OFF FOR THE POLE 
went ashore with the party to communicate 
with the Esquimos of whom there were three 
famihes. They remembered us and were dan- 
cing up and down the shore, and waving to us 
in welcome, and as soon as the bow of the boat 
had grazed the little beach, willing hands 
helped to run her up on shore. These people 
are hospitable and helpful, and always willing, 
sometimes too willing. As an example, I will 
tell how, at a settlement farther north, we 
were going ashore in one of the whale-boats. 
Captain Bartlett was forward, astraddle of the 
bow with the boat-hook in his hands to fend 
off the blocks of ice, and knew perfectly well 
where he wanted to land, but the group of ex- 
cited Esquimos were in his way and though he 
ordered them back, they continued running 
about and getting in his way. In a very short 
while the Captain lost patience and commenced 
to talk loudly and with excitement; immedi- 
ately Sipsoo took up his language and parrot- 
like started to repeat the Captain's exact 
words : "Get back there, get back — ^how in 
do you expect me to make a landing?" And 
thus does the innocent lamb of the North ac- 
quire a civilized tongue. 
22 
