The National tribune., 1902-02-13

THE AUTHOR S GUIDE INTO KCTZEBUE
nor drank during the day; it seemed bet
ter to 20 on toward supplies. Suddenly
our guide cried OUT
Me saby Last Summer me look plcn-
ty-rivcr him all right. BY and by we
kctch en- house" Aftc' Il long time
heard. away off in the distance, the long
dismal howl Of the Eskimo dog. We had
been travelling steadily for Is hours; but
at last we delivered the mail and then sat
down to the best supper we had ever
eaten in Our lives.
The natives here were very poor and
destitute. and later On we heard that the
fish failed To make their accustomed run
and they had to cut up their skin boats
for food. For two days we rested. On
the third day. Just as We were TO start,
the PGstmaSter'S wife came running III
with the information that the natives had
predicted Il blizzard. We We're to leave
Cape Blossom and travel 90 miles on the
ice before we reached land again mt Cape
ESpcubcrg. and most of the time we
should be in sight of land. So we waited
over another day, and bright and early
we were off with a load 10 last lis until
we reached Care Prince of Wales. All
day long we trudgcd. working our way
over the rough piled-up ice, now up, now
down. breaking through the crust of snow
and sinking to our knees. There was no
landmark to guide us and we had to de
ucnd urcn the compass. During the day
our stove was 50 broken by the sled jam
ming into an ice cake that il was utterly
useless. Night came on with just Il dim
outline of a mountain away to the south
west and we camped behind pile of ice.
Two days passcd toilfully. On t. even
ing of the third day we had reached Il
native viIlagc where we made ready to
nut up for the night All the natives
came ont to help us to carry the contents
of orr sled to the house. The sled we put
M on the cache. out Of the way of the
logs. that they might not eat tn" lash
inps, which were of seal thong. We en-
tered. like Santa Claus through the chin
uev. bv which we dropned to the floor be
low. The room in which we had alighted
was the vcstibule for many rooms. One,
which oucned to our left, was the com
mon kitchen. Judging from the ashes in
the middle of the room and the rude cook
ing utensils hich leaned against the
walls. | start, to 90 into one of the
tunnels in stopping position, but the
hood on my parliic scrapcd handful of
accumulated frost from the low ceiling
down the back of my neck. and ] cNntin-
ned the rest of the way upon al fours.
| wigpled through the small opening into
room at the terminus, hut not seeing any
of our belongings tried another tunnel.
This time | was more fortunate. This
room, like the rest, was heated with seal
oil lamrs, and the heat from the bodies
of human beings and dogs. The air was
so empty of oxygen that coal oil stove
would not burn. We went into the kitchen
and sat around the omen, fire, endured the
smoke ard cooked our supper Then we
went back to the livingrroom and found
it pretty we'll filled with natives. among
whom there was one chronic beggar who
begged not only for himself hut for every
one around him Some of the men who
had been ont fishing had returned and,
sqrattinG upon the floor, with n wooden
platter of seal meat some small frozen
fish and n can of seal oil before them,
were making their meal Before going
TO he'd they closed up the only opening
to the house. There We're II people and
two yOnng dogs in that one small room.
while the odOr from the seal oil added
to the sitting closeness Of the air.
The next morning we started early in
the hone of reaching white mans house,
Of which we had been hearing for three
days. Travelling along little after din
ner we met a native and his family. |
asked him if he knew Electoona, the deer
hcrder at Point Hope, and he said he did.
And | knew Andreuk Mt UnOloklik,
man with whom he was acquainted. His
wife took her pipe from a richly embroid-
cred case and had a friendly smoke,
while he very courteously asked me if my
dogs were hungry, and upon my answer
ing in the affirmative he gave them each
a piece of whale meat to eat. Mr.. Flana-
gan got package of tea for our new ac-
quaintances, we wished each other bon
voyage, shook hands and were off. That
night we did find white mans house,
which belonged TO the Commissioner for
formed.
In two days We reached Cape Prince