In a few hours it calmed down sufficiently to permit us to round the Cape, and we set our course for Ig-loo-da-houny. At this place we arrived at about six in the evening, and dropped anchor to await the arrival of the Peary which was still at Etah loading aboard the last of our equipment.
At Ig-loo-da-houny was encamped a considerable number of Eskimos, including several valuable assistants of Peary’s. Among these was Oo-bloo-ya, a very noted aide of Peary’s on nearly all his trips in the eighteen years of his work. Also sojourning at this settlement was Sipsoo of the heroic starvation party of 1906, which broke the world’s record of farthest north. Koo-la-ting-wa of the successful Polar trip also was present. Even Ah-pellah, assistant to the notorious Dr. Frederick Cook, on his now famous Polar hoax of 1907-1909, was eking out his existence at this spot. Indeed a notable group of Eskimos.
That evening in the forecastle we gave a motion picture show for the Eskimos, exhibiting some of the Commander’s Arctic pictures, and several reels of Melkon’s pie-throwing comedy. The only one amused by the comedy was Melkon, since its crass horseplay was too broad for the Eskimo sense of humor. But when there flashed on the screen the pictures of themselves and their environment, they shouted and yelled with the sheerest childlike delight. And when the half-dozen belles saw themselves depicted, their joy was greater than that of any Hollywood Magdalene of seven husbands.
The next day the Commander flew down to Karna to see his old friend and companion of many previous expeditions, E-took-a-shoo. When E-took-a-shoo saw the plane come skimming along the land in front of his tupik he was flabbergasted. But when the Commander invited him to fly back to Ig-loo-da-houny, he simply said, “Wait till I get my mittens.” Then with utter confidence in his own safety while he was at the Commander’s side, he mounted into this strange machine and flew back to Ig-loo-da-houny with as little concern as if he had been on his own sledge.
In the meanwhile the Peary had arrived to load on the remaining plane, and we got under weigh for Karna to return E-took-a-shoo to his home. On the way to Karna we had to sail through a long stretch of uncharted water. The Commander had scrutinized it from the air, and apparently it was safe and free from obstructions.
We were unconcernedly sailing along when suddenly there was a grinding shock, and the vessel trembled from stem to stern. The bow lurched skyward, and we came to an abrupt stop. At the time, the Commander was below donning his oilskins, as a driving sleet was coming on. In two jumps he was on deck, and with one swift glance he took in our predicament. Immediately he reversed the engine, but we were hard and fast aground. The all important question faced us: “Was the tide rising or falling?” In a few moments it was apparent that it was falling. The Commander at once ordered us to throw overboard the thirty barrels of gasolene which constituted our deck load. This was but the work of a few moments. Then a kedge anchor was run astern to see if we might heave her off. But the tide was falling very rapidly and all of our efforts were frustrated. It was now apparent that we should have to wait until the tide rose again,—a matter of twelve hours or so.
The Bowdoin on the rocks in North Greenland.
