birds which are strung around
the eaves of his house. It is a safe spot, for it keeps the birds
thoroughly frozen, and well out of reach, at this time of year, of the
ever-present dog.

Some of the men were prevented from being on the spot for bird
shooting as promptly as they desired by the fact that their boats,
having lain up all winter, were not "plymmed." If you put a dried
apple, for instance, into water it "plymms"; so do beans, and so do
boats. When a boat is not "plymmed," it leaks in all its seams, and is
therefore looked upon as unsafe for these sub-Arctic waters by the
more conservative amongst us. To stop a boat leaking you "chinch" the
seams with oakum. Our fisherman sexton has just told me that "the
church was right chinched last night."

One by one our supplies are giving out or diminishing. Each week as I
send down an order to the store it is returned with some item crossed
off. These articles at home would be considered the indispensables.
Already potatoes have gone the way of all flesh; there is no more
butter (though that is less loss than it sounds, for it was packed on
the schooner directly next the kerosene barrels, and a liberal
quantity of that volatile liquid incorporated itself in each tub of
"oleo"). We are warned that the remaining amount of flour will not
hold out till the spring boat--our first possible chance of getting
reinforcements for our larder--unless we exercise the watchfulness of
the Sphinx. The year before I came the first boat did not reach St.
Antoine till the 28th of June.

More excitement has just been communicated to me by Topsy: much more.
A man from the Baie des Francais has killed a huge polar bear. It
took ten men and six dogs to haul the beast home after he had been
finally dispatched. The man fired several shots at him, but did not
hit a vital spot. One bullet only remained to him, and the bear was
coming at him in a very purposeful manner. "Now or never," thought the
fisherman, and fired. The creature fell dead almost at his feet. When
they skinned him they found bullets in his legs and flank, but
searched and searched in vain for the fatal one which had been the
end of him. There was no mark on the skin in any vital spot. At last
they found it. The ball had penetrated exactly through the bear's ear
into his brain. All the countryside is now dining off bear steak; and
there is a splendid skin to be purchased if you are so minded. I have
eaten a bit of the steak,