The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-13

I'm gusts which threatened to demolish
everything that was not firmly rooted 10
the ground, so to speak.
That day and the following night passed
very slowly to me. for every minute was
| full of anxiety. Every ves.ige OF Ice had
been blown out of the bay, and the greater
part OF that that had been grounded on
| the beach had been washed Oft The
waves beat on the shore, and this sound
together with the bowling OF the wind as
II swept over and around the cliffs before
| swooping down upon US, was the most
| doleful / ever heard. The carpenters lad
worked with q will. and by noon of Sat
urday (the second day after the Kite left
! us) the house was under cover, the doors
and windows In place. our stove up, and a
| roaring fire of blocks and shavings dry
| ing out everything, and In the afternoon
Mr.. Peary was carried I'm and placed on
a pile of sundries in one corner. What a
relief TO get under a shelter that did not
rock and sway with every gust Of wind
and where / could step about without
sinking I'm mud 10 my anlSles Here, too.
Mr.. Peary could. talk with the boys. and
tell them his ideas Of certain parts of the
work. Altogether, the change was de-
lightful one, and although we had ten
days OF this cold, rainy. dreary weather,
we were quite comfortable In our new
quarters
stretched pair Of blankets across our
corner Of the house, and this was kitchen
and dining-room in common, and bed
room and dressing for Mr.. PeaTy
and myself. Gradually the interior of the
house began TO assume a homelike APP
pearance. We did not have an extern
sion table, but the boys counted heads
and made one Just large enough to ac-
conmodate us comfortably. No allowance
was made for company. as we did not
expect to entertain to any great extent.
Our chairs were rot fancy, but substan
tial ones, and, though It seemed at first
as though I could not be comfortable on
a chair without a back, l soon accustomed
myself to them. and on my return to
civilization had almost forgotten there
were such things as chair with backs.
cushioned chairs and rockers.
our bedsteads were simply framework
with canvas stretched across for the bot
tom. Those in the large room were one
over the other, after the manner Of hunks
on board ship. Ours was placed at the
end of the little apartment seven by
twelve, which had been partitoned off
for our use, about three feet from the
floor. In it I placed all the down l had
gathered on the Duck Islands, made into
five large pillows, which just covered the
bottom of the bed. These were put on
top Of the contents of our four oiskin
bags. consisting OF long, heavy woollen
stockings, reaching to the hips heavy
woollen finger mittens woollen hoods,
made Of the eiderdown wool and heavy
woOllen kidney protectors, besides ord-
nary woollen socks, stockings and nit
tens; all knit by the loving hands of my
dear mother, who wove as many prayers
for our safety as she did strands of wool
into the garments. Then a goodly supply |
OF soft woollen blankets were piled on.
and our bed was fit for a king. ] ran a
bamboo pole across the room. within a
foot OF the ceiling, and a short distance
from the bed and on this 1 fastened the
two silk American flags. a la portiere. |
These could be drawn in such a manner |
as to completely hide the bed and its oc-
cupant.
All the walls OF the house were hung
with red blankets, the black striped border |
forming a frieze around the rooms, and /
our room was carpeted with a warm, red |
carpet. The large coal stove was placed |
in the big room, Just to the left Of where |
the door opened into our room, and by |
allowing the door TO remain open during /
he day. we were kept warm enough. H.
addition had the six oil stoves, on whicl
we did our cooking, placed on a long box
which we called the range, at one enc
If my room. and during the preparation
Of the meals. while these little furnaces
were burning we were uncomfortable
warm In our little den. Besides. we faced
the south, and the heat OF the now con
stantly shining sun added very materially
to the warmth. In fact, one of the doors
was almost always kept open.
August SIN was Mats birthday, and
we had made a rule to celebrate each
one's birthday with dinner, such as he
might select from the stores. Mats
,hoice was follows:
Stew of Little Auks. with green peas.
Boiled Elder Ducks Breast.
Boston Baked Beans.
Corn and Tomatoes.
Apple Pie.
Plum Duff, with brandy sauce.
Canned Peaches.
Coffee
A cocktail made after Mr. Peary's own |
ecipe, and which the boys afterward
famed "Redclif House cocktail" two
'Ottes Of Rhine wine and two OF Sau-
erne helped to make the dinner a sue
ess The day was a beautiful one, and |
s we had all been pretty closely con-
med to the house and its vicinity ever
ince our arrival on account of the work
nd disagreeable weather Mr.. Peary
lushingy told the boys to take their
ihes, go out and bring back a deer.
lille ! prepared the birthday dinner.
.fter they had gone he surprised me by
that he intended to get up.
My the day before the doctor had taken
he leg out of the box and put it In
pints. When / saw that he had set his
cart on making the effort / bandaged up
he limb as we'll as I could and helped ,
i'm dress; then L brought him the
rutches which Dr. Cook had kindly
.ade, and he rose from the bed and =
anne into the other room, where he :
atched me prepare the feast. or the =
feed" as our boys afterward called my .
mlar celebration, which was to be
rived at s o'clock. A little after o'clock
heard footsteps, and looking out saw the n
oys struggling down the cliffs, each one :
lrrying some portion OF q deer. This Z,
as too much for Mr.. Peary TO bear =
lletly, and he hobbled out and asked =
G to bring his kodak that he might Inn !,
ortalize the return of the first hunting 81
IL iNHI'Il Ngl~lb1rrl $ $
\ .s l + HEI e.
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