Hauling Water, Sigik
750 Edition 14 5/8 x 7 1/4

Sigik has no fresh water source. The summer I was there, fresh water in the form of drift ice was pulled in by skiffs at high tide. These huge, abstract forms stranded on the beach were then tackled periodically by men who axed off chunks. These were then tossed in 55 gallon drums placed along the shore where the ice eventually melted. This supplied the hundred or so whaling families with a meager supply of drinking, washing and cooking water. I was strongly urged to bring along a goodly supply of "Baby Wipes" for my Sigik trip; bathing in a small tent with "Baby Wipes" was certainly a first for me!