Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-09
CHAPTER III.

With hasty farewell to Mr.. Bradley
and the officers, and encouraged with a
cheer from all on board, we left the
motherly yacht for our new home and
mission. The yacht stood off to avoid
drifting ice and await the return of the
motor boat.
When we were set ashore we sat down
and watched with saddened eyes the de-
parture Of our friends and the severing
Of the bond which had held us to the
known world Of life and happiness.
The village OF Annootok is placed in a
small bay just inside Of Cape Inglefeld.
Its population changes much from year
to year, according to the known luck of
the chase or the ambition of men to OBJ
tain new bearskin trousers.
Scattered about 1t were twelve sealskin
tents-which served as a summer shelter
for an equal number Of villagers fam
lilies. In other places nearer the sea
were seven stone igloos. Upon these the
work of reconstruction for winter shell
ter had already begun.
In the immediate vicinity there was
some turf and moss, but everywhere else,
within few hundred feet of the sea,
the land rose abruptly in steep slopes
of barren rock.
To the westward, across Smith sound,
In blue haze was seen Cape Sabine. Bache
peninsula and some of the land beyond
which We hoped to cross in our pros
pective venture.
workshop called for immediate attention
after the wind subsidized. Men, women
and children offered strong hands to
gather the stones strewn along the
the shore.
When suitable building plot had been
prepared the welding of a structure was
very simple process. All our things
had been placed In sealed tins and packed
in substantial boxes of about two cubic
feet each. This had been done to fore
stall possible contingencies of shipwreck,
for In the arctic crushed vessel is al
ways a possibility.
ner the things can be quickly tossed on
, deck and transported to floating ice or
land. Later 1t is possible, with packing
| boxes or uniform size as building ma
terial, to erect efficient shelter wherein
the calamities of arctic disaster can be
| avoided.
! Building Winter Quarters.
| This precaution against ultimate mishap
now served very useful purpose. inclos-
ing space thirteen feet, the cases were
quickly piled in. The walls were held to-
gether by strips of wood or the joints
sealed with pasted paper with the addition
of few long boards.
A really good roof was made by using
the covers of the boxes as shingles 4
blanket of turf over this confined the heat
and permitted at the same time healthful
circulation Of air.
| We slept under our own roof at the end
of the first day, and our new house had
the very great advantage of containing
within it's walls all our possessions within
easy reach at all times.
| AS the winter advanced with it's
| storms. ferocity and frightful darkness
1T was not necessary to venture out
and dig up supplies from great depth
OF snowdrift. Meat and blubber were
| stored in large quantities about the
camp.
! But our expedition was in need Of
! skins and furs. Furthermore, as men
engaged for the northern venture would
be away during the spring months the
best hunting season Of the year. 1t was
| necessary to make provision for house
needs later.
| There was, therefore, much work be-
| fore us, for We had not only to pre-
pare our equipment but to provide for
the families of the workers.
! In the polar cycle of the seasons
there are peculiar conditions which ap-
ply to circumstances and movements
AS the word seasons Ia ordinarily I'M
derstood, there are but two--a winter
| season and a summer seasonal winter
season OF nine months and a summer
of three months.
Seasons in the Arctic.
But for more convenient division of
yearly periods, 1t is best to retain the
usual cycle of four seasons. Eskimos
call the winter "Ookiah, which also