[Illustration]
NEW YORK CITY, _September 20, 1902_.
MY DEAR GROSSY,—Here we are back again, and father is with us. But I
will begin at the beginning of my trip and tell you all about it.
July 21st mother and I reached Sydney, and the next day at eight
o’clock in the evening we steamed away on the “Windward.” A new
house had been put on the ship, and we had a suite of rooms in it
which made it very nice and comfortable.
I could run on deck any time I liked, without being afraid of being
thrown downstairs, because there were no stairs. Mother let me wear
boys’ clothes, and I liked it ever so much.
Captain Sam was just as kind to me as last year, and I had a fine
time. We made no stops on the way, but just cut a bee line for
father’s house. Early on the morning of August 5th we were so near
to Cape Sabine, where father’s house is, that we could see the
people running about on the rocks, but we could not tell whether
they were Eskimos or whites. Oh, but I was excited.
[Illustration:
_“Cin” and her Pups_
]
At one time I thought I saw father, then I thought I didn’t, and
poor mother just stood and looked through the glasses and said
nothing except, “If I see father I will tell you.” Well, as we got
nearer we could make out Matt, then Charley, then some of the
Eskimos, but not until we were almost at the landing did we see
father. There he stood, twice as tall as any one else, and we had
not seen him because he had on light kamiks, white bear-skin
trousers, and gray shirt, and he looked the same colour as the rocks
behind him.
I thought we would never land, but at last, father swung himself on
board, and I was in dear old dad’s arms, hugged up tight. Of course
now I was anxious to go ashore and see Charley and Matt and
Koodluk´too and “Cin,” my dog that I left in Koodluk´too’s care.
“Billy Bah” was there, too, father said, and they were all waiting
to see me. We all went ashore after father had said “How do” to
every one on board. We found father’s house as neat and tidy as
possible, and mother teased Charley, saying she knew he had been
“house cleaning” ever since he saw the smoke from the “Windward;”
but he said he kept it this way all the time. He then said, “You
come with me, Miss, and I’ll show you how I’ve been thinking about
you.” The first place he took me was on top of the house, and here
in a large box with wire netting across one end he had four of the
dearest bunnies I ever saw.
[Illustration:
“_The Woolliest Black Calf_”
]
[Illustration:
Koodluk´too
]
They were gray on their backs, but snow-white on the breast and
head, and Charley said when they were grown they would be white all
over; that when Koodluk´too found them for me, they were no longer
than kittens, and as gray as rats, but as they grow older they shed
the gray coat and become real white. And you must know they are
mine, and Charley has taken care of them for me. All this time
Koodluk´too, who was standing by, was asking me every minute to come
with him; he wanted to show me something.
After feeding the rabbits some willow, which they are very fond of,
I went with him, and what do you think he showed me? A pair of the
loveliest pups, and my own old “Cin” is the mother of them. “Cin”
knew me too; she licked my hands and face and was as glad to see me
as I was to see her and her dear babies.
[Illustration:
_Charley, “Daisy” the Musk-calf and AH-NI-GHI´-TO at Etah_
]
I could have stayed with them all day, but Charley called, “Come on
now; there’s more yet to be seen.” Together we went to a
funny-looking place, built up of boxes and wires, and in it was the
woolliest black calf, with long hair over its forehead and hanging
over its eyes. When Charley said, “Come here, Daisy,” it ran to him
and pushed against him until I thought it was butting him, but he
said, “She just wants her bottle;” and he told Koodluk’too to get
the bottle out of the house. When Koodluk’too came back with it the
calf acted just like Mrs. S’s baby when he is hungry and his mother
shows him the bottle. It was too cute for anything.
Charley told me that Daisy too was mine, and he hoped I would be
good to her, for she had been his bottle baby for over two months.
Some of the Eskimos brought her back from a musk-ox hunt where her
mother had been killed. Charley said I might feed her when she came
aboard, and then she would follow me just as she did him. I am glad
she hasn’t such horns as the big Musk-oxen.
Many of the Eskimos had died since we left them last year, and all
that stayed with father were in a hurry to get over to the Greenland
settlements and see their friends. Before I had half time enough to
visit all our old-time play-houses with Koodluk´too and “Billy Bah,”
father had everything on board and was ready to be off. I hated to
say good-bye to this place because I had had some very good times
here and would never see it again.
[Illustration:
“Gave the Eskimos Presents”
]
First we stopped at Etah, where Koodluk´too and “Billy Bah” and I
went ashore and gathered bags full of grass for Daisy and arms full
of willow for the bunnies, while the Eskimo men were out after
birds.
After dinner Charley said he would help me take Daisy ashore where
she could crop the grass and have a run, for she was not very fond
of being penned upon the ship. You should have seen her look round
for Charley and bellow when he hid behind the rocks.
After leaving Etah we visited all the places where Eskimos were
living, and father gave them presents and said good-bye to them.
The natives who had been with father, about fifty of them, said they
wanted to live in Academy Bay at a place called Kang-erd-luk´-soah,
so the “Windward” steamed there and landed them with their
belongings. Most of them had no seal-skin tupics (tents), and these
father gave tents of canvas.
While they were putting them up Charley got one of father’s tents
and put it up too, and we used to go ashore with Daisy and get our
lunch and stay all day, letting her browse and scamper about.
[Illustration:
“_Listening to the Phonograph_”
]
When the tents were all up father gave the natives food enough to
last them through the winter except meat. He then told the men that
they should come aboard the “Windward,” and he would hunt walrus
with them until they had enough for themselves and their dogs for
the winter.
While we were on this hunt, one evening we were going to anchor for
a sleep (because you know there was no night; the sun shone bright
all the time).
[Illustration:
“_The babies are not so pretty_”
]
Father and Captain Sam had both come in off the deck when the old
ship went “bumpty bump.” We had run aground. Such a time as we had
trying to get the “Windward” afloat! She slid away over on one side
and everything in the cabin tipped over, and we did not get away
until the next evening. I was scared. I thought we should have to
stay here all winter.
After we had a hundred or more walrus we steamed back to
Kang-erd-luk´-soah and put them ashore. Then father sent some of the
natives to hunt deer, so we would have fresh meat on our home trip.
The three days they were gone I just lived on shore with my calf. Of
course I did not forget to feed my pups and the bunnies too.
[Illustration:
“_The women wear dirty skirts over their fur trousers_”
]
[Illustration:
“_Steady_”
]
I gave “Cin” to Koodluk´too because mother said I had no place to
keep her at home. The calf, and the bunnies, and the pups, father
says will be kept in the New York Zoological Garden. One day father
had the Eskimo women sing into the phonograph, and then made the
phonograph sing their song back at them. You ought to have heard
them laugh.
[Illustration:
“_Port_”
]
“Billy Bah” and Ahng´oodloo wanted to come home with me, but mother
would not let them. Ahng´oodloo is very fond of father, and when he
found he could not go back with us he took “Billy Bah” up on the
mountain so they would not have to say good-bye. All the natives
felt sad to have father leave them, but after we had all the venison
we needed we steamed away. Poor old Koodluk´too felt very badly, and
so did I.
I was kept busy caring for my pets on the way home, and one morning
I found one of my bunnies dead. He had been killed by one of the
others in a fight. They are all white as snow and perfect beauties.
[Illustration:
“_Hard Over_”
]
We stopped among the west side Eskimos at a whaling station. I
didn’t like the looks of these natives at all. I am sure they are
not as kind as father’s people. The babies are not nearly as pretty.
Their dress looks different too. They have funny long tails to their
coats, and the women wear dirty calico skirts over their fur
trousers.
The carpenter had to make Daisy’s pen higher before we reached
Sydney because she had grown so much. The puppies too have grown and
are as playful as kittens. But you must hurry home and see them
yourself. I have much more to tell you, but can’t think of it now.
With much love YOUR SNOWBABY.
P. S. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Captain Sam taught me how to turn
the wheel, and let me steer the “Windward.” I can “Steady” and
“Port” and “Hard Over” just like the sailors.
[Illustration]