8 



Slje Warblsv 



the sun was up day and night, it did not matter what time in the twenty-four 

 hours was used for sleep. There was no room for such a thing as a proper 

 table in the cabin. At meal time therefore special preparations had to be 

 made. Two of us had then to squeeze ourselves up against the bunks in 

 order to give place for the piece of board that served as dining table, which 

 was laid across the room on some special rigging, and we had to keep still 

 just there till the meal was over and the table again cleared and taken away. 

 Joe Benard, the captain, did the cooking as well as the trading, besides 

 mastering the vessel, and considering the circumstances it must be said that 

 he certainly managed all these varying duties in a most satisfactory way. 

 On June 29 we were for the first time on the voyage favored with clear and dry 

 weather. While the ship laid along the edge of the ice outside the village 



South End of Kolintschen Island. Ice Opens Up. July 6, 1909 



Tjupka, I walked over the pack to investigate the small Idlidlja Island. A 

 number of fresh eggs of the Vega and Point Barrow gulls and a nest of half- 

 fledged Ravens was all to be found there, while in the lead close by a pair of 

 Marbled Murrelefs, of which I secured the male, were fishing. The next morn- 

 ing Kolintschen Island was sighted but the nearest we could get to it was 

 seven miles off its northern point. The natives from the island, however, 

 had observed the vessel and came driving with their clog teams over the ice. 



As this was the furtherst point the state of ice allowed the ship to go pro 

 tempo I left the " Teddy Bear" here and had the natives to take my things 

 to the island on their dog sledges. The ice was indeed very rough and as the 

 sleds were heavily loaded besides, there was no chance fcr a ride, but I had to 

 walk, run or climb the fields and hummocks the long tiresome distance 

 along with the natives till we finally reached the village. 



Fortunately I had beforehand listed in my note-book all of the more 



