Chapter XVII: My Eskimos5

Plump and rounded figures, emphatically expressive countenances, bronze-skinned, keen-eyed, black-maned inhabitants of an icy desert; simple and honest, occasionally sulky; wandering, homeless people: these are my children, the Eskimos.

Footnote 5:

For portions of this chapter taken from Peary’s “Northward,” the
courtesy of the Frederick A. Stokes Company is hereby gratefully
acknowledged.

Their origin, no one can tell to a certainty; but their appearance indicates the strong probability of the correctness of the theory advanced by Sir Clements Markham, distinguished President of the Royal Geographical Society of London, that these people are remnants of an ancient Siberian tribe, the Onkilon. Many of them are of strikingly Mongolian type of countenance.

What first impresses one is their inquisitiveness. Dr. Hayes records the case of an Eskimo woman who had subjected herself to a temperature of thirty-five degrees below zero, with the liability to be caught in a gale; she had travelled forty miles over a track, the roughness of which frequently compelled her to dismount from the sledge and walk; she had carried her child all the way; her sole motive being her curiosity to see the white men, their igloo (hut), and their strange treasures.

Imagine, then, the arrival of a box—which most probably in a civilised community, would be looked upon as a cartload of rubbish. Placed within the vision of the unspoiled Eskimo, it becomes transformed into Dantes’s grotto filled with “such stuff as dreams are made of.” With fox-like inquisitiveness, the object is approached. Each article is touched, felt and examined; and later, as the “village gossips” get together, we listen to the cheery verboseness of “Sairy Gamp” and Megipsu, discussing the riches of the _Koblunah_ (white man).

In a country where men, women and children exist in complete isolation, where vegetation, mineral matter and even so common a thing as salt are unknown—the people’s capacity for imitation would ordinarily be wholly a matter of conjecture; but when brought in contact with my expedition the Eskimos have shown wonderful characteristics of Oriental imitation and adaptation. If given a gun, a hatchet, or a knife as a model they will reproduce these in miniature, in walrus ivory, with a faithfulness and accuracy that seems almost startling in view of their tools and previous lack of training. The men also pick up with great ease and celerity the use of the tools of the blacksmith and the carpenter.

In 1897, an Eskimo boy was brought to New York, partly because of his unquenchable thirst for novelty and adventure, and also because we had here a good opportunity for studying the effects of outside influence upon primitive innocence. Within a comparatively short period, this lad acquired a good understanding of the English tongue; and, in studies as well as in athletics, he has been considered a match for the average American youth of his age.

INUAHO

Eskimo girl and dog
]

AKATINGWAH

Wife of Ooblooyah, with baby
]

In their own country, Eskimos care little or nothing about acquiring the use of our language. The fact is, their savage environment and continuous struggle for existence is hardly conducive to learning of any kind, beyond the absolute necessaries. Some of the tribe were taught the use of numerals, the alphabet, and a few easy words; and, parrot-like, these pupils had an embarrassing aptitude for picking up the loose words of the sailors. But as to a common means of communication, their good sense argued that it was much the simpler for us to learn _their_ language.

Their vocabulary is composed of many complicated prefixes and suffixes, and roughly speaking, several hundred radicals. Naturally quick-witted, they find no difficulty in expression; and throughout their conversations, the features and the entire body are brought into play. I have often observed the remarkable animation of the eye, the sudden twitching of the mouth, the laggard or the swift movement of the arms and legs, when an Eskimo tells his story. It is thus he excites interest, and the audience is held by the unstudied dramatic effect.

Shall we mention it? In the Arctic regions as is the case all over the universe, Woman holds the reputation for loquacity; hers is the “last word.”

Churches, schools, and governments are unknown quantities. Yet in every home a perfect system of training goes on for the benefit of the rising generation. At the earliest age an Eskimo lad will be taught the use of his arms in the throwing of a harpoon; a little later he learns the hitching up of dog-teams to sledges; and by the time he has lived twelve winters, he is taken to the walrus hunting ground to learn to be a man.

An Eskimo mother loses no time in teaching her daughter the requirements of a good wife. Household duties are as carefully practised (allowing for differences in materials) as in any domestic circle. Sewing is taught by the fond parent, with as much patience as was ever evinced by Griselda. At fourteen or earlier, the young Miss is ripe for marriage.

During my fifteen years of experience with the Eskimos, I have seen little of the savage treachery which is so frequently alluded to. Quite the contrary. These people are subservient to us in a most gratifying way. It is true that in the beginning of our adventures, they were inclined to scoff at our awkward adaptation to Polar conditions; but as we acquainted them with the use of compass, etc., their laughter soon changed to expressions of admiration and wonder.

The position of the sun and the movements of the stars, are the Eskimos’ gauges for time and location. Thus it will be seen that their ideas of astronomy are definite, though necessarily limited. For the benefit of those who have not read my previous work, I shall retabulate what significance celestial bodies have to Eskimos. They recognise the Great Dipper as a herd of reindeer; the three triangular stars of Cassiopeia are the three stones supporting a celestial stone lamp; the Pleiades are a team of dogs in pursuit of a bear; the three glittering brilliants of the belt of Orion are the steps cut by some celestial Eskimo in a steep snow-bank to enable him to climb to the top; Gemini are the two door stones of an igloo; Arcturus and Aldebaran are personifications; and the moon and the sun are a maiden and her pursuing lover. Less observant than were the Arab shepherds, they have not noticed that one star is the centre about which all the others move, nor have they set apart the planets, which to them are simply large stars. Probably this is due to the fact that the movements of the stars can be observed during only three months of the year.

Amongst themselves, punctuality is a thing of small value. Yet, I have never known the time when I could not thoroughly trust my “old guard,” among these people, for carrying out my orders. When told to get ready for a certain time—say, daybreak, next morning—sledges would be found packed, and everything arranged with the utmost precision.

Their sense of humour is very pronounced. It is seen in their nicknames for each other, and particularly for the white men, and again in their drawings. These latter, crude as they are, leave no doubt as to the victim. Bow-legs, hooked nose, protuberant stomach, such deformities as these are gleefully pounced upon by the local artists, and emphasised in their portraiture.

Much skill is shown in their carvings. To look at the minute walrus teeth, one-half inch in length, which have been wrought upon, one is reminded over and over again of the dexterity of the Chinese and the Japanese. Notwithstanding all this ingenuity in ornamentation, Eskimos find little pleasure in trinkets or personal frills of any kind. Remembering the stories of Captain John Smith and the Indians, bracelets, beads and rings were taken North in our first trips, in the expectation of finding appreciation. At most, these were received with gratitude for the good will. None of the women wore them or seemed particularly to care for them. Occasionally they were brought forth from a peg in the wall where they had hung for some time, and examined with a certain air of curiosity. But as for adorning themselves—such vanities did not occur to them.

The _tupiks_ (tents) and _igloos_ (winter-houses) are all built after the same plans. There is only the superiority of workmanship to distinguish the abode of one man from another. We sometimes see an interesting form of competition when two huts commence building simultaneously: One man, Nupsah, has discovered a huge stone and succeeds in placing it in position. The neighbours, by their approving glances, proclaim him master builder. Presently, Pooadloonah finds a larger stone than any secured by his rival. This is placed in position, silently. Throughout the proceeding not a word has been spoken; yet within that conqueror’s breast there thrills an indisputable note of triumph and satisfaction. It is the peculiarity of this silent competition that, even when extended to greater deeds than the hauling of stones, the best of good nature is preserved on both sides.

Duels and battles never take place; and there is only one case of Eskimo murder which comes within my experience.

Kyo was an _angakok_ (medicine man). He knew exactly how many _sinnipahs_ (sleeps) would elapse before this or that man would die—almost as well as our weather bureau can prophesy the coming of a storm. Often he went into trances, for this is necessary when one is an _angakok_. But people do not like to be told that they are about to expire, particularly when time proves that the medicine man must have miscalculated. Such was the case with our Eskimos. Those of a more optimistic frame of mind took exception to a man who could inspire the sick with so much terror; accordingly, a plot was set for the riddance of his evil spirit.

Their “plot” was nothing more than a scurvy trick; they reasoned between them that it was justice. One day, Kyo was asked to accompany a hunting party, little suspecting that he was to be the object of the hunt. About five miles from camp he was struck from behind, and fell, hardly realising what had taken place. Then, lest his spirit should escape, he was buried and weighted with stones.

An Eskimo execution is always done after this manner. Lacking government and laws of any kind, even subsisting without a leader, the avenger is at liberty to decide the fate of the criminal. There is this peculiarity; the execution is never done in open fight; always by stealth. Yet Eskimos are far from cowardly—as proved when attacking the polar bear and musk-ox.

The life of an Eskimo rarely exceeds sixty years. It is amazing that it should persevere to this extent, despite the malignity of Nature.

There is a particularly touching case of a native who has been dependent upon his fellow men for the past fifteen years. When we first saw him he seemed troubled with a slight touch of rheumatism—a malady not infrequent in those parts. But year after year his condition grew worse, until to-day he lives practically ossified—all but his head. Through all these years he has received consideration; the devotion shown by his people—is it not wonderful? Nothing is thought about the matter in that community. Neither age nor infirmity go neglected; they are cared for without thought of reward.

The main causes of death are lung and bronchial troubles.

There exists among these people a form of hysteria known as _piblocto_ (the same name as given to the well-known madness among their dogs), with which women, more frequently than men, are afflicted. During these spells, the maniac removes all clothing and prances about like a broncho. In 1898 while the _Windward_ was in winter quarters off Cape D’Urville, a married woman was taken with one of these fits in the middle of night. In a state of perfect nudity she walked the deck of the ship; then, seeking still greater freedom, jumped the rail, on to the frozen snow and ice. It was some time before we missed her, and when she was finally discovered, it was at a distance of half a mile, where she was still pawing, and shouting to the best of her abilities. She was captured and brought back to the ship; and then there commenced a wonderful performance of mimicry in which every conceivable cry of local bird and mammal was reproduced in the throat of Inaloo. This same woman at other times attempts to walk the ceiling of her igloo; needless to say she has never succeeded.

A case of piblocto lasts from five minutes to half-an-hour or more. When it occurs under cover of a hut, no apparent concern is felt by other inmates, nor is any attention paid to the antics of the mad one. It is only when an attempt is made to run abroad, that the cords of restraint are felt.

Of alcohol, and other artificial drinks, there is none. No excess of any kind—unless we can call “excess” the hearty eating which is necessary to the Eskimos’ existence. On the other hand, hunger is no particular hardship to these people. Their bodies are well-rounded, seemingly to answer the purpose of the camel’s hump.

Generosity and hospitality are characteristic. There is no such thing up North as individual poverty and riches. It is an unwritten law that when one man has been particularly fortunate in a hunting expedition, his tribe will share the net results. It is this feeling of good fellowship which preserves the race. In other matters, each family is practically independent. Each man for himself, a Jack-of-all-trades.

As a rule no Eskimo family lives in one place more than two consecutive years. The reasons are several; perhaps the most important being a natural feeling of unrest. The Eskimo feels more keenly than any other people that it is not possession, but acquisition which gives men pleasure and sense of power. Then, too, there is the desire for change of food. A prolonged diet of bear flesh has quite as much irksome sameness for him, as hard tack has for the sailor. Scarcity of game is another vital consideration. After a siege of several months’ duration, the food supply is likely to become exhausted and then nothing is left for the man to do, but shift.

The seal is the Eskimo’s staple food. It is also his most valuable resource in that it supplies him with material for clothing, boots, tents, harpoon lines, heat, light, and food for his dogs. Winter is calculated upon as nicely in the northern parts, as in any thrifty community. The Eskimo moderates his appetite during these months of animal hibernation, according to the supplies on hand—cuts the coat after the cloth, as it were.

One is grieved to note a state of reckless abandon in the matter of dirt. It is quite beyond the comprehension of these simple folk why washing should be considered necessary for the comfort of humans. When we were caught using a tooth-brush, this was too much. We must indeed be a filthy tribe! “If the mouth is unclean, what part of us is clean?” Was ever injured innocence expressed in more sober language?

In the very water in which a walrus feast is about to be prepared, may often be found the drippings of greasy garments hanging above: or perhaps excited by civilisation, the good woman of the place will take to washing her hands at this moment.

We despair of ever civilising these people, permanently. While we are in their midst, they seem to be progressing. But out of sight, out of mind—so far as civilisation (and hair-combing!) are concerned.

“From many children and little bread, good Lord deliver us.” This would seem to be the Eskimo’s prayer, for in no family will be found more than six children. Though not lacking in warmth of blood they are not a prolific people. “The females arrive at the age of puberty neither very early nor very late, but according to their own statements they rarely have children, even with every possible provocation, till at least three years later, and I am inclined to think the statement is substantially correct.

“As the males are considerably in excess there is a constant demand for wives, and girls frequently marry while still as flat-chested and as lank-hipped as a boy.

“As regards morals, these people do not stand high according to our scale. The wife is as much a piece of personal property, which may be sold, exchanged, loaned, or borrowed, as a sledge or a canoe. It must be said in their favour, however, that the children as well as aged and infirm members of the tribe are well taken care of, and that, for the former the parents evince the liveliest affection.

“There seems to be no ceremony for marriage (and there is none for birth). The matrimonial arrangement is frequently perfected by the parents while the parties are children.

“As the female is eligible for marriage much earlier than the male, a girl may be appropriated by a man whose wife has died, before her intended is old enough to marry. This arrangement may continue, or her intended may claim her when he is old enough. This is largely a matter of mutual agreement.

“Young couples frequently change partners several times in the first year or two, till both are suited, when the union is practically permanent, except for temporary periods during which an exchange may be effected with another man, or the wife loaned to a friend.

“Motherhood and the various female functions cause them hardly if any more inconvenience than is the case with animals.

“The causes of death among the men come largely under the terse Western expression, ‘with their boots on.’

“A kayak capsizes, and the occupant is hurled into the icy water; a hunter harpoons a walrus or bearded seal from the ice, a bight of the line catches round arm or leg, and the big brute drags him under to his death; an iceberg capsizes as he is passing it; a rock or snowslide from the steep shore cliffs crushes him; or a bear tears him mortally with a stroke of his paw: and so on. Occasionally, in the past, starvation has wiped out an entire village.

“On the death of a man or woman, the body, fully dressed, is laid straight upon its back on a skin or two, and some extra articles of clothing placed upon it. It is then covered with another skin, and the whole covered in with a low stone structure, to protect the body from dogs, foxes, and ravens. A lamp with some blubber is placed close to the grave; and if the deceased is a man, his sledge and kayak, with his weapons and implements, are placed close by, and his favourite dogs, harnessed and attached to the sledge are strangled to accompany him. If a woman, her cooking-utensils and the frame on which she has dried the family boots and mittens, are placed beside the grave. If she has a dog, it is strangled to accompany her; and if she has a baby in the hood, it too must die with her.

“If the death occurred in a tent, the poles are removed, allowing it to settle down over the site, and it is never used again, but rots or is finally blown away. If the death occurred in an igloo, it is vacated and not used again for a long time.

“The relatives of the deceased must observe certain formalities in regard to clothing and food for a certain time; the name of the dead person is never spoken, and any other members of the tribe who have the same name must assume another until the arrival of an infant, to which the name can be applied, removes the ban.

“Of religion, properly speaking, they have none. The nearest approach to it is simply a collection of miscellaneous superstitions and beliefs in good and evil spirits. It may be said, in relation to this latter subject, that information in regard to it is extremely difficult to obtain, and probably, the bottom facts of the matter will be known only when some enthusiast is willing to devote five or six years of his time to living with them and doing as they do, becoming in fact, one of them.

“Their amusements are few. In summer there are tests of strength between the young men of the tribe, consisting of wrestling, pulling, lifting, and a rude kind of boxing. In winter the sole amusements are marital pleasures, and the songs and improvisations of the _angakoks_, or medicine men, of the tribe. In the choruses of these the entire assembled company join.”

At these choruses which are sometimes all-night affairs, a sort of tambourine is used to keep time to the “music.” It is made of membrane from the throat of a walrus, stretched across the antlers of a reindeer. Dancing is practised only among some of the southerly Greenland folk. These people, without impediment of clothing are often charmingly graceful; and like negroes, are indefatigable.

I have often been asked: Of what use are Eskimos to the world? They are too far removed to be of value in commercial enterprises, and furthermore they lack ambition. They have no literature, nor, properly speaking, any art. They value life only as does a fox, or a bear, purely by instinct.

But, let us not forget that these people, trustworthy and hardy, will yet prove their value to mankind. With _their_ help, the world shall discover the Pole.

CENSUS OF THE SMITH SOUND ESKIMOS[6]
SEPTEMBER, 1906

COMPILED BY ROSS G. MARVIN

_Accomadingwah_
_Acrah_
Acutah
Adareingwah
Adareingwah
Adareingwah
_Adareteah_
_Adareteah_
Adashungwah
Adicka
Adingnedu
_Agootah_
_Ahcreah_
Ahmahmie
Ahmungwah
Ahnenah
Ahnighite
_Ahpedah_
_Ahpelah_
Ahwaktungwah
Ahweagoodlu
Ahweah
_Ahwegingwah_
Ahweingohna
Akageah
Akatingwah
Akatingwah
_Akpudashawhu_
_Akpudashawhu_
_Akpudie_
_Akpudingwah_
_Aleta_
Alnadu
Alnaduah
Alnaghite
Alnalnaweah
Alnalnaweah
Alnanungwah
Alnawingwah
Alningwah
Amah
Anahwe
_Anowka_
_Asayu_
Ashuah
Atinganah
Atinganah
Atita
Atita
_Awatingwah_
_Awitackshua_
_Cadahuh_
_Cahateah_
_Cahweahshua_
_Cahweingwah_
_Cahweingwah_
_Cahweingwah_
_Calwahsooh_
Clayingwah
Clayouh
Clayouh
_Congwah_
_Contigito_
_Conughito_
_Conughito_
_Cowluhtoo_
_Cowangwah_
_Egeah_
_Egingwah_
_Egingwah_
_Ekeah_
_Emenyah_
Etokshawsui
Evalee
Evalee
_Eykapingwah_
_Ewe_
_Idingwah_
Illyah
_Ilquah_
Ilquahwishah
Ilquyenah
Ilyatee
Ilyatingwah
Ilyatingwah
Inadleah
Inaloo
_Ingyapadoo_
_Inughito_
_Inughito_
_Inughito_
_Inutah_
_Inutah_
Inuwahsu
Ienah
_Ioshowty_
_Ircra_
Isheata
_Itookishoo_
_Itookishoo_
_Iyakpungwah_
Kashadu
_Kepehocshaw_
_Kepeingwah_
_Keshu_
_Keshu_
_Keshungwah_
Kudeah
_Kudla_
_Kudla_
_Kudlanah_
_Kudlooktoo_
_Kudlutinah_
_Kudlutinah_
_Kulitingwah_
_Kyangwah_
_Kyangwah_
_Kyangwah_
_Kyooh_
_Kyoohtah_
Makshangwah
_Maksingwah_
_Maksingwah_
_Mamonah_
_Mayshowna_
_Meetil_
_Meetil_
_Mehootiah_
Mercrah
_Merkrisha_
Mickeyshoo
_Mickgipsu_
Moneyshaw
Mooney
Mooney
_Mucktah_
_Mucktoo_
_Myooh_
Nedickta
Nedingwah
_Nehatalahow_
Nelikateah
_Nepsingwah_
Netooh
Neuah
_Neuahateah_
Neuakina
Neuakingwah
Neuakingwah
_Neucapingwah_
_Neuktah_
_Ongmalooktoo_
_Ongudablaho_
_Ongudloo_
_Ongudloogipsu_
_Ongwah_
_Oobluyah_
_Oobluyah_
_Oogwhi_
_Oohasingwah_
_Ootah_
Ooyah
_Ouatingwah_
Ouheah
_Ouweak_
_Oushakupsie_
_Oweah_
_Panikpah_
_Peowahtah_
Poohtah
_Puadloonah_
_Puadloonah_
_Puadloonah_
_Publa_
_Publa_
Qouyoupee
Quoyoupee
Seadacuteah
Seakingwah
Segwah
_Shakupsungwah_
_Shatooh_
_Siglu_
Sihmeah
Silmah
Silmingwah
Sineungwah
_Sipsu_
_Socrah_
Sohningwah
Songwah
_Taacheah_
_Taachingwag_
_Teddylingwah_
Tongingwah
Tookamingwah
Tookumah
_Touchingwah_
_Tungwhi_
_Un-named_
_Un-named_
_Un-named_
Un-named
Un-named
_Un_-named
_Un_-named
_Un_-named

SUMMARY

119 _Males_, 85 Females, [6]3 Infants sex un-learned. Total 207

August 31, 1895, this tribe numbered 253—males 140, females 113

R.E.P.

Footnote 6:

Names of males in italic, females in roman.

INDEX

Abruzzi’s “farthest,” 97
highest, 126

Adams, Mt., Bluffs of, 26

Ahmah, Merktoshah’s wife, 259

Ahngmalokto, 115

“Ahnighito,” meteorite brought home, 295

Ahsayoo, 323

_Albert_ and _Polaris_, channels navigated, 50

Aldrich’s “farthest,” 174, 188, 190

Almy boilers, 18

Appearance of glacier, see Ice

Arctic autumn night, 57

Arctic, beginning of winter, 47, 48
canons of navigation, 39
Circle, 178
Circle crossed, 19
day, 16
exploration, its main purpose, 295
ice, from Cape Sabine to Grant Land, 30
life at Godhavn, 20
library, 11
maps, 11
perfect summer night, 20
purple flowers, grass, moss, 195
summer, end of, 47
night;
surface of Inglefield Gulf;
ice;
icebergs and glaciers;
slopes of the “great ice”;
red-brown bluffs, 26
ship, main work of, 362
power of, 364
wood essential in construction of, 365
terns, 226
three degrees beyond Arctic Circle;
keen breeze, aspect of water;
aspect of cliffs of Disco, 20;
“Ultima Thule,” 326
winter, 317

_Alert_, winter quarters of, 49

Assizes Harbour, 275

Attainment of the Pole, x

Anoritok, 259

Aurora, seen while lying at Domino Run, 17

Autumn, work of, 299

Bache Island, a peninsula, 300

Barometer, 18

Bartlett, Capt. Robt. A., see personnel of the party under Expedition,
4, 16, 17, 33, 39, 46, 78, 173, 259, 312
his departure for Cape Hecla, 97
Samuel, 4
John, 4
Harry, 4
Moses, mate, see personnel of the party under Expedition, 5

Basis of successful national character, viii

Battle Harbour, 275

Battle with the ice, lasting 75 days, 259

Bay, Allman, 298, 302
Belknap, 57
Bismarck, 332
Buchanan, 34, 336
Carl Ritter, 310
Chateau, 16
Cope’s, 298
Disraeli, 227
Franklin Pierce, 302
Hand, 163
Independence, 332
Jas. Ross, 233
Lady Franklin, 43, 307, 334
Lincoln, 47
McClintock, 186
Maury, 36
Melville, no ice seen in bay, 21
Musk-ox, 311
Newman, 40, 43
North Star, 22
off Milne, 225
Parker Snow, last of the Eskimos landed, 266
Parr, 232
Porter, 56
Princess Marie, filled with ice, 297
sledge trip, 298
reconnoissance of, 300
Rawlings, packed with ice, 36, 304
Richardson, 36, 304
Rowan, 57
Sagdlek, 271
St. Patrick, 311, 334
Sawyer and Woodward, arms of Princess Marie Bay, 300
Scoresby, squeezed into, 36, 302
Shift Rudder, 248
Wrangel, 46
full of slack ice, ship delayed by floe in, 249
Yelverton, 224
full of glaciers, 189

Bear, first seen by the Expedition, 258
hunt, 336
Polar, 259

Bears, 300

Bear Camp, 300

Beaumont, 165

Bedford Pim Island, 335

Belle Isle, graveyard of ships, 16

Benedict, E. C., 288

Benedict, H. H., 288

Bergs, see first appearance, under Ice;
see 68° Lat., under Ice;
fleet of, see Ice;
two, see Ice;
at Cape John Barrow, 303;
see small berg, under Ice;
berg-like, see Ice

Bright depot of boats, coal and provisions landed, 34

Big Lead, 135, 143, 144
ice on northern side, scar of, 142
open water, 143

Black Cape, 63, 339
Horn Cliffs, 164
fronted by open water, 322

Bliss, Eliphalet W., 288

Blue-top floe-bergs, see Ice

“Bo’sun” bird, 18

Bradford, 4

Brant, 187, 195
flock of, 208
at Southwest Camp, 215

Bridgman, Herbert L., 288, 289, 296, 335, 349

Brown children of the ice, 124

Buchanan “Strait,” 300

Cache, 223, 333
on hummock of old floe, 120
of musk-ox meat, 163
of provisions, 199
deposited at Cape D’Urville, 298
at Cape Sabine, 315

Cairn, _Alert’s_, at Floeberg Beach, 50
record, 55
at summit of 1,600 ft. record deposited, 207
at top of Columbia, 183
built near ice-foot, 210, 219, 240, 329, 332
Lockyer Island, 298
at Cape Morris K. Jesup, 329
_Alert’s_—_Alert’s_ winter quarters, 339

Cairn Point, ship headed for, 257

Camp, between enormous hummocks, 111
first, 153
floe, see Ice
off Challenger Point, 181
on outer swell of glacier, 224

Campaign, preparation for spring, 336

Caribou, from Ellesmere Land, 349–351

Cape Albert, 34, 337
Albert Edward, 189
Alfred Ernest, 190
Alexandra, 185
Alexander, reached at midnight, 265
Athol, 266
Anguille, on Newfoundland coast, 15
Baird, 307, 250
Beechy, 249
Benêt, 324
Brevoort, 40, 321
Bridgman, latitude of, 328
Bryant, 324, 43
Calhoun, sailed into loose ice, 39
Chalon, 29, 265
Collision, 337
Conger, time spent in homely duties, 338
Cracroft, 307
Creswell, 177
Desfosse, 253
Defosse, 338
Discovery, 186
D’Urville, 36, 297
Dudley Diggs, 266
Dyer, 270
Fanshawe Martin, 187
same Lat. as Hecla, deep snow, 188, 225
Farewell and Chidley, in latitude of, 18
Fraser, 302
dog-food and supplies advanced to, 310, 337
Harrigan, 17
Harrison, tidal current, 298
Hecla, 56, 177, 340
three marches from Sheridan;
time spent there;
occupation while there, 97
difficulties in reaching, 233
Henry Cliffs, 234
Isabella, 34
John Sparrow, 36
Joseph Goode, 36
Joseph Henry, 57, 63, 234
Lawrence, 304, 306, 336,
Lieber to Joe Island, 250
Leopold von Buch, 319, 337
Louis Napoleon, 301
supplies at, 302, 336
Lupton, 39
May, 150
Morris K. Jesup, 147
Nares, 183
Neumeyer, 148
North, young ice on tidal crack, 324
Norton Shaw, 303
Parry, 25, 266
Rawson, 43, 49
Richardson, 339
Ramsay, 325
Carl Ritter, 337
Sabine, densely packed with ice, 34, 335, 337
Sheridan, extremity of, ice packed heavily against point of, 50
to Cape Hecla, 177
Stanton, 324
Summer, 39, 40
Sumner, 321
Union, 40, 166
Wilkes, 36, 304
York, 16, 21, 22, 269

Celebration, July 4th, 215

Cestus, 369

Chart, notes for, 314

Channels, Kennedy and Robeson, 36

Channel pack, contest with, see ice;
very large floes, no leads, 247

Channel, Robeson, 166

Christmas Day, 87

Cirro strata, 133

Clark, Chas., fireman, see personnel of the party under Expedition

Clark, with his Eskimos, 148, 149

Clements Markham Inlet, trip into, 63, 178
condition while crossing, 232

Cliffs, Disco, visible 95 miles away, 19

Clouds, inky, 220

Coast, between Wrangel and Lincoln Bays, 249

Colgate, Jas. C., 290, 356

Columbia, 181
twin peaks of, its ascent begun, 182

Commander Peary’s reply to President Roosevelt, ix

Conger, 335

Copies of records from cairns, 286

Cosmic boundaries, xi

Cracks, closing of, 125

Crew and firemen, see personnel of the party under Expedition

Crossed second glacier, see Ice

Crozier Island, 340

Cumberland Sound, 270

Darling, Judge, Asst. Secy. of the Navy, 11, 356

Daylight, disappearing, 302

Deer, track in the snow, 204
development of dew claws, length of hoofs, 205
numerous in Western Land, 205–8
skins, 227

Delta, Boat Camp, 43

Diet, preserved eggs and mush, 206

Dennis and Mike, 12

Disk, sun’s, 55

_Diana_, S.S., despatched to Etah, 315, 316

Distant Cape, 250

_Discovery_, S.S., 363

Dix, Capt., builder of the _Roosevelt_, 68
Capt. Chas. B., 280, 356

Dogs, deaths of, 79
killed, 132
the gray, 155
number of survivors, 174
their diet changed from pemmican, 205
maimed from ice, 227
the white, 229
twelve left, 309
heard from the shore, 17
additional number purchased, 29
food, sent to Cape Sabine, 317

Dobbin Bay, 298

Dory, sent to Cape Louis Napoleon, 310

Drift Point, 322

Domino Run, 16
lying to, letters left, length of stay—fall of the fog, 17

Dome Cape, 325

_Eagle_, S.S., used in Arctic exploration of 1886, 6

Ellesmere Land, 314

Episodes, 36

_Erik_, S.S., 287, 289, 335
getting aboard, 22
alongside the _Roosevelt_, 29
her arrival at Etah, 29
Harbour, 336

_Ermack_, Russian S.S., 362

Eskimo dog, x

Eskimo, settlement, village, 21
families, 93
natives taken on board, 25
dogs and supplies held in readiness, 26
busy at work, 29
prosperity of natives, 30
hunting party sent out, 46, 49
parties sent out for musk-oxen, return from Black Cliffs Bay, making
sledges, 56
settlements in the interior, 77
their excitement, 88
most northerly born babe, 93
sent to form cache, 102

Eskimos, report of rafted ice, 102
as trailers, 140–1
their temperament, 146
at their meal of musk-oxen, 161
sent into Cape Bryant region, 163
dismissed until homeward voyage, 173
sent overland for skins, 253
physical characteristics, 375
return of, 320, 312, 299
their origin, their inquisitiveness, 375
as imitators, 376
their training, their vocabulary, 379
significance to them of celestial bodies, 380
gauges for time and location, 380
sense of humour, 381
their ingenuity in ornamentation, 381, 382
staple food of, ideas of cleanliness, 386
matrimonial arrangement, as regards morals, 387
their death ceremony, 388
their amusements, 389
their religious beliefs, 389
how useful to the world, 390

Etah, rendezvous at, 297, 315

Expedition, its objective point, opening scenes of the voyage, starting
point, _Polaris_, 4
the ship, its decks, its quarters, regrets at leaving, 4
personnel of the party, 4–9
notice to members, 9
environment of, 9–11
time of starting, 11
course after leaving Domino Run, 17
southern sub-base, 34–35
preparation for wintering, 59, 60, 61
quartered at Hecla, subsistence, 98
arrival at Etah, 259
United States Lady Franklin Bay records, 312
return to New York, results of, 280, 281
Lady Franklin Bay, 286, 288

Explorer, the true, ix

Fielden Peninsula, 177, 339

Fire, 15

Flags, 135

Flipper, square, 250

Floes, velocity of, see Ice
heavy floes in rapid motion, see Ice
big blue, see Ice
blue-topped, see Ice
blue hummock kind, see Ice
8–10 miles diameter, 258
driven ashore, see Ice

Floeberg, 20 to 28 feet above the water, see Ice
and paleocrystic ice, origin of, 333
birthplace of, 326

Flowers at Cape Aldrich, 231
in bloom, 211

Fog, 203, 219, dense, 17, 19, 199, 201
feeling way through the straits, 16
on uplands of peninsula, 301
extinguishes trail, 215

“Fog eater,” fog bow, 200

Fort Conger, 36
door of, 307
site of, 40

Fragments of floes, see Ice

_Fram_, S.S., 362, 363

Fossils in the rocks, 234

Foulke Fiord, mouth of, 297

_Fox_, Danish steamship, 22

Gale, October 16th, 63

Game score, 62
secured, 314

Gateway, American, 50

_Gauss_, S.S., 362, 363

Getting ready for rough water, 269

Gifford Peak, 232

Glacier, character of glacial fringe, 189
Tossuketek, 20
Heilprin, 25
Melville, 25
Petowik, 22
Tracy, 26
Snout, see Ice
composed of hummock ice, 228

Glaciers at head of Sawyer Bay, view from, see Ice
true characteristics, see Ice
Disco Bay, see Ice

Glacial fringe, 181
interesting to glacialists, 240
surface of, 191
clay, 200

Gravel, appearance of, 204
reached, 215

Gray dog, 227

“Great day,” in border land of, 18

“Great Ice,” see Ice

“Great Night,” 17
preparation for, 305

Greely party (1883), 6

Godhavn, Capital of Northern Inspectorate of Greenland; under Cliffs of
Disco, 20

“Grand Canal,” 345

Granite erratic at Cape Aldrich, 231

Grant Land, 63
coast of 190,
western shore, 202

Greenland, 16
Mts., snow-clad summit, 147
shore of, trip given up, 311
caribou, 351

Grinnell Land, coast of, 299
shore of unbroken ice, 36

Guillemot, Brunnich’s, flying south, 18
in the water, 19

Gull, skua, 187, 195
Burgomaster, 196

Hall Basin, western portion packed with ice, 39

Hamilton Fish Peak, 234

Harbour, Battle, 16
outside of, 12
Discovery, 250, 307;
winter quarters of _Discovery_, 40
Payer, 337
Repulse, 43, 165
Thank God, winter quarters of Hall’s _Polaris_, 40

Hayes, 4
Point, 35, 334
halt south of, 319

Hecla, 178

Hebron, Labrador coast, 271

Henson, Matthew, personal attendant of Com. Peary, see personnel of the
party, under Expedition
beside closed lead, 131
departure from Cape Hecla, 98
Henson’s farthest, 302
his report, 311
sent to Etah, 313
and Capt. Bartlett, their records, 112

Herbert and Northumberland Islands, 266

Highways, beyond the world’s, 18

Holsteinburg, 19

Hope, 296
ship used in Arctic exploration in 1898, 6
Sanderson’s, named by John Davis, 21

Hopedale, 272

Hospital, Bellevue, 6
St. Vincent’s, 6

Hudson Bay, 4
River, 119, 120, 125, 127
Strait, chop sea, 271

Housing of the personnel, 369

Ice, a chaos, 142
active glacier west of Cape Fanshawe Martin, 226
against the coast at Domino Run, 17
along the Grinnell coast, 43
ancient ice encountered, 34
appearance of glacier, 188
berg-like pieces, 131
big hummock, 166
blue-topped floe-bergs, 326
camp floe, 123
channel pack, 39
character of, 133
commotion continuous, 93
completely flooded, 210
contest with channel pack, 44
crossed second glacier, 326
culmination of its movement, 74
Disco Bay glaciers, 19
East Coast, 19
edge of ice-foot chopped away, 55
features of the glacial fringe, 181
field of beautiful icebergs, 16
first appearance of bergs, 16
fleet of bergs, 20
“floeberg,” 20 to 28 ft. above water, 226
floes, blue hummock kind encountered in March, 124
floe driven ashore, 307
one hundred feet in height, 331
glacial fringe, characteristic of, 189
glaciers at head of Buchanan Bay, 300
glacier at head of Sawyer Bay, 314
glaciers, two, true characteristics, 191
“Great Ice,” 26
heavy floes in rapid motion, 49
heavy pack, 35
Heilprin glacier, 25
homogeneous ice, 109
cap, 129
foot, north of Cape Union, 167
foot, 39, 301
in Nansen’s Strait, 203
its aspect along Grinnell Land, 36
its aspect, young ice, 117
its aspect, 123, 220
its condition, 342
its horrible conglomeration, 146
its separation from the ice-foot, 88
journey in darkness, 307
large floes, 34, 297
large fields moving southward, 36
loose, 265
Melville glacier, 25
middle pack, 270
narrow shaves from icebergs, 17
north of Cape Washington, 326
off Cape Albert, 297
old floes passed, 131
pack surging down Smith
Sound, 33
peculiar formations of, 187
Petowik glacier, 22
Polar pack, 101
pressed harder with the flood-tide, 55
rough, 301
rubble, 117
rubble ice as nets, 124
rubble ice half congealed, 143
sea ice, 187, 301
shifting, 47
small berg, 18
solid edge of, 265
surging of the pack, 93
thickness of young ice, 298
through rafters and rubble, 124
Tossuketek glacier, 20
Tracy glacier, 26
trail over young ice, 102
trash ice, 63
traversed in March, 201
traversed fragments of old floes, 327
trouble with, 36
twenty-seven bergs in 68° Lat., 19
two bergs, 18
two big blue floes, 44
velocity of floes, 47
ice window (in igloo), 105
winter’s ice still intact, 40
young ice across the lead, 144
young ice, 265, 266
(formed), 298

Ice-bergs, see Narrow shaves from, under Ice; also see Field of, under
Ice
ice boats, 359
ice-cap, 129
ice-foot, 39, 301
edge of, 55

Ice-foot, 306, 320, 340, 341
Alpine in character, 303
a broad deep lake, 239
a trail along, 322
found by Egerton, Rawson and Parry, 339
hewing road along, 322
reaching from (reaching low-sloping “spit”), 224

Igloos, 303, 319, 382
abreast of Cape Albert, 337
at Hecla, 101
built of floe, 105
building of, 125
“Christmas,” 36
Henson’s, 123
first, 102
Henson’s igloo shattered, 125
snow, 306

Igludiahni, 29

Inaloo, 384

Independence Bay, 161

Inlet, Clements Markham, 56

Intermediate Point, difficulties encountered, 214

Inueto, 101

Island, Bache, 299
Beaumont, 154
Bellot, 307
Britannia, 150
Crozier, 39, 233
Duck, (whaler’s lookout on summit), 21
Eagle, 6
Ellison, 150
Franklin, 39
Hare, 20
Harvard, 26
Herbert, 26
Josephine Peary, 26
Joe, 39
Littleton, 33
Meteorite (Eskimo taken aboard), 21, 22
Norman Lockyer, 298
Red, (passed afternoon of second day out), 15
Saunders (bird cliffs), 25
Stephenson, 161
Sukkertoppen, 19
Ward Hunt, 184
Williams, 174, 235

Ittibloo, 25

Jesup, Morris K., 288, 355
Founder of the Expedition, 11
President of the Peary Arctic Club, 282

Jesup Land, 189
attainment of, 203

Journey, down Baffin’s Bay, 270

July 30th, reached the S.S. _Roosevelt_, 240

Kamiks, 240, 308

Kangerdlooksoah, 25, 317
deep pastures of, 26

Kane Basin filled with Polar pack, 297

Karnah, 29
six tents located here, 25

Kayak, 388

Kennedy Channel, 306

Kittiwakes, 19

Kolguev, 208

Kookan, landing of Eskimos, 265

Kooletah (deerskin coat), 154

Koolootingwah and Ooblooyah sent to reconnoitre, 196

Kyo, Anangabok (medicine man), 383
with hunting party, 383

Labrador, on the coast of, 16

Lake, a deep blue, 223
Hazen, 56

Lamps, in commission, 63

Large floe, see Ice

Latitude from noon sights, 19, 21
reached, 134

Lead, 126, 343
across Robeson Channel, 40
crossed on young ice, 145
eleven, 131
fifty feet wide, 132
its closing (the “Hudson River”), 118
its extent, 97
young ice cut by, 146

Leaving last camp, 211, 212

Lemming burrows, 199
fauna of Jesup Land, 210

Library, 9

Lieber, Cape, 320

Lincoln Bay, 334

Line of demarcation, 225

Lockwood’s record, 330

Malone, Murtaugh J., asst. engineer, see personnel of the party under
Expedition, 5

Mary Murray Island, 325

Marvin, Ross G., secy. and asst., see personnel of the party under
Expedition, 6

Marvin, 62, 78, 97, 173
his report of musk-oxen, 93
his return with the Eskimos, 93
his report of the _Roosevelt_, 235
his westward compass, 236

March, distance covered, 200
from S. W. Camp, 213, 214
plan of, 153
the first, 131
the last outward, 139

Mascart Inlet, 148

Medical College (Cornell University), 6

Meigs Fiord, 325

Melville Bay, 4, 362

Moons (winter), duration, 77

Moraine material, camp on, 219

Mount, Camel, 178
Cheops, 63
Daly (red-brown bluffs of), 26
Saddle, 178
Streaked, 178
Twin, 178
Wistar, 328

Mountains, Greenland, 19

Musk-oxen, 35, 60, 142, 181, 300
cows, 182
killing of, 154, 333
tracks in the snow, 204
twenty-one killed, 320

Murphy, John, boatswain, see personnel of the party under Expedition, 5

Mystery of the North, xi

Nain, 272

Nansen, 126
Nansen’s Strait, 202

Nordenskjold Inlet, 324

Nares Land, 150

Narksami, 266

Narwhal, 250
school of, 43

National Geographic Society, vii
Hubbard Medal of, vii

Natives, property of, see Eskimos
report of Melville Bay, 269
taken on board, see Eskimos

Navy Department, leave of absence granted Com. Peary, 295

_Neptune_, Canadian Government Steamer, 4

Newfoundland, ice, pilots, 5

Newman Bay, 321

New land, 195

Nicaragua, 6

North Coast Mts., 330

North Pole, value of attainment, x

Norwegians, 359
and Americans, 360

Nungwoodie, the gray dog, 228

Observatory Pinnacle, 118

Observation Camp, 214
with sextant and transit, 117

Old floes, see ice

Omens, of the ship’s position, 74

Onkilon, Siberian tribe, 375

Ooming-muksue (musk-oxen), 154

Oomunui, 266

Oatah, 141

Open leads, region of, 132

Open water, 92, 331, 342
see “big lead,” 143
alongside of the ice-foot, 181
in shape of leads and lakes, 74
its extent, 97

Orography of the glacial fringe, 231

Outward track, impracticable, 210

“Paleocrystic” floes, 228

Panama, Stars and Stripes planted, xi

Panikpah, 145

Panther, 4

Payer Harbour, 335, 337

Pemmican, 78, 186
supply exhausted, 227

Peninsula, Bache, 34

Percy, Chas., steward, see personnel of the party under Expedition

Peary Arctic Club, ix, 282
contributors to, 290
founders of, 288
history of, 285
incorporators of, 289
its officers, 286
its charter, 288
object of, 285
organisation of, 286

Personnel of the party on return, 276, 279

Petersen, Danish interpreter, 55

Piblocto, 384

Plan accomplished, 182

Point Armour Light, 16

Point Moss, 178
20 miles west of Cape Hecla, 97

Polar, ocean, x
middle pack, 20
Polar pack, 331, 340
contest with, 341, 342
gateway to the Polar sea, 63
mystery, ix, 17
Sea, 4, 102, 332

_Polaris_, left by Hall’s party, 43
boat camp, 321

Poppies, at Cape Aldrich, 231

Potentilla, growing at Cape Aldrich, 231

Pot Rocks, coast of Labrador, 271

Pressure ridges, 129, 143

Primus stoves, 215

Programme, for spring work, 318

Ptarmigan, 196

Pumice and slag, 213

Rafters and rubble, see Ice, of Alpine character, 144

Rainbow Hill, 185

Rangifer Pearyi, 351
Grænlandicus, 351

Range, United States, 56, 63

Reconnoissance, along the ice-foot, 298
from Cape Frederick VIII, 249
for spring route, 62

Record, in cairn, 329
in North cairn, 329

Records, at Cape D’Urville, 318

Reindeer, found on Fielden Peninsula, 57

Report, to Peary Arctic Club, 295

River, Ruggles, 77
Shelter, south of Cape Union, 48

_Roosevelt_, S.S., a crucial moment, 58, 59;
arrival in New York, 289;
as a sea boat, 280
a splendid ice-fighter, 45
at Etah, 29
beginning her fight with ice, 33
capacity, 11
channels navigated as far as Cape Sheridan, 50
construction and launching, 289
christened by Mrs. Peary, 370
departed from Etah, 260
desperate fight with the big floes, battle won by brute force, 44, 45
departure for North, 289
features of her model, 363
forced ashore by large floes, 47
forced ashore a second time, 48
forcing way through dense barrier of ice, 49
forced on to heavy floe, 250
furnishings of her rooms, 9, 10, 11
general construction, 366–369
goes direct to Etah, 25
heading for Thank God Harbour, 249
headed for Cape Isabella, 265
held up by the ice, 249, 257
her decks on leaving North Sydney, 11
her cargo, 11
her cargo on leaving Etah, 30
her detour to the east, 34
her struggle with the ice north of C. Lupton, 40
her crucial time, 247
her moorings, 275
impending peril, 91
imprisoned among heavy floes, 257
official measurements, 370
on board after backward journey, 167, 168
propeller loose, 258
race with incoming pack, 50
readings of the log, 15
ready for fight with Arctic Sea, 30
repaired at Etah, 260
restowed her supplies, 30
return to Sydney, 276
severing connection with the civilised world, 33
sight at Cape Rawson, 167
size, 361
special features of, 370, 372
travelling under difficulties, 248

Roosevelt, President, etching of, 11

Ross Bay, 335

Routes, two feasible, 306

Rubble ice, see Ice

Sabine, Cape, 5

St. George, Cape, 15 fiord, 162

St. Mary’s school ship, 6

St. Paul’s Light, 12

Sandpiper, 187, 189

Saunders Island, 266

Scotch, 359

Scotchmen, 360

Sea, 18
East Greenland, 148
ice, 203
attempt to sledge over, 298

Seal, 133, 189
near ice-foot, 215
seen on ice, 228
six, 259

September 5th, a memorable day, 49

Sextant, 286

Shelter River, mooring of the _Roosevelt_, 236

Sheridan Point, 57

Sherard Osborn fiord, 162

Ship, for Arctic and Antarctic navigation, 359
held by ice, 249
motion of, 19

Sinnipahs, 382

Sipsu, 125
dog killed, 230

Sipsu and his wife, 248

Sir Clements Markham, President of the Royal Geographical Society, 375

Sledges, carried on backs of the party, 304
repaired and strengthened, 125, 207, 305, 318
journey for spring, 77, 78

Smith Sound, 260, 364

Snow, 47, 178, 181, 188, 269, 299
blindness, 140
bunting, 199
snowshoeing, 185, 186, 203, 208
snowy owl, 199

Society, Seamen’s Friend, 9

Sound, Whale, 25
Wolstenholm, 25

Soundings, 259, 265

“Spits,” 188

Spring, campaign, 299

Squalls, 207

Steamers, two, 16

Storm Camp, 130, 140

Stoves, 62

Strait, Cabot, 12
Davis, 16

Streams, two negotiated, 228

Summits, snow-clad of distant land, 207

Sun, 63, 109

Sverdrup’s “farthest,” 174

Sverdrup, 210

Swells, rolling, 185

Sydney, 20

Talus, 178

Temperature, 112, 220, 298, 299, 304, 309, 322

Tidal crack, 214

Tides, 125

Tigress, 4

Thermometer, 112

Trail, 123

Transit, 208

Tree, 148

Trevor-Battye, 208

Tumulus, 220

Tupiks, 382

Twilight, 93
arc, 101

Twin Peaks of Columbia, 230

Very River, 333

Victoria Head, 34

Victoria Inlet, 154

View, from Lookout Hill, from bluffs, 211
of peaks from Cape Alfred Ernest, 224
from Cape Hawkes, 298

View Point, 177, 234, 339

Waigatt, 20

Walrus, first appearance of, 20
grounds, 26
out to the grounds, 29
number secured, 265, 266
in Buchanan Bay region, 300

Wardwell, Geo. A., chief engineer, see personnel of the party under
Expedition, 5
his report, 18

Water, 58

Water sky, 339

Water-smoke, 105

Weather, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 47, 48, 55, 56, 91, 98, 105,
106, 110, 114, 118, 123, 125, 126, 129, 132, 139, 141, 183, 192,
195, 201, 209, 215, 219, 223, 247, 257, 266, 305, 319, 322, 341, 342

Western trip, 174, 240

Whales (two), first appearance of, 20

Whale Sound glaciers, 189

Whaling Station, 275

_Windward_, S. S., 4, 35, 286, 296, 315, 316, 334, 349

Winds, 62, 91

Winter, 73, 74, 93, 299
Arctic, atmospheric conditions, 73

Wolfe, Dr. Louie J., surgeon, see personnel of the party under
Expedition, 78, 97, 173

Work accomplished, 315, 317

Zone of high ridges of rubble ice, 343

THE NORTH POLAR REGIONS
]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. P. 291, changed “°F” to “inches of Hg”. 2. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. 3. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 4. Re-indexed footnotes using numbers. 5. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.