Friday, October 23. Last night it snowed a very little, and this morning it is cloudy and gloomy. We sat up till midnight, then the alarm was set for two o’clock, at which time coal had to be put on the fire—an operation to be repeated at four, and again at six. Mané has been with us all day, with her two piccaninnies, at work on deerskin stockings. The elder child, Anadore, is just at the age (two years) when she is into everything, and she tried our patience to the limit. We cannot allow Mané to take the furs to her igloo to sew, as they would be filled with “koomakshuey” (parasites), and some one must stay in the room with her to superintend her work. I am doing very little besides getting the meals and fixing up odd jobs about the rooms; reading Greely’s work is about the extent of my labor. To-night at nine o’clock the thermometer is 10°, and the moon is shining brightly.
Sunday, October 25. This morning there was about three inches of new snow on the ground, and the cliffs back of the house are beginning to look white. About 2 P. M. huskies were seen coming across the bay, and a half-hour later they had arrived,—Kayunah, his “koonah” (wife) and three piccaninnies, and Arrotochsuah, his koonah and one piccaninny. Arrotochsuah’s koonah was very much amused at me, and kept screaming “Chimo koonah!” (Welcome woman!) until I said “Chimo! Chimo!” and then she laughed and laughed. The other woman was more quiet. These Eskimos are much cleaner and more presentable people than Ikwa and his family. Later in the evening I gave each woman two needles, a cake of soap, and a box of matches. Arrotochsuah’s koonah presented me with a spoon made by herself from a piece of walrus tusk, and used by her piccaninny, Magda, a boy about twelve years old, ever since he could feed himself. In return I gave the boy a looking-glass, and I made a similar present to Kayunah’s smallest. Mr. Peary allowed all hands to sleep on the floor in the boys’ room. It is amusing to listen to the conversation between our men and the huskies. In one instance the boys could not quite make out whether a man had died from eating walrus or the walrus had eaten him, etc.
Monday, October 26. To-day is the last day the sun will be above the horizon until February 13th.