THE INHABITANTS OF “SNOW VILLAGE,” NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
The sides of this platform on either side of the doorway were devoted to two ikkimers (stoves), one of which was tended by Tahtara’s mother and the other by his wife. These stoves were very large and filled with chunks of blubber; over each hung a pan, made of soapstone, containing snow and water, and above these pans were racks or crates, fastened very securely, on which the inmates flung their wet kamiks, stockings, mittens, and birdskin shirts. The drippings of dirt, water, and insects fell invariably into the drinking-water. I say “drinking-water”; they have no water for any other purpose. Mr. Peary had put our Florence oil-stove on the side platform and was heating water for our tea. Fortunately our teapot had a cover on it, which I made my business to keep closed.
Besides the persons mentioned there were always as many husky visitors as could possibly pack in without standing on one another. These took turns with those unable to get in, so that after one had been in a while and gazed at the circus, he would lower himself through the trap and make way for a successor among the many crouching in the passageway behind him. This was kept up throughout the night. Of course the addition of our stove, together with the visitors, brought the temperature up rapidly, and to my dismay the Eskimo ladies belonging to the house took off all of their clothing except their necklaces of sinishaw, just as unconcernedly as though no one were present.
The odor of the place was indescribable. Our stove did not work properly and gave forth a pungent smell of kerosene; the blubber in the other stoves sizzled and sometimes smoked; and the huskies—well, suffice it to say that was a decidedly unpleasant atmosphere in which I spent the night.
I soon found that if I kept my feet on the floor they would freeze, and the only way I could keep them off the floor was to draw up my knees and rest the side of one foot on the edge of the platform and place the other upon it. In this way, and leaning on my elbow, I sat from ten at night until ten in the morning, dressed just as I was on the sledge. I made the best of the situation, and pretended to Mr. Peary that it was quite a lark.
Mr. Peary went out to look after the dogs several times during the night, and each time reported that the wind was still blowing fiercely and the snow drifting. In the morning the wind had subsided somewhat, and after coffee the dogs were hitched, and we resumed our journey, heading for Keati.
After traveling about an hour we came upon a single stone igloo, which proved to be Nipzangwa’s; he and his father, old Kulutunah, immediately came out to meet us. We reached Keati, the inhabitants of which had been apprised in advance of our coming by special messenger, about noon, and an hour later, reinforced with additional dogs, started across the Sound for the settlement on Barden Bay (Netchiolumy). Ikwa followed with his dogs and sledge. The traveling was fine, and the dogs took our sledge, with all three of us riding, along at a trot all the way. We arrived at our destination about six P. M., the odometer registering 14.4 miles from Keati.
Map of Whale Sound and Inglefield Gulf.