A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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her cub.

A scene of curious interest followed, the mother placed her little one between her hind legs and barking from the dogs made her way behind the beef house, during this movement, Mr. Ohlsen slightly wounded her with my Webster rifle. Nevertheless, with a giant exhibition of power the bear tore down by single movement of her fore arms the barrels of frozen beef which formed in triple tiers the walls of our store house. Mounted upon the rubbish and seized a half barrel of herrings carrying it down by her teeth. Here, going up within close half pistol shot, I gave her six buck shot. She dropped but instantly rose and getting her cub into its former position moved off.

The tactics of the Esquimaux Dog of Smiths Sound show a high culture on the part of their wretched masters. Next to the walrus the Bear is the staple food, as except the [fox?] it is the raiment of these people. Unlike our more southern dogs they had been trained not to attack but to embarrass. They ran in circles around the bear and when pursued would keep ahead with regulated gait. Their comrades effecting a diversion at the critical moment by a nip at his hind quarters. This was done so systematically yet in such a business like and unexcited way that we were filled with wonderment. I have seen bear dogs trained in melée to relieve each other and to avoid assault, but here two dogs without even demonstrations of attack would put themselves before the path of the

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Wednes. Oct. 25. 7 P.M.

For the first time we were able to turn our thoughts to other work. The brig stands well out of water and if the chains are only strong enough we will present the novel spectacle of a brig high and dry spending an Arctic winter on an Arctic ice bed, that ice being at once our bane and antidote.

We worked at the hold and on deck for the housing. From our lodge room to the forward timbers is now one long clean sweep.

Mr. Wilson the same, stand imposing Morton doubtful. Being totally unable to keep Brooks from stumping about I placed him formally upon the sick list. Carpenters bench moved into our little dormitorium.

9. P.M

A true and unbroken auroral arch the first yet seen by us in Smiths Sound. It extended from [blank] to [blank] passed between Castor and Pollux and attained the culmination of its segment [blank] or 11 1/2 points E. of these stars. Making [blank] W. of true N. It colour was that of simply luminescence, but entirely Bright. No pendant hung from the lower curve of the arc but from its outer an active wary moment dissipating itself into barely perceptible [?] was here and there broken by rays nearly perpendicular but slightly inclining to the East. The atmosphere was beautifully clear. The Barom giving [blank] and the Deck Therms: [blank]

271

The lower extremities are guarded by a pair of breeches, literally copies facsimilies of our [own] courtly knee buckled ones but adapted to the waist in a manner so un-Grandisonian that I leave their special structure to my note book. The [wannooke?] are bear skin and tied closely just below the knee.

The foot gear consists of a bird skin short sock, on whose foot a sole is laid a padding of grass. Over this comes a Bear Skin leg, sown with great dexterity to a the natural sole of the same material and abundantly wadded about the foot with dry non conducting straw.

When this simple wardrobe is fully adjusted to the person we realize the wonderful endurance of these men. [Wrangall?] called the Jacuti iron men because they slept at -50° opposite a fire with the back exposed. Now they of Smiths Sound have an uncoved space [of] between the cincture of the trousers at the waist and the [Kapetath?] to bend exposes them to partial nudity and upon all occasions the entire chest is open to the atmosphere from below. Yet this man will sleep upon his sledge with the atmosphere 93° degrees below our freezing point.

The only additional articles of dress known to me are [the] a fox's tail held between the teeth to protect the nose in a wind and mits of seal skin well protected with straw.