A Negro Explorer at the North Pole | Page 8

leave for Turnavik.
We have been racing with the Erik all day, and have beaten her to this
place. Captain Bartlett's father owns it, and we loaded a lot of boots and
skins, which the Captain's father had ready for us. From here we sail to
the Esquimo country of North Greenland, without a stop if possible, as
the Commander has no intention of visiting any of the Danish
settlements in South Greenland.
Cape York is our next point, and the ship is sailing free. Aside from the
excitement of the start, and the honor of receiving the personal visit of
the President, and his words of encouragement and cheer, the trip so far
has been uneventful; and I have busied myself in putting my cabin in
order, and making myself useful in overhauling and stowing provisions
in the afterhold.
July 24: Still northward-bound, with the sea rolling and washing over
the ship; and the Erik in the distance seems to be getting her share of
the wash. She is loaded heavily with fresh whale-meat, and is
purposely keeping in leeward of us to spare us the discomfort of the
odor.
July 25 and 26: Busy with my carpenter's kit in the Commander's cabin
and elsewhere. There has been heavy rain and seas, and we have
dropped the Erik completely. The Roosevelt is going fine. We can see
the Greenland coast plainly and to-day, the 29th, we raised and passed
Disco Island. Icebergs on all sides. The light at midnight is almost as
bright as early evening twilight in New York on the Fourth of July and
the ice-blink of the interior ice-cap is quite plain. We have gone

through Baffin's Bay with a rush and raised Duck Island about ten A. M.
and passed and dropped it by two P. M.
I was ashore on Duck Island in 1891, on my first voyage north, and I
remember distinctly the cairn the party built and the money they
deposited in it. I wonder if it is still there? There is little use for money
up here, and the place is seldom visited except by men from the
whalers, when their ships are locked in by ice.
From here it is two hundred miles due north to Cape York.
August 1: Arrived at Cape York Bay and went ashore with the party to
communicate with the Esquimos of whom there were three families.
They remembered us and were dancing up and down the shore, and
waving to us in welcome, and as soon as the bow of the boat had
grazed the little beach, willing hands helped to run her up on shore.
These people are hospitable and helpful, and always willing, sometimes
too willing. As an example, I will tell how, at a settlement farther north,
we were going ashore in one of the whale-boats. Captain Bartlett was
forward, astraddle of the bow with the boat-hook in his hands to fend
off the blocks of ice, and knew perfectly well where he wanted to land,
but the group of excited Esquimos were in his way and though he
ordered them back, they continued running about and getting in his way.
In a very short while the Captain lost patience and commenced to talk
loudly and with excitement; immediately Sipsoo took up his language
and parrot-like started to repeat the Captain's exact words: "Get back
there, get back--how in ---- do you expect me to make a landing?" And
thus does the innocent lamb of the North acquire a civilized tongue.
It is amusing to hear Kudlooktoo in the most charming manner give
Charley a cussing that from any one else would cause Charley to break
his head open.
For the last week I have been busy, with "Matt! The Commander wants
you," "Matt do this," and "Matt do that," and with going ashore and
trading for skins, dogs, lines, and other things; and also walrus-hunting.
I have been up to my neck in work, and have had small opportunity to
keep my diary up to date. We have all put on heavy clothing; not the

regular fur clothes for the winter, but our thickest civilized clothing,
that we would wear in midwinter in the States. In the middle of the day,
if the sun shines, the heat is felt; but if foggy or cloudy, the heavy
clothing is comfortable.
All of the Esquimos want to come aboard and stay aboard. Some we
want and will take along, but there are others we will not have or take
along on a bet, and the pleasant duty of telling them so and putting
them ashore falls to me. It is not a pleasant job to disappoint these
people, but they would be a burden to us and in our way. Besides, we
have left