50 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



man of about Teddylinguah's age, Eiseeyou and his 

 kooner, Anahway, Oxpuddinguah and his kooner, Ishya- 

 tah, with their two children, decided that they would 

 join us. Very hurriedly their komatiks were loaded 

 and their dogs harnessed while we waited. Oxpudding- 

 uah's and Ishyatah's younger child, a baby, was carried 

 in a hood on the mother's back, while the other 

 youngster, a little girl three years of age 1 , was lashed 

 securely upon the sledge like a piece of baggage. 



When our komatiks were finally broken loose the 

 moonlight was very dim, but an exceedingly bright 

 aurora illumined sky and ice-bound sea and land, and 

 in the south-east was a mere suggestion of karman. 1 



The dogs were well fed and in fine shape. Teddy- 

 linguah had eleven big; black fellows, fast and keen 

 for work, Eiseeyou and Oxpuddinguah each had ten, 

 and Inute seven. The ice was fine, and we sped north- 

 ward at a rapid pace until the foot of Clements Mark- 

 ham Glacier was reached, the south side of the steep 

 incline of which was to be descended. It was as 

 smooth and slippery as glass, and at several points 

 the dogs could get no footing, and had to be taken out, 

 while the loaded komatiks, with harpoon-lines attached, 

 were hauled up the grades by hand. One of these 

 places was so slippery and steep that neither Ishyatah 

 nor myself could make the ascent until steps were 

 cut in the ice. 



This is the highest glacier between Etah and North 

 Star Bay, and the most difficult climb I had yet experi- 

 enced. When the top of the abrupt rises had been 

 attained I was all but exhausted, and so thirsty that 



1 Eskimo word for light This was the coming dawn of the long 

 day. 



