatever he sees he wants to know if 

 he will see it made in America. He tells me that he is an 

 " angekok " (doctor), and that he always cures the people. 

 They never die where he is, and he can make them do just 

 as he chooses. His wife does not seem to care to go to 



