Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-10-19
lNl Al TAE AoRTH FoL1 PHOTOGRAPHED By DIR. COOK.

now soon be limited to few open
spaces near prominent headlands.
The scene of the real hunt changed
from the sea to the land. We had as
yet no caribou meat. The little auks
gathered in nets during the summer
and cider duck bagged later disap-
pcarcd fast when used as steady diet.
We must procure hare, ptarmigan and
reindeer, for we had not yet learned
to eat with relish the fishy, liver-lile
substance which is characteristic of
all marine mammals.
Guns and ammunition were distrib-
uted, and when the winds were easy
enough to allow one to venture out
every man sought the neighboring
hills Francke also took his exercise
with a gun on his shoulder.
The combined results gave a long
line of p1armigan. two reindeer and
sixteen hares. As snow covered the
upper slopes the game was forced
down near the sea. where we could
still hope TO hunt in the feeble light of
the early part of the night.
No Anxiety Fer Winter.
With Il larder fairly stocked and
good prospects for other tasty meats
we were spared the usual anxiety of
Il winter without winter supplies, and
Francke was just the man to use this
game TO good effect, for he had q
WAY of preparing our primitive pro-
visions that made our dinners seem
equal to Holland House spread.
In the middle of October foXskins
were prime. and then new steel traps
were distributed and set near the
many caches. BY this time the Esli-
mos had all abandoned their sealskin
tents and were Snugly settled in their
winter igloos The ground was GOV
cred with snow, and the sea was near
I ly frozen over everywhere.
Everybody was busy preparing for
the coming cold and night. The tenn
Ipcratlira was about 20 degrees below
zero. severe storms We're becoming
| less frequent, and the air, though
colder. was less humid and less disa-
greeable An ice fort was formed, and
II The winter sledging was begun by
short excursions TO bait the fox traps
and gather the foxes.
4 All these pursuits, with the work of
building and repairing sleds. making
dog harness and shaping new winter
clothing kept up lively interest
while The great crust which was to
bold down the unruly deep for SO
Z. many months thickened and closed.
Last Glimpse of the Dying Day
During the last days of brief sun
shine the weather cleared and at
noon on Oct 81 everybody sought the
4 freedom of the open for last glimpse
of the dying day. There was a charm
of color and glitter, but no one seem
ed quite happy us the sun sank under
\ the southern ice, for it was not to rise
again for lis days.
The Eskinos took this as q signal to
enter trance of sadness. in which
| the bereavement Of each family and
/ the discomforts of the year are enact
cd in dramatic chants or dances.
1 But to us the sunset of 1907 was in
SEPARATION for the final work in direct
ing tic shaping of the outfit with
which to begin the conquest of the
pole at sunrise of 1908. Most eXpedi
tons have had the advantage of the
liberal hand Of government or of an
ample private fund. We were denied
! both fayors.
But we We're. not incumbered With
a cargo Of insists devised icy home
/ dreamers, ncr was the project handi-
capped by the usual army of novices
for white men at best must be regard
ed as amateurs compared with the ex-
4 pert efficiency of the Eskimo in his
/ own environment Our food supply
contained only the prime factors Of
primitive nourishment Special foods
AMI laboratory concoctions did not fill
~ important space in our larder.
Nor had we balloons, automobiles,
| motor sleds or other freak devices. We
did, however, have an abundance of
the best hickory. suitable metal and