It was surprising how rapidly pale flowers and grass sprang into being, under the rays of the eighteen hours a day sunlight. When they came to the season of continuous day in July and August, then these plants would grow even more rapidly.
As soon as the summer quarters were put in order, the Eskimos turned their attention to fishing.
Each day both the men and the women would go forth in the large square-ended boats to fish. These boats are very steady and so are especially good for fishing. The Eskimo name means women's boat and it is used derisively. But they are much better for fishing than is the unstable kayak, which carries only one person.
The fishing is done in rather shallow water corresponding to the Newfoundland Banks, only it is several hundred miles further north. The best fish that they take is the cod. They use two brightly painted hooks which are kept rapidly moving up and down just above the floor of the ocean. This kind of fishing is called jigging.
If the cod fishing is good, it will not be many days before all through Eskimo Village the fish will be seen drying on poles which keep them well up out of the way of the ravenous dogs.
Little Oumauk and Whitie were left very much to themselves during these long, warm days and they had the finest kind of a summer. They played upon the rocks or in the sand along the seashore, or even went half a mile inland; but Oumauk did not like to go very far out of sight of Eskimo Village.
Whitie was always doing strange things which both interested Oumauk and piqued his curiosity. He discovered that the young bear was very fond of ants and grubs and Oumauk soon learned to turn over the stones for him and to help him dig in the likely places. Whitie also liked certain roots and whenever he came to such as pleased his taste, Oumauk would have to wait until he had satisfied his appetite for that particular day.
Whitie was also very fond of certain wild berries which grew upon the marshes. These were a sort of wild cranberry.