Saturday, April 9. This morning we found the doctor down with the grippe. Poor fellow, I am afraid he will have a hard time of it. The boys have no consideration for the sick, and he is right out in the noise and turmoil all the time. At eleven A. M. Mr. Peary started with his six best dogs and Keshu for Herbert Island to bring back some seals cached there for dog-food. He rode the whole distance over, which, measured by the odometer, was 14.06 miles. During his absence I worked on canvas-bags for various instruments and on cording the sails intended for our sledges. At 11.30 P. M., it being daylight throughout the twenty-four hours, I started to meet Mr. Peary, but had only walked half a mile when I saw him coming. The day has been, as usual, fine; temperature ranging from –9° to –22°. We have now a team of ten good dogs, a very cheering sight for us. Mr. Peary feels confident that he will get more, and this means assured success on the inland ice.
CHAPTER XI SLEDGE JOURNEY INTO INGLEFIELD GULF
The Start from Redcliffe—Our Team—Temporary Village on Northumberland Island—A Crazy Woman—A Never-to-be-forgotten Night in a Native Snow-igloo—From the Snow village to Keati—Across Whale Sound to Netchiolumy—An Eskimo Metropolis—Aged Dames—From Netchiolumy to Ittiblu—Midnight Glories—The Solitary Habitation at Ittiblu and its Inhabitants—My Coldest Sleep in Greenland—Nauyahleah, the Ancient Gossip—A Native Graveyard—From Ittiblu to the Head of Inglefield Gulf—Meeting with a Traveling-party.
Monday, April 18. Having completed our arrangements for a week’s exploration of Inglefield Gulf, we started from Redcliffe about noon with the large dog-sledge, drawn by six dogs and driven by Kyo.
The day was very bright, and the sun shone warm all the time. The traveling as far as Cape Cleveland was good, but then it began to grow heavy, and before we had gone half-way across there were places where the dogs sank in to their bellies and almost swam, while we sank down to our knees in a semi-slush; the sledges, however, went along nicely. Fortunately, there were only a few such places, and as we got near the west end of Herbert Island the ice became smoother and harder, and the dogs sped along, two of us riding at a time, and sometimes all three.