“July 17.—Fine day with a little wind. Arrived at Etah this morning. After dinner I started ashore for the Eskimo tents with mother and father. We had not gone far when we were overtaken by one of father’s Eskimos with sledge and dogs. We all hopped on, and away we dashed, over the ice and through the pools of water until we came around the corner of the cliffs. Here we saw hundreds of little birds called ‘Little Auks’ perched on the rocks. Father said if we could get ashore we might find some eggs, as these birds lay their eggs among the loose rocks, without making a nest. Each bird lays one egg only. After quite a little trouble we reached the rocks and began to look for eggs. I found the first one. After finding a few more we went on to the tents. At them we found that all the men had gone out to catch ‘Little Auks,’ so we went to the bird place. Here the rocks were actually covered with the birds. How they chattered! They would fly so close over our heads that we could see into their little black eyes. One bird was marked exactly like the others. They have black heads, necks, backs, and tails. Their breasts are white. Their wings are black with a few white feathers in them. They have black feet and legs. The men hide among the rocks. They have a net on the end of a long pole. They take hold of the end of the pole and throw the net back and forth as the birds fly to and from the rocks. In this way the old men who cannot hunt the walrus or the bear support themselves and their families. The women and children help. Every Eskimo wears a shirt made of these skins, and it takes from seventy-five to one hundred for each shirt. We found a few more eggs here.
“Tupics of the Eskimos”
Ahng-o-do-gip'-su and his wife In'-a-loo Eskimo couple at Etah
“On our way down to the shore I picked many kinds of flowers. When we reached the ice we saw our team of dogs running away with our sledge. But an Eskimo who was just starting for the ship kindly took me on his sledge. The Eskimos can hop off and on the sledge while the dogs are running. I tried to do it, but once I fell in the ice-cold water and got very wet, and that was enough for me.”
Another trip was made to the old winter home late in July and more meat landed.
August 1st the “Windward” anchored off Etah again, and while awaiting the coming of the ship from home AH-NI-GHI´-TO learned to paddle about in an Eskimo kayak.
Sunday, August 5th, while AH-NI-GHI´-TO and her parents were below in the cabin they heard the Eskimos shouting, “Oomiaksoah!” “Oomiaksoah!” and hurrying on deck they saw a ship just rounding the point.