THE ESQUIMOS 
cleaner in their personal habits than they were 
wont to be in their own home country, but 
never for an instant does the odor or appear- 
ance of an Esquimo's habitation suggest the 
rose or geranium. The aroma of an East Side 
lunch-room is more like it. 
There were thirty-nine Esquimos in the ex- 
pedition, men, women and children; for the 
Esquimo travels heavy and takes his women 
and children with him as a matter of course. 
The women were as useful as the men, and the 
small boys did the ship's chores, sledging in 
fresh water from the lake, etc. They were 
mostly in families; but there were several 
young, unmarried men, and the unattached, 
much-married and divorced Miss "Bill," who 
domiciled herself aboard the ship and did much 
good work with her needle. She was my seam- 
stress and the thick fur clothes worn on the 
trip to the Pole were sewn by her. The 
Esquimos lived as happily as in their own 
country and carried on their domestic affairs 
with almost the same care-free irregularity as 
usual. The best-natured people on earth, with 
no bad habits of their own, but a ready 
ability to assimilate the vices of civilization. 
49 
