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1
2
3
32X
1
2
3
4
5
6
!
♦to!
<r32
m
NORTHWARD
OVER THE GREAT ICE
yl Xarrativc of Life and ITork along f/ic
Shores (vid upon t/ic Interior lee-Cap
of Norf/iern Green/a mi in f/ie \ears
1886 and TSgi-i8gj
WITH A DKSCR.PT.OX OK THK ,., T , ,.,, tR.MK O,- .M.TH-SOUXD
LSKIM..S, THK. MOST XORTHKRKV HUMAN IJKlXOs ,n , „ ,.
WORLD, AN-I> AX ACCOLNT OF THK DISCOVKRV A MJ
HRINGINO HOMK OK THK '• SAVIKSU K," OR
GRKAT CAI'K-VORK MKTKORIIKS
1»
13 V
ROBERT E. PEARY
'ivii. kn(;i.\f.i:k, r.^.v.
MEMHEH o. THK AMHK.CAN SncKTV , „. c ,Vn. KN,;,NKHR.
M..M1.KK .,h THK AMKKICAN l.K< M.KA I HI, A 1, .,„ IKTV
WITH MAI'S. DIAGRAMS. AND AHOUT EIGHT HUNDRED
ILLUSTRATIONS
In Two Voi.fMKs
VOL. I.
XEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
MDCCCXCVIII
I' I
I
■ «-:
b
Copyright, 1898,
Bv FREDKKICK A. STORKS COMPAN"
A// rig/Ks reserved.
Prrsswork nv THK Univkrsity Press,
Camhrii)(;k, U.S.A.
\
1%^
TO rnK rwo WHO link MK WIIH
iHK i>Asr AND FurrKK
MV MOTIIKR AND MV DAUCMIIEK
THIS HOOK IS HEOICAIKD
4
4
*«
CONTENTS OF VOL. I.
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
|'A(;b
xxv
xxvii
PART I.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE GREENLAND INLAND ICE
I ooO . , _ '
OBJECTS AND RESULTS OF 1886 RECONNAISSANCE.
PART II.
NORTH-GREENLAND EXPEDITION OF i8qI-i8q2
CHAPTER " VJy*.
I.— Brooklyn to McCormick Bay
II.-Preparing our North-Greexlaxd Home
III.-BOAT Voyage to the Islands
IV.~BoAT AND Sledge Trips
v.— Through the C.reat Xight
VI.-Through the Great Night (Gv///w./)
Vir.— Imprisoned on the Ice-Cap.
VIII.-Pkeparing for the Ice-Cap Campaign
I-X.-Around Inglefield Gulf ry Sledge.
X.-EQUIPMENT. Routine, and Beginning of the
White March
I
39
■ 41
■ 71
• 95
• '25
157
• i79
• 197
• 219
• 245
VOL. I.
XV
75
*
XVI
Contents of Vol. I
CHAPIKK
Xl.-OVER THK •< Great Ice" to the Nokthekn Kn„
OF (jkEENLANI)
XII.— Northernmost Greenland .
XIII.-EiGHT Thousand Feet a.h.ve the Sea
XIV.-IJoAT Voyage into Inglkkiki.d Gvlv .
XV.-Search for Verhoefk. and Ho.mkuard Vovagk
XVI.-Meteoroi.ogical Notes-Vkkhoeff
OBJECTS AND RESULTS OF 189I-I892 EXPEDITION
APPENDIX I.— AN ARCTIC OASIS
APPENDIX II.-TIIE SMITH-SOUNI) ESKIMOS, WITH COM^
PLETE CENSUS OF THE TRIBE
I'AGR
355
409
427
43«
441
INDEX OF VOL. I.
477
515
hfl
J9
'■1
15
'3
9
7
S
I
ILLUSTRATIONS. MAPS. AND DIAGRAMS
IN VOL. I.
ICE
EAST OF GODI
KOHERT E. PEARY
THE ARCTIC PACK
HEADPIECE TO INTRODUCTION
AN(JEiA) IIEII.PRIN
ISAAC ]. WISTAR . " " '
HENRY (i HRVANT
MORRIS K. lESUP
CIIAS. P. DAI.Y
EMU, DiEin rscH . * ■ ■
CIIAS. A. MooRE
'I'All.i'IECE
ON THE "(iREAT
headpiece
inspec:tor neils andersex ■
frederick
KI.AESE DALE CATARACT
DANISH ESKIMO WOMAN
GREENLAND SMALL IU)V
SOUTH COAST OF DISCO ISLAND
BIVOUAC ON THE ICE-CAP
COASTING .
ICE-CAP EQUIPMENT
PROFILE OF INLAND
FJORD, EASTWARD .
LAR(;E PURPLE HLOSSOMS ' ' ' ' "
ESKIMO KAVAKERS EFFECTING" A i"aNDINc"
ESKIMO KAVAKERS TRAVEIJJNG OVER VNn
PANORAMA OF THE INLAND ICE mis uA^^^^^
AND GLACIER, AND DISCO HAV GRFKVI ivn
HARHOJR OF ATANEKERDI UK ' ^^^^'^'AND
ATANEKERDLUK FOSSIL-HFDS ' " ' •
CLIFF VIEW AT ATANEKERDLUK • " ■
cr-.^-^.'.V'^^-'' •^''' ATANEKERDLUK ' " ' '
SCOICH WHALER OFF ITIE WEST COAST
CAPTAIN ARTHUR [ACKM AN ( F Till • F V( ■, r ■:
CUMr?ERLANI) SOUND NATIVES ^''^
rPrrvr^^v-;'^'^'^'^''-'^ VOYAGE, ';886 '.
GREENLAND ROUTE MAP
PORTRAITS OF GIHSON. VERHOEFf" DR
AND HENSON '
Frontispiece
I'ACiR
ICE, FROM HEAD
OF I
lAVN
t'ticcs
KITSOK
FJORD
vol.. I.
COOK, ASTRUP
xvii
xxviii
. xxix
icxxviii
xl
xliv
xlvi
xlviii
I
liv
l.xxx
2
3
4
6
8
9
II
12
'3
15
i6
ly
21
22
23
25
26
27
29
31
33
34
35
37
40
42
(f
will
Illustrations
I* i
IlKADI'lECK
( AITAIN KICIIAkI) J'IKK OF THK "KITF." .
CIIIKF KNdlNFFR JAUDINF, 2I) ENcilNFFR McKINLKV
AM) " HO'SUN" DUM'IIV
IIM
COD-FISIIINd IN STKAFI" OF |;FI,FF ISLK
I)F( K SCFNF AFTKK IIFAVV WFAIIIFK
MRS. I'FARV ANDGROLI' UF DANISH ESKIMO WOMEN A
(.ODIIAVN . .
(I.IMIIINd IHF (lODIIAVN CLIFFS
rilK I'ARTV AT rilF CAIRN
A CRI'ISFR OF IMF ARCIIC WIIITK SQUADRON
SANDERSON'S IIOI'E
ROUTE OF NORrH-(;RFENEANi» EXPEDITION. 1891-2, TO
AND FROM MtCORMICK HAV
UI'ERNAVIK
THE I'ARTV AT THE DUCK ISLANDS ....
HESET IN THE MEl.Vl LLE-liAV PACK ....
MELVILLE MAV, lULV 4. 1891
POLAR HEAR
PANORAM.X OF COAST FROM CAPE YORK TO CONICAI
ROCK. HV ElVIND ASTRUP
IKWAH AND WALRUS
HEADIMECE
SI IE OF RED CLIFF HOUSE
THE RED CLIFFS .
RED CLIFF HOUSE
LOW TIDE
"THE DAVS WERE VERV LONC" .....
HENSON WriII RAVEN AND BLUE FOX
VICTIM AM) VICTORS
WEIGH IN(i UP A WALRUS
UNTOLD WEALTH
CRIPPLE REACH
ARCTIC IIOUSE-HUILDING
REST AFTER LABOUR
HARPOON PRACTICE UNDER DIFFICULTIES
ANNADOR
GREENLAND FALCON
THE " FAITH"
HEADPIECE
HAKLUVT ISLAND, WITH NORTHUMBERLAND IN THE
DISTANCE
WALRUS IN MURCHISON SOUND
THE FIRST NATIVE
ESKIMO FAMILY AND TENT, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAM
ESKIMO IGLOO, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND, FRONT
VIEW
ESKIMO IGLOO, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND, REAR VIEW
PLAN AND SECTION OF NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND
IGLOOS
ESKIMOS ON NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND . . . .
NATIVES AND FOREIGNERS
I'AGR
43
44
46
47
4Q
51
52
54
55
57
58
59
61
62
64
66
67
69
72
73
74
75
76
77
79
80
81
83
85
86
87
89
91
92
94
96
97
99
101
102
103
105
106
loS
no
112
Illr
Uions
XIX
ESKIMO VILLAGE OK KEAIK. NoKTIirMMKKI.AND ISI
ri:\i \ 1 1. 1. ACE, NokriiiMiii.Ki.AM) island
JOSKI'IIINK (il.ACIEK. NOU I IHMI'.KKI.AMi 1^1, AMt
WKSIKKN (il.AflEK. NOR 11 1 T M lU'.RI.AM » ISI. AND
\V1 I'll rilK WALRUS AT CAI'K CI.E\ KLAND
IKWAII CKTTINd IP TIIK WALRIS.
\V\\IN(; ()l rilK SUMMER l»A\'
111; ADI'IECI".
" IIIE EAST
our Ol
WIND WAS WIIIsrLIN(
Ld'.IAL OLAUIERS . .
PANORAMA OL McCORMK K HAY
LIRST IIANOINO CLACIER .
I'ACKINC. sri'l'l.ILS TO TIIL ICL-CAl'
DASIIINO UPON IIIE WALRUS .
MRS. PEAR\ ....
WALRUS
WALRUS iii;ai»
A.MPIll'rilLAI RE HERO
IHL i;o.\r I .\Mi'-E.\rERIOR
THE l!0.\r CAMP— INTERIOR
OLAriER OF HIE SC.\RI.Er HEART
THE i I\E-(iLA(TER-VALI.EV 1'ART^■ STARTINO
THE LI\ E-(;i.A(IER-\ AELEV PARTY RETURNING OCT
NOWDINOVAH
••HOR.\UE (iREELEY"ANI) "SAIREV GAMP
AHNGODOHLAHO
HEADPIECE
RED CLILL IN THE WINTER NIGHT
IKW.MI'S .MANSION
MEGIPSU
KVOAHPADU . . ....
THE TIDE GAUGE
VERIIOELL REAI)IN(; TIDE GAUCIE .
"RED CLIFF WAS SINKING INTO A HUGE DRIl-
THE SMILER
AHNINGAHNAH ....
TOOKUMINGWAH ....
" SAIREV GAMP" ....
ADULT MAN
ADULT WOMAN ....
HOV
GIRL
CHILI) ....
TAILPIECE
ANN AH WEE
HEADPIECE
CHRISTMAS MENUS
KUDLAII (MISFORTUNE)
MYAH (THE WHITE MAN)
THE VILLAIN .
INALOO . .
OOTUNIAH
THE LIBRARY .
THE 15
W"
.\ N D
8'TH
I'AI.K
03
IK)
II.S
I JI
I-'.?
Ijf.
127
l-J.S
IV)
I u
I3J
134
•37
13')
141)
M3
M5
140
14S
I4'»
«5>
152
'54
158
'5')
Kio
Kil
I ''3
165
166
i(.7
i()(^
170
171
171
'73
174
174
■75
I7f)
17(1
160
181
182
1S4
185
185
186
187
188
•Il
XX
Illustrations
\
\> I
i<
THE WRITING-IJKSK
TIIK HEI)
THE WASHSTAM) .
NH'SANdWAH
TAHWANA ....
TAn.l'H'.CE ....
KOMONAHl'IK ....
HEADIMECE ....
THE I'ATH TO THE ICE-CAP
DICCINC; OUT ....
SUNRISE CAM!'
MOONI.KJHT ON THE ICE-CAP
SUNRISE ON THE "(IREAT ICE"
THE DENUDED CLIFFS
" EVERV liOULDER CASED IN ICE
JOSEPHINE HEADLAND SWIMMINCi IN PURI
RED c;LIFF HOUSE AFTER THE STORM
A.MONG THE RUINS
EFFECTINCi REPAIRS .
TAILPIECE ....
WOMAN AND CHILD
HEADPIECE ....
JACK
siiOEiNc. A sled(;e with ice
SHOEINC A SLED(;E WITH ICE
MATT AND ANNOWKAH RETURNING F
HUNT . .
SECTION OF ICIvSHOE ....
ESKIMO BITCH AND PUPPIES .
ICE-CAP HEVOND FOUR-MILE VALLEY
KOKO
THE WTDOW^ NUIKINGWAH
THE WIDOW'S MITE ....
EASTERN END OF HERBERT ISLAND
THE FIRST LOAD FOR THE ICE-CAP
TALAKOTEAH AND HIS FAMILY
FRANK. ITIE RETURNIN(i PRODIGAL
MY ESKIMO MAIL-CARRIER
SOME OF MY DOGS ....
ESKIMO NAMES OF PARHELIA .
ESKIMO SLEIXiE- TRAVELLER AND DOGS
i • vDPIECE
lA.M;. PA AND ins FAMHA' ' .' '.
AT .T. SNOW VILLAGE
MAi ul SLEDGE JOURNEY. APRIL 18-24,
1NF\HITANTS OF THE SNOW VILLAGE
::iriL .'MI
K! Ai'E PEOPLE ....
: HE I'OPULATION OF NETIULUMI
MERKTOSHAR
PANIKPA'S KJLOO ....
KIRSIRVIARSU
MY SLEEPING TEAM .
ROM THE DEER
1892
LE
,IGHT
PAGE
190
191
194
i')5
196
198
199
200
202
203
205
20f)
208
210
21 I
213
215
217
218
220
221
222
223
22il
227
228
229
230
231
232
235
23f)
237
239
240
241
243
246
247
248
249
250
252
253
255
256
257
259
260
261
r 1
Illustrations
XXI
ER
B
VC
LION ISL VNDS
ROCK STRATIKICATIOX
FACE OF IIEILI'KIN GLACIER "
TAIIWANA AND HIS FAMILY "
FACE OF HURLHUT GLACIER "
GORGE OF HURLHUT GLACIER*
BACK TO RED CLIFF
TAILPIECE
DOGS . ■ '■ •
HEADPIECE . ■
THE START FROM REl)" CLIFF "
THE CAMP ON THE BLUFFS "
PACKING .
UP THE RAVINE ' ' ' "
FIRST KiLOOON THE ICE-CAP '
THE CARAVAN IN LINE
A HALT FOR LUNCH
SUPPER IN CAMl-
(ilPSON, TEAM AND SLEDGF
DR. COOK. TEAM AND SLEDGE '
ASTRUP, TEAM AND SLEIHIF
O^IMK march'' ''"•^'''"'■''•'•<^'^^^'
1 A I IJ'IhC, r,
THE HOUR BEFORE SUPPER
HEADPIECE
^VnH THE GUIDON
ASTRUP AND MV DOGS "
LIKE A GREAT BED OF WHITE LAVA
CREVASSE OF THE "(iREVT ICF"
ICE-MOUND. PETERMANN BASIN
A TYPICAL CAMP
NAI.E(JAKSOAH
A BREAK-DOWN
HARD TIMES . " ' "
IN THE DEEP-SNOW REGION
BETTER GOING
SETTING THE COURSE ■
THE NORTHERN LAND
THE NORTHERN MORAINE '
MUSK-OX RENDEZVOUS ' ^ '
MY PADDED KAMIKS
TAILPIECE
NAVY (LIFE • • . .
HEADPIECE . ■ ■ ■ ■
DOWN OVER THE ROCKS "
EXHAUSTED WITH THE He"vT '
SOURCE OF THE ACADEM\- GLACIER
^v"^^.^ THE ACADEMY GLACIER
WANE-MARKED SANDSTONE
MY FIRST MUSK-OXEN " '
MUSK-OX SHEDDING WINTER COAT
K
PAGE
263
264
2f)5
267
2f)8
270
0-0
276
- 1 I
278
279
28l
2S2
283
286
288
289
2gr
292
293
294
296
297
300
301
302
304
305
3"7
30S
309
311
313
314
315
3J7
318
319
321
-^22
324
325
328
329
33"
331
333
334
335
337
339
!il
XXll
Illustrations
ROVAl, HAN(,)UET OF MV DOCIS .
CAMP MUSK-OX ....
VIEW FROM NAVV CLIFF .
ACADEMY GLACIER AND INDEI'ENDENCE BAY
THE STARS AND STRIFES AT NAVV CLIFF
PANORAMA NORTH-NORTHWEST FROM NAVV CLIFF,
BESIDE A BABBLING BROOK
MAP OF INDEPENDENCE BAY
TAILPIECE
SAILING ON THE "GREAT ICE"
HEADPIECE
PACKING FOR THE RETURN
STOR.M CAMP
PANIKPA
THE KITCHEN ....
POLLUX
SAILING
FOKE-AND-AFTER'S
SOLITUDE
CROSSING PRUDHOE LAND.
A HEAD-WIND
ON THE HOME STRETCH .
ON THE SUMMIT OF DOME .MOUNTAIN
PROF. HEILPRIN AND PARTY
A BEACON
DOWN THE LAST SLOPE
THE "KITE" FLOATING SNUGLY AT ANCHOR
TAILPIECE
FACE OF BOWDOIN GLACIER
HEADPIECE
MAP OF BOAT VOYAGE INGLEFIELD GULF
"WE MET MY BOYS" .
CAPE CLEVELAND ....
FAN GLACIER
KARNAH (iLACIER ....
KARNAII
A TITAN WA'ICH TOWER .
SOUTH GLACIER ....
WEST OR GNOME GLACIER
VIEW AT HEAD OF BOWDOIN BAY
EAST c;lacier ...
CASTLE CLIFFS ....
FACE OF HUBBARD GLACIER
MOUNT ADAMS ....
MOUNT PUTNAM ....
THE BRONZE SPHINX .
HART OR LIZARD GLACIER
ICE-WAVES OF THE MELVILLE GLACIEI
TRACY GLACIER
ORIENT CLIFFS OF TOSEPHINE-PEARY ISLAND
ERRATICS ON SUMM'IT OF lOSEPHINE-PEARY ISLAN
MRS. PEARY AND HER KAHLILLOWAH
LOOKING OUT OF ACADEMY BAY .
faces
D
PAGE
343
344
34(>
348
348
351
353
354
356
357
358
359
361
3f>3
3f'5
367
368
369
371
372
373
375
377
378
3S0
3S1
382
3S4
3S5
386
387
3S8
389
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
395
39C>
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
V*t
Illustrations
XXIll
MIDNIGHT SUN
PKICEl.ESS TREASURES H o m',V'"LD UTENSILS ,
THE ^f^:;rMSK^^ ^"^ ATAXEKKRDLUK-
GODHAAB ■ ■ • ■
CHAI'EI. AT GoijHAAIJ ' ' '
MORAVIAN MISSION ' ' "
SOMERSAULT IN KVV \k
SOUTHWARD WITH BFILYIKr ^att'c
TAILPIECE
ECLIPSE OF
HEADPIECE
CAPE YORK
THE CRIMSON CLIFFS
CONICAL ROCK
AKPANI CLIFFS
DALRVMPLE ROCK "
SAUNDERS ISLAND
OOMUNUI .
HAKLUVT ISLAND "
"'-".^''xDs''"'^'^"' -^O'^THUMbERLAND AND HAK
";iT"[-<J5[,ii1,']^i^°'^™UMEEI.
irFw ;>. '^^" GLACIERS OF HF
SOUTH GLACIER '
MT. RARTLETT
^'.^NTINEL NUNATAK .
iRCTSFSwF',^^^^°^'^°^^''^O^N-BAV
ARCTIC FLOWERS
KAHKOKTAH (J LACIER
GLACIER MARGIN
cTi"'^LEx':i'N\Ti;7'^^"°^'^-^'''"^
JUNE IN BOWDOIN R-Vy'
COAST WEST OF IIUniiARD GLACIER
AND ISLAND
HERT
H .
SLAND
U'
T
lAGE
407
408
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412
414
415
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4f)6
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403
469
XX1\^
Illustrations
V '
IRL
CHARACTERISTIC GLACIER SNOUT ....
CLIFFS OK KANGERDLOOKSOAII ....
NUNATAKS
LIT TLETO.X ISLAND FRO.M SITE OF POLARIS HOUSE
NOR TH SHORE, LITTLETON AND McGARY ISLANDS
CAIRN POINT ....
A SMITH-SOUND ESKIMO .
HEADPIECE ....
ATUPIK
AHSAYOO
MALE ETHNOLOGICAL SERIES
WIFE OF SOKER
EATING RAW WALRUS MEAT
TUNGWINGWAH AND HER I5AHY
FEMALE ETHNOLOGICAL SERIES
"MISS15ILL" ....
FIGURE OF EIGHT- YEAR-OLD G
NUPSAH
NUPSAH
GROUP OF ESKIMO WOMEN .
WRESTLING ....
BO.XING
ARM PULL
COSTU.ME OF AN ESKIMO WOM.
WRIST PULI
'I'U(; OF WAR ....
ESKIMOS IN THEIR KAYAKS
POOADLOONAH
MOTHER OF SEALS
PRAIhINc; A BOWSTRING .
STRETCHING A SEALSKIN TO I^RY
MAKING A HARl'OON LINE
STRETCHING A HARPOON LINE
GRAVE OF A HI NTER .
FACE CARVED FROM VERTEBRA
KOODLOOKTOO
\N
OF NARWHAL
PAGE
470
473
474
475
478
479
480
481
4S2
483
484
4S5
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487
4S8
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4';3
494
495
4()f)
4')7
49S
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502
503
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505
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507
iH
I i !
PREFACE.
THIS narrative has hccn written to supply a com-
plete authentic record of my Arctic work.— a
record which I owed it to mv family, my friends,
and myself to put in permanent form. It is my first
and only book, and it co\ers all m\- Arctic work.
It contains the cream of my Arctic material, liter-
ary and pictorial. The reader will hnd no paddin«r.
ivly constant aim has been condensation. The reader
wdl find neither resumes of prexious work, nor con-
stant reference to other explorers. This is not be-
cause I do not appreciate their maLrnificent achieve-
ments, and have not profited b\- the experieilce of
Kane, Hayes, Hall, Greely, Melville, and the Ion-
list of my crallant countrymen, as well as those of othe7-
countries, my predecessors, but because I have no
room or riirht to rehash their experiences and results.
1 he mterested reader can go to their oriL^inal narra-
tives, and there learn, in their own words,' as much or
as little of their work as he pleases. As to constant
comparisons with the work of others, the curs()r\-
reader will not care for these. The specialist can
make them himself.
The constant incentive in my work has been an
ineradicable feeling that I saw soiiK^thing before me
worthy and possible of accomplishment," and that I
could never have content until it was done, or that I
had satisfied myself that I was not the one to do it.
\iii.. I.
XXVI
Preface
n
1!
h 1!
■: 1
"While it is lK)[)(jd the narrative itself will not be
lackin^L^ in attractiveness, yet I feel, outside of this,
that it and the accurate and profuse illustrations, most
of which are not only " pictures," but typical studies of
the features and objects which they represent, will
prove of pronounced educational value in showing
what the Arctic regions, with their inhabitants and
the phases of life there, are reall)' like.
While I have endeavoured in these pages to care-
fully sum up the general aspects and results of my
work, I desire it to be clearly understood that I have
made no attempt to have the data I accumulated set
forth with scientific fulness and detail.
It has been my aim to make this book worthy of
and adapted for the most general reading, yet at the
same time to give it a character that may, I trust,
secure for it the attention of Arctic students and scien-
tific specialists.
My Expeditions have gathered valuable scientific
material in ethnology, meteorology, geography, and
natural history. This material has not as yet been
digested and collated ])y experts. When it has it will
be presented in monograph form.
Dependent upon the results of my coming Expe-
dition, this book will clear the field for something
further, or will form the complete record of my Arctic
work.
R. E. PEARY,
Civil Engineer, United States Navy.
New York, May, 1898.
V
h,
INTRODUCTION.
( >
li i
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:^y-.^
4
.1
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a.
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X
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\l
INTRODUCTION.
<
0.
o
X
M
Y Arctic work com-
p. isL'S :
/s/. A summer
voyao^c and reconnais-
sance of the Greenland
Inland Ice, 1886.
2(il. A thirteen-months'
sojourn in Northern
Greenland, including a
t \v e 1 y e -h u n d r e d - m i 1 e
sledi^e journey across the
ice-cap, and the determin-
ation of the insularity of Greenland, 1891-92.
j{/. A twenty-five-months' stay in North Greenland,
including a second twelve-hundred-mile sledge jour-
ney across the ice-cap, the completion of the study
of the Whale-Sound natives, a detail survey of that
region, and the discovery of the great Cape- York
meteorites, 1893-95.
^///. Summer voyages in 1896 and 1897, including
the securing of the last and the largest of the great
Cape-York meteorites, the 90-ton mass.
Before taking up these expeditions in their order, I
will attempt to bring home to the reader a realistic
conception of what the land which has been the scene
of action is actually like.
Stretchin^r southward over the swelling bosom of
the earth, Greenland is the pendent brooch in the
In ]
XXIX
XXX
Introduction
I
■ 'I
^litterlny^ necklace of snow and ice which circles the
North I'olc.
It is an Arctic island-continent, the most interesting^
of Arctic lands ; a lantl of startliiv' contrasts ; a
land
of mitlnii^ht suns and noonday nii^hts ; of tropical
skies and et<.:rnal ice ; of mountains with sides still
tini^ed with the dee|) warm jj^low of ancient volcanic
ires.
and
summits huUlen beneath caps ot e\ erlastm
ith
)f
"rlasti
IP'
snow,
I fancy most of my readers will be surprised to
learn that (irt!(Miland has a history accented b)- events
as strange as its own midnight sunliirht and far-stretch-
iuij^ snow-tields.
Nine hundrt'd )ears a^o. lu'ik, an Iceland outlaw,
discovered the country and named it Greenland, " be-
cause," he said, " people would sooner be induced to
iro thither in case it had a ii^ood name." Shrewd old
land ai^ent ! I'Vom the colony founded by him, his
son Lief and other restk;ss spirits sallied forth to the
discovery of the New World. Centuries after, from
these icebero-haunted seas, went forth, it is said, a
gleaminsj^ pile of walrus tusks, tribute for the Crusades.
Then a hostile tleet descended upon the colonies,
and ravished away many of the inhal)itants, to replace
those carried off by the plai^ue, or " black death," in
Europe. Straui^e anomaly — Greenland repopulatin^^
Europe ! Finally, the last of the shipmasters who
knt;w the route to Greenland were assassinated by
German merchants to whom they refused to sell their
cargoes, and Greenland in the fifteenth century
dropped out of the world and was absolutely forgotten
before the voyages of Columbus.
A century or more later, Davis rediscovered the
" Land of Desolation," but the colonists had disap-
peared, and to-day, though the Danes occupy nearly
all the inhabitable land in Greenland, only scattered
ICS,
ace
in
tten
the
Introduction
XWl
ruins of houses and churclu's have been found, and
these are mute as to the mysterious fate uf their
former inhabitants.
CnioL^rapiiicall)' and topoi^rapliically, Grcenhmd ha^
been, since- tht; tiay its black chits U)ometl throu^li tl\e
Arctic f()<4- u[)()n the eyes of Mrik, a land of mystery,
antl a source of constantly increasing interest and
speculation.
It has be-en traced farther into the tcj-ra inco<^iiita
that encompasses the Pole than any other land on the
globe, antl there are reasons for thinkinj^^ that its
northern headlantl may be one abutment of a britlLje
of islands, over which, throui^h years of Arctic summer
day and \vinte»- ni^rht, a portion of the human race
slowly migrated from Siberia, via the Pole, to this
hemis[)here.
Its interior is the last of those jrlacial conditions
which for aij^es submerged northern Europe, and
northern North America, in its icy flood.
Its northern shores are famous with the namt^s of
Americans who have drajj^s^ed its sable headlands and
icy bays out of the Arctic foi,^ and night.
From Cape Farewell, its southern extremity, in the
same latitude as Christiania, St. Petersburg, and
Mount St. Elias, to Cape Washington, its northern-
most known limit, in latitude 83° 38' N., the distance
is fifty miles greater than the extreme width of the
United States, from the mouth of the Rio Grande to
the 49th parallel. It is probable, however, that its
northern limit is near or within the 85th parallel, in
which case its extreme length is some 1 739 statute
miles, about the same as the air-line distance from
Washington to the City of Mexico. From Cape
Hatherton, its most westerly, to Cape Bismarck, its
most easterly, known limit, is six hundred and ninety
miles.
f
V
■I
t
)
n
'^
XXXIl
Introduction
Its ar(!a is from 740,000 to 750,000 scjuarc miles,
al)oiit the same as tiiat of Mexico, and four times
the area of the New Iiiii^land and Middle States.
No less than four-fifths of this area, or 600,000 scjuare
miles, equivahMit to three times the area of France or
th(? Cierman Fmpire, and thirteen times the area of
Pennsylvania, is covered by the Inland Ice.
The population of the country is about t(,'n thousand.
Two or three hundred of this number are Danes lo-
cated south of yTf^ N. Lat., and the Danish Crown
has a fleet of six or eii^dit ships, for transportiui^^ the
blubber, eiderdown, ivory, and furs obtained in the
southern part of the country.
The coast is bold and mountainous, cut by numerous
de(,'p fjords, and protected by an advance _t(uard of out-
lyiui^ rocky islands. Some of these fjords e'Xtend
inland a distance of sixty to eij^hty miles, and many of
th(Mn are the outlets of great glacier streams from the
Inland Ice.
Hut it is in the character of its interior that the chief
interest centres. We all have a g(.'neral idea of Green-
land, and know that its interior is covered with snow
and ice, yet the actual facts art; so different from any-
thing existing in lower latitudes, so entirely dissimilar
from anything with which we are personally acquainted,
and which we might use as a fountlation from which to
start our conception, that I doubt if one in ten, even of
the best-read, has a true conception of the actuality of
this gr'^at glacial continent.
All '.here is of land, as we understand the term, in
Greenland, is a ril)l)on five to twenty-five (and in one or
two places sixty to eighty) miles in width, along the
coast, made up of mountains and valleys and deep
branching fjords ; surroundc^d by the Arctic Sea, play-
ground of the iceberg and the pack ice, and itself in turn
surrounding and supporting, like aTitan dam, the great
I
'I
I
Introtluction
XXXUl
wliitt! ice-cap benciitli which the intt-'rior of the- coun-
try is buricil. Wlicn I say this, I am sure most of
us immediately tliink of soiik,* particularly mountain-
ous rcL^^ion with which we are familiar, as for instance
the Rockies, the Sierras, the Alps, or the Tyrenees,
covered scneral hundreil feet deep in snow and ice,
yet still retainiuL; the orij^dnal irrei^ularities of the
rci^ion. Such a mental picture, however, would in no
way represent the conditions of interior (ireenland.
There, the accumulated snow precipitation of cen-
turies, in a latitude and altitude where it is practically
correct to say that it never rains and the snow does
not nu-.h even in the lon^r summer da)', has gradually
filled all the valleys of the interior, until it has levelled
them even with the mountain summits, anil still l>ilinjr
hij^dier throui^h the centuries, has at last buried the
hiij^hest of these mountain summits hundreds and
even thousamls of feet deep in snow and ice.
Tht; interior of Greenland to-day is simply an ele-
vated unbroken plateau of snow, lifted from five
thousand to eij^dit thousand and even ten thousand
feet above tlu; level of the sea ; a hui^e white ^iisteninj^
shield some twc-lve hundred miles in leULTth and five
hundrc;d miles in width, resting; on the supportinj^
mountains. It is an Arctic Sahara, in comparison
with which the African Sahara is insi_L,niificant. lM)r
on this frozen Sahara of inner Greenland occurs no
f
orm o
f lif
e, annual or veL''(
tabl(
no
fra
Limen
t of
rod
no
Lorain of sand is visible. The traveller
across its frozen wastes, travellint!;- as I have week
after week, sees, outside of himself and his own
party, but three thinL;s in all the world, namely, the
infinite expanse; of the frozen jjlain, the infinite dome
of the cold blue sky, and the cold wliite sun, — nothintr
but these. The travelh^r, too, across this frozen desert
knows that at no time durinsj^ his journey are the hiu^h-
I
s:
XXXIV
Introduction
est rocks of the mounlain summits l)elow him nearer
than from one thousand to five thousand feet down
throui^h the mighty hhmket of snow, vSuch is the in-
terior of Greenhind, and it is upon the surface of this
uphfted desolation, in nearly strais^^ht lines, at a constant
elevation of from five thousand to eii^ht thousand feet
above the level of the sea, that my sledsj^e journeys
have been made, in widest contradistinction to the
road of the usual Arctic sled^^e-party, the frozen sur-
face of the polar sea at the sea-level, alonij;- and out-
side of the rao^jj^ed periphery of an Arctic coast-line.
In the fall of 1885, I had completed my work on
the maps and plans of the Government Nicarasj^ua In-
teroceanic Ship-Canal Survey, from which I had re-
turned the previous summer, and affairs had taken on
an aspect which made it seem as if the project would
inevitably be postponed indefinitely.
Somethinjj^ was necessary to occupy my leisure
from Navy-Yard routine, and take the place of the
subject to which I had devoted my surplus energ'y
for the past six years.
One evenini^, in one of my favourite haunts, an old
book-store in Washino^ton, I came upon a fuo^itive
paper on the Inland Ice of Greenland. A chord,
which, as a boy, had vibrated intensely in me at the
readinjj^ of Kane's wonderful book, was touched ai^^ain.
I read all I could upon the subject, noted the conflict-
injj^ experiences of Nordenskjold, Jensen, and the rest,
and felt that I must see for myself what the truth
was of this i^reat mysterious interior.
My summer voyaj^e to Greenland in 1886 and re-
connaissance of the Inland Ice (Part I. of this narra-
tive) was the outcome.
In a paper read before the National Academy of
Sciences at Washington, April 23, 1886, occurs the
following- :
4
A
Introduction
XXXV
re-
'a-
lof
he
" After a perusal of these attempts [to explore the
Inland Ice|, the truth of the followinir statement will,
I think, be apparent, viz. : Not one sini^de d(!termined
effort having for its goal the east coast of Greenland
has ever been made, and there is nothing to show
that an intelligent and determined effort and the de-
votion of an entire season to the work would not be
crowned with success. The question that naturally
arises then is, how can it be done ?
" There are two ways : one is to start from, say,
Auleitsivik Fjord, and travel south-easterly to the
coast south of Cape Uan, then to follow the coast
round Cape F"arewell to the settlements. This might
take two seasons to accomplish, as, after reaching the
coast, one would nece' .arily, to a large extent, be de-
pendent on the movements of the natives. The dis-
tance across at this point is, however, less than four
hundred statute miles, and I have not the slightest
doubt but that, by starting at the right season of a
favourable year, the distance across and back could
be accomplished in one summer.
" The other, more arduous, but at the same time
more attractive, route has for its origin Whale Sound
or vicinity, and for its finish, a point on the unknown
east coast near the 8oth parallel, and this route I
believe to be the key to the solution of the Greenland
prol^lem. This, I believe, is the way by which not
only the crossing of Greenland but the delineation
and closing of its coast-line will be accomplished."
In an interview before starting, published in the
New York Herald, May 8, 1886. appears the following :
" For the accomplishment of the simple feat of
crossing, he | Peary] believes a route from Nordensk-
jold's base at Auleitsivik Fjord, in a south-easterly
direction to the east coast near the Graah Islands,
south of Cape Dan, offers facilities superior perhaps
ii 1
(I
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\\
(1 I
n
■I
iii
f ;.
1) t ''
XXXVl
Introduction
to any oth(.T. The distance is less than four hundred
miles, and though there is a possibility that the trip
out and back miii^ht, with an early star, and under
very favourable circumstances, be made in a season,
the chances are that the return would be made along
the coast to Cape Farewell.
" A third route, in which the fact of crossing to the
east coast would be of secondary importance, a step
to somethiuLT more, has for its oriirin Whale Sound
or vicinity, and for its finish a point on the unknown
east coast near the 8oth parallel. This route,
once shown to be practicable, would be the key to the
solution of the Greenland problem, and would be the
way by which the delineation and closing of the coast-
line of Greenland will be accomplished, with the least
risk and at the least expense."
It will be observed that the route by which Nansen
attempted to cross Greenland in 1888, is here pointed
out, and that my own journey from Whale Sound to
Independence Bay, accomplished in 1892, was already
fully developed in my mind.
Returnino; from mv reconnaissance, full of enthusi-
astic plans for accomplishing the crossing of Green-
land and then attacking the problem of its northern
extension, I found the Nicaragua project infused with
new life and blood, and the next two yearf> of my
time were devoted to it, part of the time at home,
part in command of the Locating Expedition in
N icara<>:ua.
Returning from this work, I was detailed to League
Island, Philadelphia, in charge of the construction of
the timber dry dock, about to be commenced at the
Navy Yard there. A brief paper covering my sum-
mer's work, noting my deductions, and formulating
my comprehensive plan for the overland exploration
of Greenland was published in the Bulletin of the
Iwu
Introduction
XXXVll
American GcoQ^raphica I Society for December, i S86.
In 1888, Nansen effected the crossing- of Southern
Greenhind, startinir on the shortest of m>' indicated
routes, l)ut beiuij;- compelled Lo modify his plans and
finally crossing on a route two hundred and eii^^hty
miles lonj^'.
This forestallinor of my work ' was a serious blow to
me ; but my duty to the Service left me helpless, and
I could only fall back upon the other northern route.
Needless to say my project was always with me, and
as soon as the dry dock neared completion I put my
plan in formal shape, and presented it for the con-
sideration and endorsement of prominent societies
and individuals : Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences, American Geographical Society, National
Geographical Society, and Brooklyn Institute. It
was unanimously endorsed by all these, and the Navy
Department having been sounded informally, I sent
in an application for eighteen months' leave, accom-
panied by a brief of my project and the strongest let-
ters from Judge D 'ly, Professors Leidy, Putnam,
Adams, and others. Aly object was to reach and
determine the northern limit of Greenland overland,
/. c, across the Inland Ice.
The salient features of my plan were :
First and foremost, the utilisation of the elevated
surface of the great interior sea of ice lying within
the coast-land ribbon, as a direct and imperial high-
way to the point of destination.
Second, a party of minimum size.
Third, entire reliance upon the game of the region
!
',
' " Peary and Maigaard, with their scanty e(iuipnient, had made a highly suc-
cessful inroad upon the (ireenland ice-tiehl, intended, as I'cary had exjiressly
stated in his brief narrative, merely as a preliminary reconnaissance. A'ansfii
had no time to lose if he did not 7oa>it to be anticipated." — Fridtiof Nansen,
Longmans, CJreen, & Co., i.^()(>, p. 160.
^.'■f
'I
II
n
111 ll^^
^^-r--
'^z-
l(
Introduction
XXXIX
about my base, or headquarters, for the meat-supply
of my party.
Fourth, extreme lio;'htness and compactness of
sledi^es and equipment, rendered possible by the sur-
face to l)e traversed.
Fifth, the presence of the leader of the Expedition
in the van of exploration.
My application was favourably endorsed by the
Commandant at LeaL(ue Island, Captain H. B. Seeley,
U. S. N. ; by the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and
Docks, Commodore Norman H. T'arquhar, U. S. N.,
hero of the Samoan disaster ; and was iinmediately
i^ranted by the Secretary of the Navy, Hon. Benj.
l\ Tracy.
The American Geooraphical Society then appro-
priated $1000; Professor Putnam assi^^ned $1000
for an ethnoloL^ical exhibit for the Columbian Expo-
sition ; the New York S?in offered $1000 for letters;
Verhoeff contributed $2000 ; and Professor Heilprin,
of the Philadelphia Academy, organised an auxiliary
expedition, the members of which contributed amounts
which, toij^'ether with smaller amounts from various
friends and a few thousand dollars of my own, per-
mitted the fitting out of my North-Greenland Expe-
dition of 1891-92, and the chartering of a ship to take
it north.
An explicit statement is necessary here to correct
erroneous impressions. The Philadelphia Academy
was the first institution to which my project was pre-
sented, and the first to endorse and commend it,
which it did in warm and unequivocal terms. As an
institution, however, the Academy never appropriated
or contributed a dollar to the Expedition. Members
of the Academy, in their private capacity, did con-
tribute powerfully, both in work and money, towards
its success.
I
I
:7
il
^l
KJkM4.J^^''Uz^<2^^^:ziA
1 -
lntro^.!uction
xli
To the personal interest, friendship, and intense en-
ere,'^y and push of Prof. Anj^elo Heilprin, Curator of
the Acadeni)', was I indebted, more than to any other
one person, not only for the ofihcial action of the
Academy, but for the unofficial interest and efforts
of its members, which assured the balance of the
funds necessary to make the affair a success.
To the late distinj^uished President Leidy and the
Council of the Academy of National Sciences of
Philadelphia ; to Prof. F. \V. Putnam, of the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement of Science ; to
Judi^e Charles P. Daly, President of the American
GeoL^raphical Society ; to Prof. ¥. \V. Hooper, Di-
rector of the Brooklyn Institute ; to President A.dams
and the Executive Committee of the GeOLj^raphical
Department of the Brooklyn Institute ; to Professors
Lee and Young and the President and other mem-
bers cf the faculty of Bowdoin College, my Alma
Mater, I was indebted for cordial and most valuable
endorsement of my project.
To Secretary Tracy I was indebted for my leave,
for his approv^al of my project, and for his kindly in-
terest in my plans ; and to Commodore Farquhar
and Chief-Engineer Melville, chiefs, respectively, of
the Bureaus of Yards and Docks, and Steam Engi-
neering, for kindly ofifices which no others were in
a position to render so effectively.
To the National Geographic Society I am under
obligations for its interest in my work, and to the So-
ciety and Miss Ulrica Dahlgren for a beautiful flag,
to be carried to the " farthest."
Though friends in the Portland Society of Natural
History, and others, accompanied their wishes for
success with tangible enclosures, it was to the Ameri-
can Geographical Society, and particularly to the
efforts of the active, enthusiastic members of the North-
I
(I, '
4-
Ml'
V .
V ^
imt
lii
Xlll
Introduction
Greenland Committee of the Philadelphia Academy
of Natural Sciences, Professors Leidy, Sharp, Heil-
prin, and Brinton, Mr, Hart, and Drs. Ruschen-
berirer and McCook, that I was indebted for the
sinews of war necessary, in addition to my own re-
sources, to fit out my I^xpedition.
And when the unlooked-for point-blank refusal of
the Dundee whalinj^ companies and the director of
the Greenland trade to give my party transportation
to Greenland in any of their vessels, on any terms,
made it necessary to charter a vessel for the purpose,
Professor Putnam, in behalf of his Department of
Ethnology of the World's P^air, Mr. Yerhoeff, and
the organisation by Professor Heilprin of a party of
scientific men to make a summer scientific cruise, as-
sured the additional funds necessary to meet the more
than doubled expense.
Thus the North-Greenland Expedition of 1891-92.
(Part II,) After my return from this Expedition, on
the K//c, which again, through the indefatigable en-
ergy and efforts of Professor Heilprin and friends in
the Academy had been sent for me, — though I felt my
friends were right in saying that I had accomplished
a brilliant feat in my long sledge journey, — I was far
from satisfied. I felt that there was still further im-
portant work to be done in the north, and 7W7a, while
the iron was hot, and I armed with the experience
already gained.
An important factor in this connection was a prop-
osition made by Major Jas. B. Pond, the widely known
lecture impresario, in regard to a series of lectures.
This proposition promised to yield me the funds for
another expedition, which should be on a more pre-
tentious scale than the first. But for this I needed
an additional leave, which I had reason to believe
would not be readily granted.
t>-
I
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Introduction
XllU
n
1
I approached Dr. Nolan, Secretary of the Acad-
emy. Mis advice was: " See the President, General
Wistar. If he favours your scheme he can assist you
in obtaininL^ your leave ; if not, the Academy will
take no steps." My interview with General Wistar
took place the same day. At its close he said : " I
believe you should have the opportunity to carry out
your project. On the understanding^ that the Acad-
emy will not be calUxl upon for any money, its endow-
ment not beiuLj lawfully available for this purpose, and
will not be responsible for the risks to yourself and
companions, I will use my best efforts to obtain your
leave." With this powerful influence in my favour, I
felt the thiuLi^ alri^ady done. Assisted by his friends,
I)rs. Chapman and Dixon of the Academy, General
Wistar presented the matter to the Navy Department
in such a convincini^ lii^ht that the Secretary, Hon. B.
F. Tracy, at once granted me three years' leave.
This was November, 1892. I had six months in
which to raise the funds, organise my party, and equip
and fit my Expedition. It was too much work for the
time, and though it was done, some of it was not care-
fully done. This applies specially to the selection of
my party. Carried away by enthusiasm, and with no
time in the rapid whirl of effort for a calm considera-
tion of the matter, I made the fatal mistake of taking,
contrary to my expressed theory, a large party. I
found, when too late, that I had very little suitable
timber for Arctic work in it.
From my lectures, of which I delivered one hundred
and sixty-eight in ninety-six days, I raised $13,000;
Mrs. Peary put in v.W the money received for her
books ; the American Geographical Society again con-
tributed $1000; the New York Si/// doubled its offer
of the previous year, for letters ; and receipts from
other sources amounted to two or three thousand.
II-:
[\
l^'
m
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j4i^y[^^ ^' f3nu^
yyuh^
-^
Introduction
xlv
Still the total was not siithciiMit, and just at this
tiiiu- th(,' silver panic niatcrialis(;il, and it was im-
possible to _L(et any society or indivitlual interested.
I had already chartertxl my shi[), ordered my etpiip-
ment ami suppli(.'s. enlisted my party, antl now had
not sufficient funds to meet the demantls. What was
to he (lone? At this crisis a friend sui^Li^ested put-
tiuL;' m\- ship on exhibition, and raising- the balance
needed in this manner. I hesitated some time. The
idea was extremely distasteful to me, but there was
no other alternative, and the people of Philadelphia,
New York, iioston, and Portland wen; oiven an op-
portunit\- to visit the ship on the i)ayment of a nom-
inal admission.
As a result, the quarters of the people made up
the needed balance.
The North Greenland Expedition of ICS93-94 ( Part
III.) sailed in the Falcon, June, 1893.
This time my ship, a much larjj^erone than the Kih\
was chartered for two voyages — to take me north
and briuL^; me back. She returned for me in 1S94
with Mr. H(Miry G. P)r)ant, of Philadelphia, who had
been Prof. Heilprin's second in command in 1S92, in
command of an auxiliary expedition. I\Iy expenditures
the previous year had been in excess of my ttstimates,
and now the balance necessary to pa\' the exj)c;nses of
the shii) was met bv \w\ mother, and the; (efforts of
Prof. Heilprin in orLj^anisinjj;- the auxiliary party.
M\- i^n;vious \ear's work not havintjf been success-
ful. I remained, with Lee and Henson, while tlu- rest
of the partv returned. Mrs. Pear\- ami our little L^irl
also cauK; home. WHiile .iiJl'oinor from Phila(leli)hia to
St. John's, after landinLT the part\-. the /ui/con, with all
on hoard, was lost.
All
m\- own means and Mrs. Pcar\-'s as w(.'ll had
now \)v('\\ cxlKUisletl, and it de\()
Ived
u[)on her. single-
ll
. !
I
I,,
Iiitroiluctiun
.\ 1 \' i i
«
^
handed, to raisf tin* nionc)- to send a ship tor me ami
ni)' coiiipaiiioiis the follow ini:;" year.
IliTinost c-ariifst cllorts im-t with i)iii ill siiccfss
in raisiiiLi; iIk- total amoiiiu, alt!i()U;4h tin: Anicrifan
Gcoi^iaphical Socict)' ai^ain canic forward with $I(hh),
tht; American Museum of Natural llistor\' a|>|)roj)ri-
atcd $1000, tlu; (ieoi^raphical Cluh of Philadelphia,
through tlu: efforts of i'roit'ssor I li ilprin. its I*resident,
raised
$760 t(
o scMid one ot lis memhers. the
Nat
lona
Cicoj^raphical Society organised a lecture which netted
Mrs. Peary $400, and sexcral friends, j udL;e I )al\', Miss
'Ihorn, Mrs. I»r\ant, Mr. P)arinL;. Mr. Pry.ml, and Mr.
I'arrish, contributed \arious sums.
At this juiutiu'e. the President of the American
Museum, Morris K. |esup, in his private capacity,
stepped in, with unexampled generosity, and i^uaran-
te((l whate\-er hahuice mii^dit be necessar)' to complete
th(! full amount, and the /vZ/i- aj^ain went noilh in
1S95, with Mr. Mmil Diehitsch — whose experience in
I S94 especially htted him for the place, who had eiven
his time and ener^)' unresiTvedly to aid Mrs. Peary,
and who now unselt'ishly set aside his own affairs en-
tirely—in command of the Plxpedition.
Keturnini^ from this I'^xptnlition exhaust(;d l)\- the
strain of my ic(!-cap journe\', and, as 1 now aj)preciate,
not myself jjhysically or mentally, I felt as if my
Arctic efforts were ended, and th(.' fact that there
were two well-equipped exjx'ditions still in the field,
itl
witli a «'()Oil clKuice ot accomn
.lisl
imo
tl
leu' objects
m
iide me feel as if my life-work had been a failure
ri
lere were s
till
some untmished threat
is of
m
work to be knotttxl, before I loosened nu' ,L;rasp upon
it antl turned nncyes away from my dream, — threads
which my strui^Lde for som(!thini^- more imf)ortant had
■ft
me no tmu; to alterid to.
Th
le i)rmcu)al one o
f
these items of unfinished business was the securi
nsj'
.
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I
I
,.,i
Introduction
XllX
of tho third, last, and largest of the ^reat Cape-York
meteorites wliicli I had discovered in 1894, and to ac-
coniphsh this I wi's anxious to make another summer
voyage.
There was very stroni;- (opposition to my obtaining
t\\v. necessary leave for this, but President Jesup's
powerful influence, assisted by the personal efforts
of Hon. W'm. C. Whitney, overcame it, and the
oi)i)ortunity was affordc;cl me of making the summer
voyage of 1896.
Returning from this voyage unaccomjjanied by the
meteorite, owing to hostile conditions, I was met by
the news of Nansen's return from his three years'
drift through the joolar basin, and his attainment of
an exceptionally high northing, and U'arned that
during the long drift no land had been seen from the
/v-<?w, though she had passed across a line drawn
from r>anz Joseph Land to the Pole. This vetoed
Jackson's hopes and eliminated the entire Siberian
half of the ;.olar basin from any further serious con-
sick'ration as a jjossible route for reaching the Pole.
The summer's voyage and the Arctic atmosphere had
brushed away the last vestige of the previous year's
exhaustion and morbidness. I felt once more my
old-time r/c?// and sanguineness. The fact that the
WvAd was not only still open, but that the plan nest-
ling fully developed in my mind before my return
was now proven to be not merely the mos/ practicable
but the o;i/y remaining practical one by which to reach
the yet unsealed apex of the earth, filled me with
new hopes and courage.'.
Plans which, though fully developed before, it
would have been entirely [)remature to have put
forth previous to the finale of Nansen's and Jackson's
work, were now ripe for promulgation, and at the
annual meeting of the American Geographical So-
il
1 <
w
k
A
■J
i
r
{QliAAAX.. /OIlXvU^it_
*;
I
Introduction
li
I
ciety, January 12, 1897, on the occasion of thu Soci-
ety's presentation to me of the first CuUum Medal, I
broached my project for effectin<j^ "the concjiiest of
the North Pole, the complete delimitation of the
Greenland Archipelago, and the elimination from our
maps of the unknown area between the 84th parallel
and the Pole."
My plan was in brief: "To raise a fund sufficient
to insure the continuation of the work of explora-
tion for five years, if necessary, say $150,000. and
deposit it in a trust company ; purchase a ship ; give
her a minimum crew ; load with concentrated pro-
visions ; proceed to W hale Sound ; take on board
several picked families of my faithful Eskimos, with
their tents, canoes, dogs, etc. ; force a way through
Robeson Channel to Sherard-Osborn Fjord or farther,
and land people and stores ; then send the ship back.
As soon as the fre(;zing of the ice in the great fjords
of the north-west coast would permit sledge travel, the
work of advancing supplies north-eastward along the
coast would be commenced, taking comparatively
short stages ant' ii.^'lit loads so that the trips coultl be
quickly made. As soon as the supj)lies had been ad-
vanced the first stage, the party itself would move
forward, leaving a cache behind, and as they would be
following Eskimo customs and living in snow houses,
this could easily be done. Then the second stage of
advance would be taken up, and the work carried on
until the departure of the sun. P2ach of the brilliant
winter moons of the polar night would afford op-
portunities for continuing it, so that -'>arly spring
should find the party and the bulk of its supplies lo-
cated at the northern terminus of the North-Cireen-
land Archipelago, probably not far from the 85th
parallel, with caches behind it at each prominent
headland. From this point, when the proper time
' I
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Introduction
i ,'
^ii,
came, with picked dojj^s, the Hsj^htest possible equip-
ment, and two of the best of the TLskimos, the dash
for the Pole would be attempted with stroni^ proba-
l)ilities of a successful termination. Should the first
season be unfavourable as regards ice conditions, it
woukl be devoted to a detailed survey of the archipel-
ai^o itself and a reconnaissance of the east coast as
far south as possible, and the northern journey re-
served for the followintj^ season, or the next. Each
succeedinjj^ summer the ship would i'ttempt to estab-
lish communication with the party's base, succeeding
probably every other year at first, then, ..ith increas-
in<^ experience, ever\' year, and keej) up its supply of
food, doL;s, and Eskimos until the objects of the Ex-
pedition were accomplished. Should the ship be un-
successful in the passaLi'e of Rol)eson Channel the
first year, the party would land at Hayes Sound, and
devote the first year to explorations of that unknown
reij^ion. Retreat from the colony at Sherard-Osborn
Fjord would always be practicable across the Inland
Ice to Whale Sound.
" In a nutshell my project contemplates:
" r irst : The raisiuLT of a sum sufficient to insure
persistent, continued effort, so that if the attempt
fails the first )'ear it can l)e repeated the next, and the
next, and the next until it is done.
" Second : The establishment of a party of picked
Eskimo families, a sur^^eon, and an experienced leader
at the hii^hest practicable point on the north-west
coast of Greenland ; with ample supplies, means of
communication, which would enable the colony to sus-
tain itself until its work is accomplished, and with a prac-
tical line of retreat entirely independent of the ship."
The approval of the project was immediate and
emphatic, and my friends bei^an steps to permit its
beino- put into execution. The funds havin^^' been
Introduction
liii
assured,' the only remainini^ thinq" was the necessary
extended leave from the Navy Department.
The opposition which had made itself felt in my
previous work was now so determined, concentratetl,
and bitter, that though the stronsj^est memorials were
presented to the Navy Department by President
Jesup of the American Museum of Natural History,
President Daly of the American Geographical So-
ciety, and uri^ed by the most prominent business and
scientific men in the country, it took the splendid
force, personal efforts, and persuasive eloqu(?nce of
Charles A. Moore, in a direct appeal to his friend.
President McKinley, to obtain from him an intimation
that it would please the President if the necessary
leave were granted me.
«ved
Ider
'est
of
iUS-
•ac-
ind
its
;en
' Report ok the Committke appointed Feurtary 6, iSijy, to consider
AND report upon A yCUEME FOR PoLAR EXPLORATION SUBMITTED BY
R. E. Peary, U.S.N.
To the Council if the American Geoi^rapliical Society.
Gentlemen :
Your Coiiiniittee. having examined and considered Mr. R. E. Peary's pro-
ject of jioiar exploration, resjjectfully report that tliey tind it clearly stated and
well reasoned, antl in their juds^nient (so far as men not pcr>onally familiar
with the conditions of Arctic life can he sup-posed to form a judgment), prat:ti-
cable and worthy of sujiport.
In itself and keeping in view tiie o])jects sought to be attained — the added
distinction to he won for .\merica, and the increase of knowledge among men —
and the cliances of success, the attemjit is one that ouglit to he made.
Considering Mr. Peary's rare experience and his remarkable (pialilications
of energy, ]irudence, tenacity, and fitness for command, it must lie regarded as a
singular advantage for his C(juntry that he stands ready to undertake the task for
which his natural gifts and his acquirements have lilted him beyond other men.
Your Committee submit, and recommend for adojition, the following reso-
tion :
A'esolTed, that the Council of the .\merican deographical Society heartily
approves the project of ])olar exjiloration laid before it by Civil-Engineer K. E.
Peary, L'. S. .\., and will gladly contribute towards the expense of the same,
]"irovidetl such contribution is needed and will be acceptable, and that otiier sub-
scriptionb, buflicieat to warrant tlie umiertaking, are secured by Mr. Pear).
Respectfully submiitetl.
UaNCKOI- i ' "iIIEKAKDI, \
Charles 1'. Daly, |- Committee.
Chandler Rcjhbins, )
New York, February 20, 1897.
\K
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Introduction
Iv
The immediate outcome of that leave was tlie voy-
a_L(e of hist summer the Sixth Peary Expedition (Part
v.), in which thi- work of instructini^ my natives as to
the com.inL( year, in accordance with my proj^ramme,
was successfully accomplished, and the great meteor-
ite also safely brouL^ht home.
In conclusion, the men to whose personal interest,
efforts, and inlluence has been due, more than to any-
one else, my ability to untlertake my various voyaij^es,
are in chronological order: Prof. Anij^elo lleilprin of
PhilacU;l[)hia, President of the GeoL,^raphical Club of
Philacleli)hia, formerly Curator of the Philadel[jhia
Academy of Natural Sciences ; General I. J. W'istar
of Philadelphia, President of the P. R. R. Coal &
Canal Co., and late President of the; Philadelphia Acad-
eni)' of Natural Sciences ; President Morris K. Jesup
of the American Museum of Natural History, New
York ; and Charles A. Moore, of Brooklyn.
Aidinir and assistinu^ these were President H. W.
Cannon, and X'^ice-President J as. G. Cannon of New
York, lion. Prancis Wilson of Brooklyn, and others
whose names 1 am not at libert)- to mention Iiere ; and
standino- in solid line ready to use; the weij^ht of their
influence in m)' favour, and to aid in every way, morally
and financially, throughout the entire time, were Jud^e
Daly. President of the Geo^raj^hical Society, antl his
Council ; Chief-PLno'ineer Geo. W". Melville, U. S, N.,
Chief of the Bureau of Steam PLnoineerintr ; the New
York Sun ; C)rus C. Adams, and H. L. Bridi^man.
Never was a man more fortuna e in his friends than
I. It is impossible to enumerate- them all.
To the societies and friends who i^ave uk;, when I
needed help, the moral and material support r(;quired
to |)lace my enterprise on its feet, I owe a debt of
gratitude which I may acknowledi^e here, but can never
adec[uately dischar^^e. No one but myself knows how
Ui
(•,
i
I
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Ivi
Introduction
potent their aid was to me ; and it is with heartfelt
l)leasure that I here exi)rt:ss, however feebly, my i^rate-
ful stMise of their helpfulness.
To the newspaper press, and to the public of my
native; land, I am indebted for their kind interest in
m\- work. Their uniform friendliness has been a
source of much comfort to me.
Such in brief is the secjuence and thread of events
which led u\) to and connected my various Expe-
ditions, and the part which my friends have played in
the work.
A few points, in my judL^ment, demand and are
worthy of clear, definit(; presentation.
The work, the narrative of which follows, has been
accomplished entirely by private enterprise. I miij^ht
perhaps claim, without in any way belittlino^ the as-
sistance of those who have helped me with l)oth
mon(;y and mtluence, tliat it is the result of my single-
handed efforts. Thouoh a member of that Service
which keeps the Stars and Stripes in all the seas of
the i^lobe, none of my Expeditions — contrary to a
quite u^eneral impression — has been under Govern-
ment auspices. The Government has never appro-
priated, nor been asked to appropriate, a dollar for
any of my Expeditions, Nor has the Government
had any responsibility in connection with my work.
It has, however, kindly oiven me my time, z. c, al-
lowed me the leave necessary to enable me to prose-
cute my plans.
Nor has any society or individual contributed the
bulk of the funds. Fully two-thirds of the total
amount expended by me in my Arctic work during^ the
past twelve years have been my own personal earninors.
SiuLii'le contributions to my work have never exceed-
ed $1000, — except in one instance, when President
Jesup of the American JMuseum of Natural History,
! I
¥
Introduction
Ivii
1
with a kindnt'ss and m-ncrosity which have made
mc L'tcrnalK' his cU-'btor. hftc;d a burden from Mrs.
Peary's shoulders and ck-f rayed the hon's share of the
exjjense of sendiuLj' a ship north in 1895. Durini^
seven years I liave strained every enertj^y, and devoted
ever)' dollar I possessed to my Arctic efforts, and dur-
inL,'' more than half that time I have kept the Stars
and Strip(.'S waving; within the Arctic Circle.
So unreservedly have the slender fortunes of Mrs.
Peary and myself; my earninij^s from lectures, and
letters to newspapers and magazines ; receipts from
transportation of scientific parties to Greenland, etc.,
been devoted to the work in which I am interested,
that I am to-day several thousand dollars in debt. I
do not say this in a plaintive way, but as a simple state-
ment of facts which it is only just should be known.
My comprehensive scheme* for work in Gri.'enland,
as first outlined by me in 1886, based upon the utili-
sation of the Inlantl Ice for ovf;rland sledsj;"e journeys,
and my subsequent development and execution, in
actual practice, of methods, means, and details, just-
ify me, I think, in claiminij;^ to have oriiji'inated a new
departure in Arctic work. Since my origination of
that departure, Nansen has crossed Greenland ; Con-
way has crossed Spitzberj^en ; and if our present idea
of conditions in the Antartic be correct, it is entirely
within the possibilities, that the conqueror of the
South Pole will achieve success by adoptini^ my
methcKls and equipment. My lonj^ sled^'e journey
across the ice-cap in 1892 was a typical illustration of
my ideas. It presents my insistent features: the In-
land Ice for a road, doi^s for traction, a party of two.
I can claim to be the originator of the idea of utilis-
ing the doo;-s themselves as doj^ food. In the 1891-92
Expedition, for the first time in Arctic work did a party
start out with the carefully considered intention of
I
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1
Vlll
Introduction
L:ti!isiiiL( i\ lartjj'c^ portion of the iIol^s for c1ol( food, thus
enahhiiL;' the original load of provisions to hist for a
nuich hjni/er time ()nl\- h\' sonic such device as this
was the proposed march practicable, and results proved
the utter soundness of the principle.
Nansen, wluj, while preparini^ for his recent North
Polar Expedition, was accpiainted with the details and
methods of my ice-cap journ(;y of 1S91-92, through his
countr)'man Astriip, my companion on that journey,
was cjuick to sec; the advanta^^c.' of this, and by adojjt-
inij^ it, was enabled, in his mai^nificent attack upon the
Pole, to keep his doL(s in the field for three months
on an orii^dnal one month's rations.
The maximum value of this equation would be, that
the two men would subsist durinu;^ the last four or five
days of their return march upon the flesh of their
last do^-, he previously having,'' eaten all his comrades.
This maximum value was nearly reached in my 1895
journey. Previous to this the fundamcMital principle
of Arctic slcdi^ino^ was, that overland travellino^ was
impracticable, and that the sea ice alonii^ and outside
of an Arctic coast offered the only possible highway.
In my various Ivxpedilions I have introduced for
the first time, and determined the feasibility of, sev-
eral new features of pronounced value to the Arctic
explorer, as the desii^m for winter quarters, the use
of the odometer, baroorapji, and thermoLi^'raph, the
discarding' of the hitherto suj)posedly indispensable
sleepini4--l)aL;".
The detailed knowledge of the Smith-.Sound re-
o^ion obtained by me has enabled me to |)oint out to
various scientists the localities most suitable for their
specialties ; has permitted one of the first olacialists
of the country (Prof, T. C. Chamberlin) to reap, in a
single season, a harvest of information and original
material in his special field, which, had he jj^one blindly
H
n
K
I
Introduction
lix
to the country, he coukl not have obtained "'n two or
thrct; years; and has more than douhletl tlie amount
of scientific material and information from the Arctic
rcLiions, in the museums of this country.
There is also a phase of niy work which has a
deei)ly human intc;rest, and that is, its connection
with, and effect upon, the very small but extremely
interestiuL,^ tribe, or perhaps I miL^ht more pro[)erly
say family, of the human race, — the little; community
of Eskimos, the most northerly known individuals of
the human race, mmiberinn- but two hundred and
fift)'-three, livins^ at, and north of, Capt- York, com-
pk^tely isolated from all the rest of mankind by im-
passable icy barriers.
The effect of my Expeditions upon those children
of the North has been to raise the entire tribe to a
condition of aflluence. The difference between their
condition five years a_no, and to-day, can perhaps be
best illustrated by ima_L;inin_<4' the case of a community
or village of farm- or day-labourers workiuL^- at a
dollar and a (piarter a day, and possessinjj;' nothiui^
but their watj^es ; and then supjjose each member of
this community to have ij^iven him a furnished house,
and lot, and a ten-thousand-dollar bank account.
Seven years a_oo, many a man in this tribe poss(.'ssed
no knife, and many a woman no needle. Vcw of the
men possessed kayaks, or skin canoes ; and h(; was
indeed well off who had a spear- or harpoon-shaft
made of a single piece; of wood. To-day, ukmi and
women are ampK' supplied with knives and needles ;
every adult man and half-<j;-rown boy has his canoe ;
most of the men have i^uns ; and ev(;ry hunter is sup-
plied with the best of wood for liis lance, his har-
poon, his seal-sj)ear, and his sledge. Tk;; effect of
these impro'.'ements in tiieir weapons has shown itself
at once in an improved C(jndition of the tribe, result-
I
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Iiitrocluction
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uv^ from tlic L^^rcat iiicrcast; in tlic (tfTcctivciK^ss of tlu;
hunters. The people arc better clolheil, they can sup-
port a larL;"er number of do^s (their onl\- domestic
animal), and, as a result of their more ami)lc! nourish-
ment, and consecpient greater ahilit)' to withstand the
constant hardshi|)s of their life, tlu; death-rat(-' has
decreased, and the birth-rate perceptibl)- increased,
within the i)ast six years.
I feel also that I am justified in thinking- that I am
largely, if not almost entirely, responsible for the pres-
ent r(.'naissance of Arctic inten^st, which, started by
my I'^xpedition of 1S91-92, is still increasin_(^ in vol-
ume antl intensit)'.
Other thiuLj^s which my work has established ar(; :
that louLi' sled^-e journe)s may be undertaken with
safet\' e\en in the Arctic ni^ht ; thiit whit(; men can
remain in hi,n"h latitudes for lonjj^ periods without fear
of that dread of Arctic explori.-rs, scurv)' ; that very
small parties are the only ones suited for effective
work in the Arctic rei^ions ; th^it the work of north-
ern exploration can be ])rosecuted upon an econom-
ical basis, and that it can bt; dont; without loss of life.
The work, of which the followimj;' paij^es form the
narrative,', has been from the first [)ersistently prose-
cuted on definite and consistent lines ; and now that
the capabilities of the overland mc;thod have been
practically (;xhaust(;d as far as Northern Greenland is
concerned, the invaluable experience orained in the
past is to be concentrated upon an equally persistent
effort, on equalh' definite and consistent lines, to solve
a problem which, unsolved, and to chart a portion of
the earth's surface which, uncharted, are a reproach to
our civilisation and manhood.
* * * -x- * *
It seems an appropriate place here to devote a
little space to the general subject of sledge equip-
i:<^
iiUrotluction
Ixi
mt'nt. It is unnecessary to suy that no time spent in
cU-'visinLi;' ways of perfecting- the e(|iiipiii(iit for an
Arctic sledge jouriu;}', can I)(; re;^anleil as wasted,
llis ('(luipinent is the <.'\plorer's niachiner\ and tools.
l'|)on its etticiency depends the amount of work done,
and upon its smooth fitness for its \aried |)urposes
del)end tlie comfort and even safety of liimsell and
his men. The hrst jj^reat desid(;ratum in each item
is non-h"al)ihty to damage. Con(h'tions in the tieid
are in\arial)l}' hostile to the work of re|)airs. and a
part)- cannot load itself down with tools and materials
for such repairs. The next desidciratum is lii^htness.
The transporting: et"hcienc\- of any Liiven partN' will he
a certain amount, made up of provisions antl ('(piip-
irient ; and for (,'ver\' pound that the e(|uipment can he
liL;htened, an additional pound of food can he carried,
thus insuring an iidditional amount of travel.
Faa7r pniii'('/>s in impoitance of all the items of
equipme-nt stands the sledL^e. Upon it everythiiiL^
else (.lej)ends. It must comhine in the hii^hest deL,n"ee
t\\v. (jualities of lightness, strenj^th, and easy traction.
K\ery detail is of the utmost importance, and ai)par-
entl\- slight chan^^rcjs ma)' affect the effectiveness of
thi; sledij^e, as decisiv('ly as a chan^j^e in a ship's lines
aftects her speed. The construction of a sled^t- tor
any particular class of work, simj)le as it sc^ems, is
somethiuL,^ that can he propc^rl)- done only after lono-
experience, and the art of uettin^- the most out of
the sledi^^e with the least expenditure of force after
it is constructed, also requires much experi(;nce.
The oeneral character of the Greenlantl Inland
Ice is such as to permit a very decided i^ain in lii^-ht-
ness of sled(i^es over those for sea-ice work, yet many
portions of the ice-cap, where its surface has been
carved into sharp-ed^^ed, marble-like sastruoi by the
furious winds, try the strength and endurance of
(
i
\\
■
i.iLf afc'rpr-nLTrTTi
Ixii
Introduction
I li
m
m
lii
li I
sledges to the utmost. The main feature in which
sledges for use on the ice-cap must differ from those
for use at sea-level, is the broad llat runner necessary
to kee]) them from sinking- into the generally prevail-
ing- deep, soft snow.
My previous expc;rience in 1886, 1891, 1892, 1893,
and 1 894, in the construction and use of sledjj^es, had left
me with very clear and dt'fmite ideas as to what things
were and what were not essential in a sledj^e, and
when I l)(,"_L;an making- the drawings for the sledges
for the; forlorn-hope journey of the spring of 1895, I
felt that I knew what I wanted. Results justified
this feeling.
Next after the sledges, th(,' item of suitable clothing
is one of the greatest importance to the Arctic ex-
plorer, and !s one in regard to which there is great
diversity of opinion among various Arctic authorities.
Schwatka was in favour of reindeer clothing exclus-
ively, while; (ireely is PiOt a believer in fur clothing.
The latt(;r's exjjeri(;nce, however, seems to have
l)t;en confmed to sealskin garments, which are not
consitlered by the natives to possess any warmth.
j\Iy own experience C()nvinc(,;s me that fur clothing
is absolutely essential in Arctic work, and that the
less woollen and more fur clothing one wears, as-
suming that it is ])roperly made, and that the
wa;arer knows how to W(;ar it, the more comfortable
will tlu; wearer be. Particularly is this the case in
Inland-Ice travel, where; the jjenetrating quality of
the wind is far in excc;ss of what it is at sea-level.
Nothing but fur and the impervious integument of
animal skin will protect one from this wind, and the
traveller who goes upon the ice-cap without fur
clothing, does so either from ignorance or because
he is reckless of draughts ui)on his vital force ; and
he is likely seriously to regret his over-confidence.
Introduction
Xlll
In our suits, — an evolution from my previous experi-
ence, — we were comfortable in all temperatures
between -60° F. antl -f-50" V., under all contlitions of
activity, from slei'pinij- in a tent, to ^now-shoeing- in
deep snow at the enil of a drao' rope.
A tent has alwa}s been rei^arded as an essential
item in the e([uipment of an Arctic sled_<j;-e-paity, and
thou_!j;;h the use of snow igloos has been advocated by
some authorities, these will never be practicable for
a party unaccompanied by natives. In m\' journeys
of 1880 and 1892 on the ice-cap, I had no tent, and the
experience of those trips oavt; me no reason to con-
sider the tent other than I had always done — a super-
tlr )us luxury. In pleasant weather, the lee of the
sledi^e ; in storms, a piece of canvas kept u\) -d^ one
end by snow-shoes stuck in the snow, or thrown over
three low snow walls and wei<^hted down b)- the sled^^e,
had been sufficient.
In planning- for the campaign of 1894, I did not
therefore include a tent in the list, thouL^h a :ent
which had been used during- the fall work, and left
on the ice-cap durini^ the winter, was utilised when
we reached the cache, and taken alon<^' from there,
till I could set; whether it was essential or not. The
equinoctial storm decided this in the affirmative, and
showed me that for work on the ice-cap in early
sprinu^ a tent is a necessity. It was therefore used
throughout this journey.
When I took up the study of a tent for use in the
1895 campaiij^n, I had two objects in view : first, to
reduce the size and weii^ht to the minimum consistent
WMth comfort ; and second, to carry out an idea which
had occurred to me in 1891, of having- the tent
attached permanently to a specially adapted slecli^e.
Both these objects were succt;ssfully accomj)lished,
and the tent, as iinally constructed, consisting' of tent,
■^
II .rigrrn
;»'.■
Ix
IV
Introduction
If
tli
'^i i
floor, and wind-iruard for entrance, weiMied thirteen
pounds and met all the r 'quirements fully.
While the navig'ator of the ocean uses the com-
pass, the sextant, and the chronometer, I have sub-
stituted, in navi_Li^atin<^ the "Great Ice," the odometer
for the loi^ line and the aneroid for the soundini^-
lead. From the indications of the latter, it is possi-
ble to chancre the course, so as to s^ive the dogs less
work, and it also gives warning, in thick weather,
of approach to the dreaded land, between which and
the serene, smooth heights of the interior ice-cap, lie
dangerous slopes of bare blue ice, )awning crevasses,
sudden and furious squalls, and frequent and violent
storms.
My instrumental outfit for the journey comprised a
transit, a sextant and artificial horizon, three chrono-
meters, several compasses, two odometers, three ane-
roids, several thermometers, one pair of binoculars,
and a camtn'a.
The transit, a small Traveller's by I^auth & Co., of
Washington, 1). C, was used in preference to the
sextant for ice-cap observations, as with it latitude,
longitude, and compass variation may all be tleter-
mined, near enough for all practical purposes, by 0)3-
servations extending over two or three hours. The
sextant and artificial horizon were taken simply as a
reserve, for usci in case of accident to the transit.
Chronometers were pocket-size, furnished by the
E. Howard Watch Company, of Boston. They were
open-faced stem-winders enclosed in a single aluminum
case,' made from a suggestion \)y me, and wert? carried
during the journey suspended over my chest, inside
of my clothing, by a cord around my neck. These
' The avlvmta^es of this case w ere a very consideralile saving of weight, the
chronometers were subjected to the same temperature, couhl he handled as
one, and lieing side l)y si<le, any idiosyncrasies of either could be easily and im-
mediately detected by comparison with the other two.
Introduction
1
XV
a
Ithe
as
lim-
'it
chronometers were very satisfactory, light, easily
read, and kept excellent tim ..
Compasses were a four-mch liquid boat-compass,
and several dry cards, pocket-size, in hunting-cases.
The pocket-compasses were used in the hand for set-
ting the course when I was walking in advance of the
party. The boat-compass was used just as it would
be at sea, lashed upon the toj) of my sledge, through-
out the first three hundred miles of the northward
journey, when I was obliged to keep the course and
drive a team of ten dogs. On the return, lashed
upon a pair of ski and pushed in front of me, it en-
abled us to march during days of fog, when without
it advance would have l)een a simple imjjossibility.
The odometer outfit consisted of one wheel and
two registering mechanisms.
My reconnaissance of the Inland Ice, in icSS6, sug-
gested to me that the odometer was a practical item,
in the instrumental equipment of the navigator of the
" Great Ice." The surface traversed by me during
that reconnaissance was everywhere, except at the ex-
treme iitV^d of the ice-cap, entirely suitable for the
satisfactory work of an odometer wheel, and the use
of the instrument would save a great deal of annoy-
ance and arduous work, by reducuig the number of
necessary solar observations ; observations which the
conditions of the ice-cap render, under the most favour-
able conchtions, extremely trying, and much of the
time impossible, or at best unscitisfactory. The al-
most constant wind and tlrift make the use of the arti-
ficial horizon very difficult, even when the temperatures
are high enough not to affect the mercury ; and the same
causes, combined with the varying conditions of the
snow surface, sometimes extremely hard, again very
soft, and the constant vibrations from the wind, make
the use of the transit difficult.
l!.
m
l(
r
M .
'I
>'«;■
Ixvi
Introduction
Refraction and atmospheric vibration are at all
times excessive on the ice-cap, and the extreme bril-
liancy of the sun, even through the special ula.jse;) of
instruments for this kind of work, is so tryinL!^ to eyes
ah'eady strained to their utmost by the unceasinir
_L,dare from sky and snow, day and nii^^ht, that the tak-
ini;' of an observation was always dreaded by me, and
usually resulted in someone else beinii; obli<red to
take; the lead the next day, while I walked with band-
aij^ed eyes beside the sled^^e.
The compass and odometer would su})ply a means
of obtaininij;- the dead reckv)nino' with an accuracy to
render frequent solar observations unnecessary, and
also show the traveller at any time just his position
and what speed he is makint^.
In the winter of 1891 and 1892, the idea was put
into practical shape, and durini;- the ice-cap journey
of 1892, an odometer wheel was used for the first
time in Arctic work, and I obtained satisfactorv re-
suits with it. Afterwards, durino;' 1893-94, several
wheels were constructed, and the evolution of the
odometer for Arctic work L^radually perfected, until,
when the matter of the construction of a wheel for
the ice-cap journey of 1895 came up, I was, as with
the sledoes, in possession of very definite ideas as to
what would and what would not prove satisfactory, and
the result was a wheel whicli met all the demands
upon it/
My aneroids were beautiful aluminum instruments,
three inches in diameter, reading" to twelve thousand
feet. Like the chronometers, all three were carried
in a single case, which permitted convenient compari-
sons.
' This wheel stood the wear and tear of the journey to Independence Bay
and return, witliout re(iuirini^ rcjiair of any kind, and, 1 helievc, cannot l)e im-
proved upon for Inland-Ice work, except in as far as a wider range of material
to select from would permit it to l)e made li^iiter.
5 *
Introduction
1
XVI 1
;o
id
lis
Is,
id
id
l?ay
Im-
The thermometers were all of GretMi's usual make ;
maximum and minimum self-reLristerinij", as veil as
plain mercurial and spirit.
l^inoculars were iVcademic Optiques in aluminum,
very lis^ht, and of j^ood power and definition.
Camera was a specially constructed EastuKUi Kodak
No. 4, with a capacity of 250 nejj^atives. This camera
was very lii^ht, stron^r, and in ever)' wa\' satisfactory'.'
Norweu^ian ski, Indian snow-shoes, and the dark-
est of smoked-L;lass L^ooj^des for the e}es, were also
important items of the equipment.
•H- -A- ->(• •/;■ 4{' ■}!"
It seems desirable also in tliis Introduction to at-
tempt the merest outline of some of the most strikinjj^
features of the .Sermiksoah, or " Great Ice," — the
miiL^hty frozen boss of Cireenland, the Sahara of the
North, the Hyperborean Hades. If I can succeed in
conveyin^J' to the n,'ader even the crudest conception
of the personality of this " Great Ice " I shall be
content.
The term " Inland Ice," by which this feature is
generally known, suggests to the majority of persons
erroneous ideas. The surface is not ice, but a com-
pacted snow. Elevated as the entire interior is, to a
heii^ht of from 4000 to 9000 feet above the sea-level,
mountains of the coast which would be visible to the
sailor at a distance of sixty to eighty miles, disappear
beneath the landward convexity of the ice-cap by the
time the traveller has penetrated fifteen or twenty
miles into the interior, and then he may travel for
days and weeks with no break whatever in the contin-
uity of the sharp steel-blue line of the horizon.
Questions as to the characteristics of this unique
' All my photographic work, from whicli the illustrations in this narrative
are taken, was done with the Kaslman Kodaks, aT)d (witli very few exceptions)
the Eastman films. The developing was done by Kau ot I'hiladelphia.
t;
^'x
J
■f
i
1
, '
i
1
tl^
!
■^ i
1
r TMi-r ■-.
I '
ill
1
XVlll
Introduction
terrestrial feature, amonsj;' others, whether this enor-
mous deposit of snow and ice is increasinj^ or decreas-
iuL;, or remainins^ practically stationary, are of special
interest to <reoloLrists and ii-lacialists.
It niioht seem at first thouo-ht that the '* Cireat Ice"
must l)e constantly increasiuLi' in depth, but there are
causes at work inimical to such increase, and only
investigations carried on throuj^di a period of years
can determine whether the resultant of these causes
is i^reater or less than, or just balances, the ann'ial
precipitation.
Principal amono- these causes are the irlacie's, the
wind, meltino;-, and evaporation. The former, which
protrude through every deep valh.-y in the coast
mountains, discharo-e into the sea duriuLT the vear an
enormous bulk of ice from the lower strata of the
" Cireat Ice " of the interior, in the shape of numerous
fleets of icebergs.
A very important peculiarity of the ice-cap is the
intensit)' of the light. My journeys across the " Great
Ice " have been made during the Arctic summer —
that is, during the time that the sun is constantly above
the horizon throughout tlie twenty-four hours, for a
period of some four months. The Arctic sun in clear
weather is as brilliant as the sun of any Southern lati-
tude, and when this brillianc\- is increased b)' rellec-
tion from an interminable, and absolutely unrelieved,
glistening white surface of snow, lifted into the highly
rarefied and pure upper strata of the Arctic atmo-
si)here, the intensity of light is something that can be
realised only by one who has actually experienced it.
The pungent (juality of this blinding glare is such
that the strongest eye can endure it unaided only for
a few hours, A
man [)
•laced
m
th
e centre o
f th(
" Great Ice," in mid-summer, with no means of protect-
ing his eyes, would be as completely helpless at the
it
Introduction
XIX
)e
It.
ch
)r
lie
:t-
lie
^
end of a clay as a blind kitten. The traveller upon
the " Great Ice " must keep his e\es constantly [)ro-
tected by j^oi^^^les of heavy smoked *^lass, and even
with this we frecjuenth-, when in camp and tr\inLi" to
sleep, were obliged to protect our eyes still further
l)y a strip of fur tied across them to exclude the lii^ht
which would otherwise penetrate; the closed lids.
Sometimes, ihouij^h rar(_;l\-, cloud shadows drift
across the white expanse, but usually the cloud pho
nomena are the heavy proi)hecies or actualitii^s of
furious storms veiling- the entire sky, or the dainty
transj)arent cirrus feathtirs. In clear weather, the
travc'ller upon this white waste sees but the snow, the
sk)-, the sun. In cloudy weather, even these disaj)-
pear. Many a time I have found m\self in such
weather travellintr in Lrre\' space, feeliuLT the snow
beneath my snow-shoes but unable to see it. Xo sun,
no sk\-, no snow, no horizon — absolutely nothinij^ that
the e\e could rest upon. Zenith and nadir alike,
an intaULrible irreN' nothin^nejss. Mv fe'et and snow-
shoes were sharp and clear as silhouettes, and I was
sensible of contact with the snow at every stc^p, yet
as far as niy t;yes L^ave me evidence to the contrar\-,
I was walking; upon nothing-. The sj)ace betwecMi
ni)- snow-shoes was e([ually as lii^ht as the zenith.
The opa(|ue li.nht which filled the sphere of vision
miijht come from below as well as above. Never
shall I foro-et, thousj^'h I cannot dt:scribe, the impres-
sions made b)' these surroundings. The strain, both
physical and mental, of this blindness with wide-{)j)en
eyes was such that after a time; I would be obliged
to stop until the passing- of the foL;', or formation of
higher clouds, L^ave me somethin<r to keep the course
by
rhe wind is never quiescent on the " Great Ice.
/m
Day and night, summer and winter, )'ear in and year
.1
Ix:
X
Introduction
n
^1
!t>
f'M
,1 ' '
n
out, it is s\v('('i)in^' down, sometimes with jjjreatcr,
somctiiViC's with less vclocitN', from the fro/cii heart of
thi; "(ireat ke," l)earin_n' with it a burden of snow
and following- the most chrect slope to the lantl, whicli
once reacli(!d it j^oes rushing- over the mountain sum-
mits, some of it sinking' in whirl[)ools and edches into
the; valleys, hut much of it heiuLT carried on to the
coast-rliHs, over which it s^oes swirlini^ into the sea or
onto tlu; sea ice. Durint^" ^tj^entk; breezes this drift is
of almost im|)ali),ibk; fineness, and extends but a foot
or two above the surface. As tlu; wind increases in
force, the particles c-f snow bec(jme coarser and the
dt;i)th of the current of ll)inu^ snow increases until, in
the savai^e bhz/ards of the frozen Sahara, this ilrift
becomes a roarini^, hissinL,^ blindinc^, suffocating- Xia^--
ara of snow, rising' hundreds of feet into the air ; a
drift which almost instantly buries any (juiescent ob-
ject, and in which it is almost impossible for the
traveller to breathe. This drifting' snow is as pene-
i^'itino- as w^ater. When the depth of the drift is not
m excc^ss of the hei<rht of the knee, its surface is as
tangible, and almost as sharply defined, as that of a
sheet of water, and its incessant dizzy rush and strid-
ent sibilation become, when Ioul;' contiued, as mad-
deniuij;' as the drop, drop, drop of water on the victim's
head in the old torture-rooms.
There is no doubt in ni)- mind but that in the
middle of the Arctic ni^ht, in the centre of this " Great
Ice," lifted a mile and a half or two miles into the
frozen air that sweeps around the pole, separated
from any possible effect from the earth's radiated
heat b)' a blanket of ice and snow a mile or more in
thickness, and distant fully tw^o hundred and fifty
miles from the possible ameliorating effect of the
Arctic seas, there is to be found the fiercest dei^ree
of cold of any spot upon the surface of the g'lobe.
M ;
J
Introduction
Ixxi
Tlic cliaractcristics of such portions of ilw. Inland
Ice as came under nu' personal observation, in iSSb,
in from the head of Disco P)a\', may be stated as fol-
lows. Tlu: coastdine shows a _ij^reat diversity of feat-
ures, depcMident upon the altitutle, tlu; season, and
the ek^vation and cont"i«;uration of the adjacent mount-
ains. W'luM'ever tlu; ice projects down a \alle\-
in a lon^" toni^ue or stream, tlu; eil^i^s contract and
shrink away from the warnu-r rocks on <-ach side,
leaviuL^; a dee|) canoi. between, usuall)' occupied 1)\- a
_L,daci(;r stream ; and the uppc;r surface, disinteL^rated
by the r(;llected heat from the nu)untains above, and
shattered I)\' the daily change of temperature nu)re
perhaps than by the forward llow, presents a chaotic
labyrinth of cre\asses, gullies, and raj^^^ecl pinnacles,
increasiuLj;- in ma^nitutle in direct proportion to the
length of th(; to:i^iie antl its approach to the seadevel.
vSmaller tongues or teats, roundin^j;' ilown into shallow
indentations in the crest of the mountain dam, are
aj)t to have only their tii)s ra_L^L^ed antl their ui)])(;r
surfaces covered with a lu-twork of narrow crevasses.
Higher up, aloni^ the unbroken portions of tlu; dam,
where the rocks have a southern exposure or rise
much above the ice, there is apt to b(; a det;j) canon
bc;tween the ice and the rocks. The bottom of the
caiion is almost invariably occupied by wat(;r. \\du;re
there are no adjacent rocks hi!.dier than the ice to
push it back with their reflected heat, tlu; ic(; will
reach down upon the rocks in a donu;-lik(; slope.
Fre(]uently drifts of tine hard snow extend like cause-
ways from ice to rock, through the bases of which the
littoral olacier streams tunnel a i)assan(;. Still farther
up, at the very crest of the dam, the ice lies snu)othly
a_^-ainst the rocks. As to the features of the interior
beyond the coastdine, the surface of the " ice-blink "
near the margin is a succession of rounded hum-
1
i
\\ i
I
u
I ?'
h
XXIl
Introduction
i: 1 1
mocks, steepest and hii^rlu-st on their hiiidward sides,
wliich arti sometimes precipitous. I'arther iii, tlii>e
hummocks mer<^e into h)n!^" llat swells, which in turn
decrease: in height towards the interior, until at last
a llat, n'cntly rising plain is reached, which becomes
ultimately level.
in passin_L( from the mari^in of the " ice-blink" to
the remote interior, from one to five distinct zones
ma) be notctl. the iiumber and width varying;' with
the season, the 1 ititude, and the elevation. In win-
ter the I'Utire surface is undoiibt-'dly covered with a
deep unbroken la\er of tinv dry snow. Late in the
s[)rin!L;', the warmth of the sun at mid-d<i)- softens the
surface of the snow alon^' the low borders of the ict;,
and this freezes at niidit, forminu- a lii>ht crust.
C"irath"'dl\' this crust extends up the interi(»r, and with
the; advance of the season, the snow iiloni;- the bor-
ders of the " ice-blinl" becomes saturated with water.
A little later, this zone of slusli follows the; zone of
crust into the; interior, the snow alon^" the borders of
the " ice-blink " melts entirely, forming- pools in the
de|)ressions, anci streams which cut deep s^uUies in
the ice ; water cavities form ; old crevasses open, and
new onc;s ai)pear. This zone rapidly widens .did ex-
tends into the interior in the footsteps of the others,
and behind it the immediate border of the; ice i;ets
rai;'!4t;d and soiled, pebbles, b(;i:lders, and moraines
crop out of its ineltlnL; surface, an 1 by the end of the
Arctic summer it is eaten and shattered by the heat,
and eroded by the streams, into impassal)!e roughness.
In my journey of iNi^ i, across the ice-cap of North-
ern Cireenland, on the uj)ward march, in my effort
not to make any more eastin^' than was absolutely
necessarv, 1 was repeatedl\- turned from m\' course
l)y the unexpected penetration of the glacier basins
of the great fjords of the nortii-west coast into the
Introduction
Ixxiii
interior, and in this way cxixjritmced mucii delay and
ann()\anc(.'. On my rctmMi the same; )i'ar, I went
well into the interior to avoid these; ()i)stacles. In
tliis I succeeded. W'itii two routes iiaviuL,^ the; same
starting' and objective i)oints, and enclosini^ hi:tween
them an eU)nL;atc;d elliptical area, it was evident that
an intermediate route on my next journey would not
oidy he sonic:what shorter, hut would avoid tin; cre-
vasses and steep slopes of the one route, and tin,'
dee[) soft snow of the other. This I founil to be the
fact, and after the experience; of the upward journey
I was able to modif\' the return route still more, with
a saviuLj;" of a few miles and an improvement in the
travellinL!^. A comparison of the four profik;s between
Whale .Sound ami Ind(;[)end(;nce Ha\' is very inte'rest-
injj;-, and brings out the relief of the; " (ireat Ice" in a
very clear mannc^r, showintj^ that it is really a ve ry
much flattened mountain s)stem in ice, with its main
backbone, its radiant spurs, and its int(;rmediate
vall(;ys.
The broad zone of wastai^t; which I found so pro-
nounced at the; head of Disco P)a)' is very narrow,
and even in places lacking;- entirely, alonn' the edi^e of
the ice-cap hi Northern (ireenland. The nunataks
also, so common in .South (ireenland, occur in North-
ern Greenlantl, as far as my observations l^o, only in
the actual current of the L,daciers and the low(;r por-
tion of their basins, and never at any distance from
the coastal land ribbon.
]My first jour ^y was near enoui^h to the cdin^v. of the
ice to cross the "eat basins of exudation, if I may use
the term, and ' .jir intermediate divides, and the i)ro-
tile shows a succc sion of uj)s and downs like those of
a railroad located alonj^ the foothills of a mountain
system. The prohle of the return journey of the
same year shows but one depression, and that in the
v«
(I'l
,
" t
r
f ,
XXIV
Introduction
Iliiinlj(jkll l^asiii. The profiles of tlu' two journeys
of iSc)4 arc itlcal in that they show a rapid ascent from
B()W(h)in Ua) to tht; surface of the central ice mass,
and then a gradual i^HMdient rdoni; the western slope
of tlu! continental divide till the summit is reached,
near Independence liay, wlu-n the tlescent is rapid to
the ed^x: of the ice.
That the crest of tlu- (ireenland continental ice di-
vide is east of the country's median line there can he
no doubt. Where it is crossed on the way to Inde-
pendence Hay, it is trendiiiL^- away to the north-west
and rajjidly decreasing- in altitude to lose itself in the
landward slopes of the "Great Ice" near tlu; con-
vergence of \ ictoria Inl(.;t and the north-west coast.
rVom this continental divide extend s'purs into the
Ca])(! \'()rk Peninsula, Prudhoe Land, Washington
Land, Hall Land, etc., anil betweiMi these divides
are the enormous basins which fee'd the <^laciers of
Melville Bay, Ini^lefield (iulf, Kane Basin, Petermann
and Sherard-Osborne P'jords.
The experienced navi^^ator of tlu- " Great Ice " has,
like; his brother of the sea, tlu? means of avoidinij^ or
overcomini^ adverse conditions. If he has come in
too close proximity to the lantl, /.c, the vxVji^c of the
ice, and fmds himself amonpr the rocks and breakers,
i.e., crevasses and steep blue ice slopes, he must jjut
to sea at once, i.e., swerve into the interior. If when
well out to sea he encounters continuous adverse winds
and currents and heavy sea, i.e., up j^^rade and deep
soft snow, he can avoid them by veerinir toward the
shore, when he will at once reduce the i^rade, and in a
short time reach hard L!;oin(^.
The rej^ularity of the winds of the " Great Ice " of
Greenland, as I have found them duriuLi;^ an actual so-
ourn of over seven moni
visits to it of greater
J
ths upon the " Great Ice." and
th
ipon
less duration in every
s
mon
llUiocliictloll
l.wv
of llu: year, is phciioimiial. Mxccpt tlurinL; aliiio-
s|)luric(listurl)aiu:(S of iiiuisual iiia,niiilii(l<'.\\ hich cause
storms to swiH'i) across the country re^^ardless of ordi-
nary rules, the chrc^ction of the wiiid of the "(ireat
IcM' " of (iretMiland is invarial)Iy raihal from the centre
outward, perpenchcular to the nearest part of the coast
land ril)l)on. So steady is this wind and so closely
does it adhere to this perpendicularity, that I can liken
it only to the llow of a shei:t of water desceiuHn'' the
slopes of the "(ireat Ice" from the central interior
dome to the coast. The dirc^ction of the nearest land
is always easil\- determinahle in this wa\ : the neiijh-
hourhood of Ljreat fiords is alwa\s indicated by a chan<'e
in tile wind's direction ; and ilu- crossine' of a di\ ide,
hy an arc^a of calm or yarial)le winds, followed 1)\- wiiuls
in the opposite direction, independent of any indica-
tions of the barometer.
The opinion was achanced by me immediately on
m\' return in iS()2, that tht* transi)ortinL;' elfc'Ct of the
wind upon tlu; snow of the ice-caj) must be; counted
as one of the most potent factors in i)reyentin<^ the in-
crease in heiL,d"it of the ice-cap ; a factor e(pial perhaps
to the combint'd c:Hects (jf eyaporation, littoral and
sub-u^lacial meltini^", and oiacia! discharge. This opin-
ion has betMi corroborated and ^reath- strem^thened
by my later obseryations. When it is remembered
that the How of the atmosphere from tlu; cold heights
of the interior ice-cap to the lower land of the coast is
Lj^oini;- on throul^dlout the year with greater or less in-
tensity, and that a fine sheet of snow is bein^" thus
carried beyond the ice-cap to the ice-free land at eyery
foot of the periphery of the ice-cap, there to melt, it
^yill perhaps h(j seen that the aboye assumption is not
excessiye. I feel confident that an inyesti^ation of
the actual amount of this transfer of snow by the; \yind
is well W(jrth the attention of all iflacialists.
1.
--'"" ■ •- - •— rffTi
it
II I
U 1.1.
Ixxvi
Introduction
The character of the " Cii eat Ice " is such as to make
a powerful impression upon even the most prosaic
minJ. When I think of it I rarely recall the hunj^er,
the coM, the killino^ work, the disappointments I have
experienced upon it. Rather do I think of it in its
varying- phases, as one of the sublimest features that
earth contains. 1 har])our malice at^ainst it for hut one
thini;', the lives of ni)' doo;s.
4!- •>;- ■>^ -x- ^ •"-
And finally a few words in regard to Arctic Ex-
ploration, r'rom tlie earliest days, when men dreamed
of the ever-sunny lulen of the Hyijerboreans far be-
yond the land of the Antroj)ophaL;"i, till now, he
reiil'ion within that mai^ic line which bounds the north-
ern disk of midnight suns and noonday nights, — the
Arctic Circle — has exercised a strange charm over men
antl women of all intellects, all a^es, all conditions of
life.
In exploration, as in business, a.T in kitters, as in
invention, conditions are entirely different now from
\vhat they were years iv^o. It is no longer possible
for the confines of the well-known to be attained by a
dash either mental or physical. The da)s when a
Cialileo or a Columbus could in a bound reach and
pass be)ontl the narrow circumference of the world of
mind or matter at any point are past. Arctic exj)lor-
ation must, like any hino' else, be made a business
and carried on from year to year, prohtin^' by each
added item of experience, taking advantage of every
occurring opportunity.
The two great popular objections to Arctic explora-
tions seem to be the waste of mone)' connected with
it, and the supposedly excessive loss of life. It would
seem from the emphatic utterances of sonu; who decry
what they consider a waste of money on Arctic work,
that they are under the impression that the money
Introduction
Ixxvii
expended upon an Arctic expedition is taken north and
buried in the snow, becoming- an absolute and total
loss. It seems to be forgotten that the supplies and
equipments of these expeditions are purchased and
])aid for at home, and that they contribute to the sup-
port of a certain number of people for a certain time,
as much as if those people were livinir at home.
The other objection, that Arctic work means too
great a sacrifice of life, loses its force in the li^ht of
actual facts. To those familiar with the literature of
Arctic explorations, it is a well-known fact that the
loss of life in this held, even including- those c;xpetli-
tions which have disappeared utterly and completeh' in
the savai^e fastnesses of the "White North," amounts
to but about two per cent, of the total numb(.;renoa<4'ed
in the work, a percentage less than that of the annual
loi^s of life among the Fishermen antl sailors of the
British Isles. During my own work of the past
eleven years but one life has been lost, and that was
the result of an accident in no way connected with
the work itself, an accident which would have been
likely to occur in thv. Alps or in any )f our own wild
mountainous districts.
My experience has strongly accentuated my belief
in small parties for Arctic work. The results obtained
b\- Cjraah, Rae, Hall, Schwatka, Cireely, and otlu;rs,
were obtained b) parties of two or three. Many of
the sad disasters, which form a part of Arctic his-
tory, would have been avoideil had the jjarties be'en
small. It is a popular fallacy that there is safety in
large parties. The entire animus of the Arctic regions
is against such parties, and in the event of their being
thrown, either temporarily or permanently, upon ihv,
resources of the country for sustenance, an occurrence
that is one of the most certain of Arctic possibilities,
the members of such large parties will starve, where
II
y
I
I
4
:'il
I
i
Ix:
XVI 11
Introduction
III
II
\i
1 -
i '■ ^
1
'■'i
■' 1^
V
■' i
f
h
■
a small party would have abundant rations. A cow-
ard also, a weakling', or an insubordinate, has better
opportunity to cause demoralisation in a lar^e than
in a small part)-. In the Franklin expedition of one
huntlred and thirt}-eiL;ht, not one lived to tell the
story of their awful final days, and I have no
doubt that the utter loss of that expedition was due
directly to its size. As lono- as everything- o-0(;s well,
a lar^e part)' may be all ris^ht, but in the hour of dis-
aster or serious disappointment, the trouble begins.
Nothini^ can be more terrible than the retreat and
struu'Lile for life with a lar^-e party under the fearful
stress of the Arctic.
It is impossible for a leader, no matter how able he
may be, to fill a lar^e party, as he can a small one,
with his own courajj^-e and hopefulness. Every intli-
vidual in the party represents a drain upon the vital
ma_L;-netism and force of the leader, upon whom the
safet)- of the part)' depends. Up to a certain point
his exam|)le is conta^dous, and his cheerfulness, activ-
ity, and courage are reflected in every member of the
party ; but when day after day of arduous struo-^lc,
of cold, of hunger, and of discouragement, has reduced
the strength, both physical and mcMital, the infusion
of fresh courai^e into a desjjontlino- one requires as
tani^dble a transfer of the leader's stamina and nerve-
force, as the fillinLr- of a vessel with water from a res-
ervoir, and the reservoir in this case does not retill as
raj)idly as untU^r normal conditions.
To those who, in the absence of a dollar-for-dollar
return for every eftort, ask, " Of what earthly use is
Arctic exploration ? " I miLj-ht answer : " Wdiat is the
use of yacht races, of athletic contests, of trials of en-
i^ines, and war-ships, or any of the innumerable tests
that have, since; the world was younjj^, been man's only
means of determinino- the superiority of one man.
'
Introduction
Ix
XXIX
or oik; machine, or oik; method, or one nation, over
an()thc;r?" Were I asked to enumerate all the [jos-
sihle advantaL;es of Arctic explorations, 1 should say
frankl)' I cannot do so, any more than I or anyone
could have said, hfteen or t\vent\- years a_L;-o, that an
insiL^nihcant i^rass L;ro\vii\L;" on the hanks of a tropical
ri\er would make our incandescent electric liL^ht a possi-
bilit)'. It would not he at all strange if, in a region of
the stranj^est contrasts, \vlK;re active xolcanoes are
found surrounded by eternal snow and ice, and where
the poppy — sNinhol of warmth and sleep and luxury —
blossoms at tlK; very foot of the craiii's of icy glaciers,
some material were found which would make possible
some \et unknown necessit\' of our future; civilisation.
lUit suppose we admit that Arctic exploration is only
a matter of sentiment, with no mone)- r<.;turn ; no in-
cr(;asc; of commerce ; no fruit of colonisation ; no har-
vest of i^reat i^ood for many men. L(;t it stand as a
sentiment ; it has o'ood compan\-. Lo\e and patriot-
ism and relis^ion are matters of sentinK;nt, and we ask
no money return for them.
Vet a question which claimed the lives of such men
as Kane, Hall, I)e Loni;", Chipp, and Lockwood, of
our own countrymen, and Franklin, I^ellot, Crozier,
and many more from across the water, and has in-
spired the pens of Markham, Petermann, Harrow, Mel-
ville, and others, needs no apologies or defence.
There are no pages of Knoland's history on which
she prides herself more than those on which are in-
scribed the work and the discoveries of her sons
within the realm of noonday nights and midnight
suns, and there is no American that is not proud of
the records of I)e Haven, Kane, Hayes, Hall, I )e
Long, Greely, Lockwood. and .Schley.
Whatever may be saitl against Arctic exploration,
it remains a definite fact, that no other portion of the
11
t'
6 :\ -i
:i'i»s
Ixx
X
Introduction
L^lobti possesses such universal attraction for yount^
and old, illiterate and intellij^ent, weak and stronLr, as
this. And one thing^ is as certain as that the North
Star will continue to shine : re^^ardless of utility or
non-utility, the inherent charm of Arctic work, and
the irreprv,ssible restlessness of the human animal as
louLi' as there rema; is a corner of the earth unknown
to him, will keep up efforts in the " White North "
till every square mile of s(,'a and land has been
charted.
!••
u I.
PART I.
RECOXXAISSAXCK OF THK (JRKKXLAXn IXLAXi) ICE,
1886.
ST. John's to (h-ohavn on t„k Whalkk A-„;.^-(;„„havn to I-vk,tsok
^JU.U. ,N .NO,,M.VK-EASTU-.KnoVKKTn..:In.:.,..,._;.ooFK,.,T.,:oV,. THK
S^.A-^A.K TO THK [,AN„-SAn.,N. ...UN THK In.:.S,.o..KS-FoKTV M U ,• S
oJk^;.' '"'■","" ''■"^-'-•■■^- V>u.,-ArKoss THK Dask ok Xo,k-
SOAK iKN.Nsn.A-lM.SS,,, B.„S oK A TANKKKK , „., K - A ,:oA . , . THK A.v.
-:,r.;:': ^t^ "^"'^'^ i^^v-dkxtkkkkv hak,:o,.._<...k a,:. _
THK S.VVA„K WkST CoAST-A PkaVKK,. ^V„A^K-XA,,VKS-,!KU..-^N
AkcTIC HlKRlrANE-CrMHKKKAM. SoKNO- F;. ;in
I" Sr. F'Hin's.
^1 I
f ^
i.Nt; lOK I.IIiKRTV — liACI'
-»^--l»..i^-.-»,„-^
ii'
!}:
l' ■ i
ON THE GREAT ICE.
I,
PART I.
KKCONNAISSAXCH Ol' rilK ( .Kl'.l.M.AX 1) IM.AXD KK, I SS6.
T
for
111'. Navy Depart-
ment haxiiii^- grant-
ed iii\- ai)|)licati()n
lea\'e, I made tlic
necessar\- arraiiL^'ements
and left Sydne\-. C. P)., on
the steam whaler /:ao/i\
Cai)tain jaekman, Master,
late in Ma}-, i <SS6.
'Idle northward xoyai^e
to (ireenland was one
of intense intere'st and
novelty to mv.. i he masterly wa\' in which the
/ufil'/r's solid iron-clad bow was handled hy Jackman
to smash a i)assaL,a' through the earh-season ice of
Davis Strait was a rexclation. and the bracing- air, the
daylight o'rowin<_;- till the whole twenty-four hours
were brilliant in sunlight, and the (MidU^ss succession
of contrasts, make the \()ya_L;"e a neNcr-to-be-for^otten
memory.
( )ne day a continuous succession of L;rindinL;-. shiver-
ino- shocks as the /:ao/c' rammed the ice ; a constant
st()j)pini;- and backin_^^^ then i^oin-^' ahead ai^ain ; a con-
tinual rattlint,^ of the rudder-chains as tb.c; h(-lm was
hurled port, stcirboard, then port ai^ain ; and a contin-
ual cry from the man in the crow's-nest conning" the
3
rv.\
■ ~f
■,,
/
in i,
' I
4 Nort!n\:ircl oxer the "(ircat Ice"
ship ; tlic nc\i, tlic ship rolliiiL;' and pitchini;' as if
mad. tile decks awash with water, and tlie h)ani and
si)ra\- drivini;' ()\-er tlie rail and across the companion-
way in a hhnch'n^' (h'ift of snow, while o\-erhead the
ri_L;"_L;in^- was shriekint;- and the sta\-sails tense as iron
in a wild north-e;isterl\' ij'ale.
INSPECTOR NEILS ANDERSEN.
Nortli Cirecnlaixl Inspcctoiatc.
' .)
Perhaps the next day the Eao/cs deck was as level
as a tloor, though the whole ship was vihratini;" with
h^
RcconiKiissancc of 1886 5
the hum of ihc trosicd riL;L;iiiL;' oxi'rhcad, while just
al)()\c the crow's-iu'st s|)ri'a(l a hfc^lcss donic of lead ;
to leeward a sea of ink, hlacker \cl 1)\ coiUriist
with the spra)' cut from the waxes and whirled and
beaten into snow-llakes. rising;' in the distance' lo meet
a sk\' hlack as itselt ; close to windward a soh'd grind-
ing' white pack impri-^oning two or three huge spec-
tral l)e ';s, and ahoxc it a n;irrow hand ot light, the
"ice-h ik." like a long, low, mid-winter sunset, or ihe
frost) LW'o-edged hhule ot a \ iking.
Idven runniivj- out ol the h>g and storm, we would
enter a rippling s.'a ol sapphi;'>' and gold, with an ex-
(juisite mackerel sk\' al)o\c, and here and there a hei'g
gl''am;ng hhr and rose In the level ra\s ol tlie mid-
night sun.
|une 0th, the /ui-^'/r left me at ("iodha\n and
steamed awa\' tor the northern whaling grounds.
Merc; 1 was obliged lo wail two weeks lor the ice to
clear out of i ). U() \\[\\ . i )iii'ing' tlu'se iwo weeks the
weather wa.~. sutticientlx' \cU*iegated to suit the most
cai)ricious tanc\. Rain, snow, tog, w uid, calm, ti"opi-
cal sunshine;, aiul freezing cold, all placed their j)arls
in th(; shitting" hours. ['"lowers bloomed alongside
beds of snow, snow-buntings sang on the rocks, the
sea was ali\e with gulls and terns and ducks, and the
air fidl of the miu-mur of running water, while tht;
eternal ice-cai) ol the island looked down from the
top of the clilfs.
A wedding, a christening, \ isits to the "store"
with its wealth of arctic treasures of tur and i\'or\',
and long tramps up the cliffs and o\er the ice-caj) of
the island, fully occupied m\- time until at last I could
embark for Ritenbenk at the head of the ba\- in a
roimd little tub ot a sail-boat manned b\' a crew of
half-breeds : Xeils, black-beard(xl, gre)--eyed ; Peter,
yellow-haired, blue-eyed ; Ikkias, Johann, and Daniel!,
I
J''
1
'
J.
I" (
. ( 1/.
\ t
y
6 Northward oxer the "(ircat Ice"
witl; Ivskinio 1* rcdcrick, who had been one of tlic doi^^
drivers of tlu; l^nn'Hsh 1^75-70 l^xpcxUtion, as pilot
and iiU(N-|jr('tcr.
M\' plan, in outhnc, was to L^ain thi: border of the
interior ice at some point as near the- noith-i-ast aiiL^le
of I )isco lia) as pos-
sible, m\' i)reference
beini^" the base of
Noiirsoak Peninsula,
and then takeacourse
towards Peterniann's
Mountain on the
east coast. But for
various reasons 1 was
obliged to niotlify my
plans.
My sledi^ini^'eciuip-
ment was made in the
lit^ditest and most
thorough manner,
under m\" own super-
vision, and entirely
without reference to
the use of do^'s. Tlie
principal items were;
two nine-foot sledges,
thirteen inches wide, made of hickory, st(;e], and hide,
on a modified Hudson Bay pattern, and wei^'hinLj;^,
complete, with dras^" ropes and lashings, twenty-three
pounds each ; small jacketed alcohol stoves, nine-
foot double-ended ash r.lpenstocks with steel point
and chisel, rubber ice-creepers, snow-shoes, snow-
skates.
Rations consisted of tea, sui^ar, cond(,'nsetl milk,
hard bread, pemmican, cranberry jam. baked beans,
Liebig extract, and an experimental mixture- of meat,
FREDERICK.
Reconnaissance of 1886 ;
biscuit, and desiccated potato, put up in t\vv)-pouiul
cans hy Richard cS: Rohhins, of l)()\er. I )ela\vare.
June 2}i.\ I left Riteiiheiik w itli nu' friend Christian
Mai^aard, assistant ( loxcrnor of Rilenhenk, eiL;lu
nati\('s, an ooniiak, and two atteiKhuit kayaks. At
niichii-'ht we rounded th(; southern e\treniit\' of Arve-
l)rins Iskuiik in I )isco iia\', and headed across the mouth
of Ikaresak .Sound for th(! entrance of I'akitsok I'jorck
Above us the clouds were hea\y and leaky, and aheatl
ever\' depression of the dark mountains and the un-
derside of the black cloud can()j)y aboxi- them was lit
with the i)ale, cold L;lare of the " iced)link."'
I'^nterini;' the narrow-mouthed, bluff-walK^d fjord, we
camped. The next da\' we proceciled up the fjord
through the narrow canon which separates th(.' ui)per
from the lowe'- fjord, said by the nali\'es to be impass-
able e\cei)t at certain stages of the tide. ( )ne wall of
the canon was ^lowin^" in tin; brilliant yellow sunlight
which poured in a level tlood through the western
entrance ; the other lay in deep purple- shadow ; l)e-
tween them flowed the stroma" deep-sn-c-en current,
and throui^h the cafion the upjx-r fiord, known to the
natives as lUartlek, irleamed blue, and the summits of
the inner mountains wc;re soft with yellow li^ht. I^e-
yond the cailon the fjord expanded into a broatl lake.
contractuiL^ as^ain se\eral miles
fartl
th
ler uj)
Al
)Ove
lis point th(; water was |)ale L^reen, rapulh" ^towuil,^
shallow, whiter, and freshe'r.
At
SIX A.M. O
f the 2Sth we landed at the head of the
fjord, and twenty-four hours later I had reconnoitred
the entire extent of the mountain dam. some; twenty-
five hundred feet in hc.'iij^ht. which keeps the Inland
I
ce in c
heck
in
thi
IS vicinit}', and touncl a practicable
bl(
route to the surface of tlu,- ice-caj). l{arK- on tlu; 2(Sth
' Tlic Danisli colonist^- almost always refer to the Inland Ice as the "ice-
blink," and I follow their custom.
(: i
i
il
mf*
¥
Northwiird nwv the " ( ircat Ice"
i'
J\
If
■\
r
r
I'
^l^r*"*'^^
\v had ('\(T\lhiii'' up In ihc icc-looi, i i SS 'f<'t ahovt;
the sea, and oil the uioruinL;' of the j()lh our two
slt'(l_o('s. the .SVi'<v7//(\7/'/ aad /*i/i/(ts ///iwM nanic(l
in honour of hfuiiiark's youiiLic'^l princess), la\ with
their loads upon liu: landward cd'^c ol the ice-cap,
195b feet ahoxc the sea. W ■ ia\ down under the lee of
th(^ sled^'es. hut the wind and the hiiiKhn;;- sun made
sleep an inipossii)ility. The ni.is-.e-, ■)! Idack rock l)e-
\()iid the niarL;iii of the " iced)l'nr; " wc re tremulous in
, _ the da//li'i^.;lare; tile blue fjord
fir Iielo'.v u-^. glisten in_Li" in some
places like hurnished, in others
like frost' 1, steel ; and o\\r and
be\()ii 1 the nioimtains. 1 )isc()
Vtxy lay i)lue.
At ei!4'ht r.\!..the snow lia\--
in^' harden d, Mai^aard and I
started (hi • eau up the " ice-
blink." .\ ^ we st;irted, the blue
of Disco i),i\- was bloited out
by a bank ef pearl-white fo'^-,
which i)oin-ed through the nar-
rows, sli])ped o\cr the mount-
ains at tile moulh of the fjord.
and crept down their eastern
slopes in leath-
ery sj)ra\"s of
siU'er upon
jet. A little
later a mass of
black cloutls
liid the sun,
and at mid-
night the {o^
BLAESE DALE CATARACT. blottcd O U t
Near Godhavn, Disco Island. the land be-
iIj
1,1' 1^16
Reconnaissance of 1886 9
hind us. At one A.M. it overtook us; the sudclcniicss
with which it l)lotlc(l out w r\-lhiiiL;' and shrouded us
in !^r('\- iiothinniicss was
starthii^. We kept on till
the io'^ changed to sleet.
and, the w ind increasiuL;-,
1 railed a halt three thou-
saiid tc:et al)o\- • the sea.
Turning- the sledL^cs up-
on iheir sides, and plac-
ing- our rul)l)ei- pillows
and hlankets in their lee,
We lay down. I>y this
time the wind Iiad he-
coni • a .L^ale. and tin:
sleet, changed to snow,
was drixin^- in a continu-
ous sheet o\-er the tops
of till' sledL^cs.
We la\- hehind our
sledi^'es. whic-h with oui-
1.
sei\'es Were soon
juried
in the drift, until lat
tl
le
ift
itternoon ol
e in
the
second daw when the
steach' roar of the storm
DANISH ESKIMO WOMAN.
Sliowin-; (ireciilaiiil ^tylc^ in ScaNkiii
laiktts, .and C'har:u tii istic I'.skiiuu
Mcthixl ol C!arr\inL; ( 'liildii'n.
broke into intermittent scpialls. and crawling- out
we i^-ot momentar>- glimpses, behind and helow us.
)eneath and
ar
ot a d(;nse mass of clouds, black 1
dull lead colour above, hun-yin^- northward just aboxc
the summits of the land. The land itself, hoary in
its elevated portions with the new]\- fallen snow. la\'
everywhere else as black as .nidnii^ht. and the fjord
hatl become a i)ool of ink. Ahead of us. a |)ale super-
natural ('iare rose nearl\- to the zenith, and
in eve
ry
direction the " ice-blink." swept by furious snow
ii
( '
I'
I
I
\o
Northward over the "Great Ice"
',' I
s([iiiills, and il.s inc([iialilic'S ohlitcratcd in the sliadow-
Icss H^ht, strc;tched dead and silent.
At six I'.M., the clouds i^n'owin^- blacker and blacker
(;very moment, ami every indication pointing' to a
protracted storm, I decidc;d to take the instruments
and l;'o back to the tent and await more faxourable
weather. At the lexcl of the brink of the ice-ton^aie
overlooking" tlu: raL;L;'ed descent through th(.' crevasses
and gulches to tb.e ice-foot, rain had fallen, instead of
snow, and the ed^es of tlu^ cre\ass(.,'s, the sides of the
L'ullies. and the hard blue pinnacles were like oili'd
steel, utterl\- impracticable. W'e could do nothini;
buL climb over the crest of the mountain dam and
down the clills to the valley. 1 1 ere we forded the
l^lacier river, and at midnij^ht r(;ached the tent, th(^
rain falliuL;' in sheets, the wind dashing' th'st \\\) and
then down the valley, threatening- every monuMit to
level the tent, and the glacier river a roaring;- torrent.
Trulw the Inlantl Ict^ had Liiven us a savaire welcome,
but wc; were not yet done with it.
()n the. afternoon of the fourth da)-. July 5th, ])its
of blue sk\- wcn'e visible, and we climbed the ict'-clifts
once more, reached the sledi'^es, duo" them out, and
started due east a^ain.
North and east of us tlie surface of the ice was hioh-
er, and the swc;lls ai)parently longer and llatter than
those? alreach" i)assed. .South-east lav the <'r(.'at feeder
basin of the jacobshavn Glacier stretchin<^ eastward
into the " ice-blink," like a L;rc;at bay, and up throu^^^h
iis centre, like a tide rip in a smooth sea, glistened the
ra_L;"L;"ed j)oints of the o-hicier itself. fust previous to
startini;", while walking" near the sledges without snow-
shoes or aljx'nstock, 1 broke into a narrow crevasse,
and as I Iuuil;' for an instant supj)()rted by my out-
stretched arms, before scrambling;" out, the fragments
of the treacherous snow arch went rattlin^r down the
t' v
Reconnaissance of 1886
1 1
a/urc depths nil Ihc rchcx-s they awoke were like the
cliiiiies of siK'er hells. Our snow-shoes j)re\cnt(Hl a
repetition ol the oc:cur-
rence in crossing' the net-
work ol crexasses which
extendetl east from our
camp. As we adxanceil
thes(; (.lisappearetl. and
in thic cold of the early
mornini^" the entire sur-
face hecamc! one tlrm
unhroken crust, afford-
IiIl;" excellent walking".
'I wo or three small ponds
which we mtit were froz-
en just hard enoui^h to
support us as we half
slid, half skated rapidly
across on our " ski
(s!io\v-skates). W h i 1 e
crossuiLi' another
M
II-
j^aartl
closch'
il
foil
tl
owed me too
le ice, crac
ked
md weakenet
1 1
)\- mv
passino',
the Pn
broke
ant
1 let
GREENLAND SMALL BOY.
wate
uccss riixra throu^'h in some five feet of
1 it was onlv with the utmost difhciltN' that
anc
)t 1
we o'ot her out and
to tl
"le hank a- 'am.
X
nis misr.cU)
o.'i
00 feet al)o\-e tlu!
hroui^ht us to a halt in a hollow
sea, and we turned in in the lee of the; sk^tl^es for a
few hours' sleep, after which we sjx'nt the (.lay dr\'inL;'
;'ear and Mai^aard's sleepin^-^-ear. saturated
our
foot-'.
1)\' the accident and froz(,;n stiff.
A
s soon as the sun l;
th
'•()t around to the north-west
and the snow had hardened sutticientl\- to sui)port
our
ded
U'es, we
strapi
)ed our snow-shoes (;n anc
d
m
:'a
\
M
i.
1 li'
•',;!
1
/!
I? 1
•I t
i ?i r
. i
f '
I I* I
12 Northward Over the "(ireat Ice"
started a^ain. W'r soon reached a Ioiil;-, narrow lake,
str(.'tcldn_L;- across our patli to the left, and not yet
frozen hard enfui^li to suppoit us. To tlank this lake
cost us a detour of two miles, and even then we were
compelled to wade through the morass of saturated
snow which surroundetl it and extended far on either
sid(,'.
SOUTH COAST OF DISCO ISLAND, EAST OF GODHAVN.
I'al Hilar l!i*r<; in l''nrey;r()uiul.
Soon after midnight th(' snow surface became firm
and coarsely L^ranular with (occasional small patches
of snow ot marhledike fmeness and whiteness, sou-
\enirs of the last storm.
Later we encountered areas of oiazed snow, of such
hardness that excn the hrads in our sandals and the
steel shoes of th( sledges scarcely le'ft a trace. 'Idle
fierce morniuL;' .^ale brought us to a standstill 4100
teet above the sea. the entire surface of the " ice-
blink," as far as we could see, okized and shining-
Reconnaissance of 1886
13
beneath llu; niorniiiL;" sun, with a lihiKhiiL;- hrilHancy
impossihlL' to tlcscribc.
Taught !))• oui 'jxpiM'icncc- at prcxious camps, that
it was imp()ssibh_; to sleep exposed to the i)o\verlul
<^dare of the sun and the searching sweep ot the w ind,
and ha\in*^^ at this camp suiiahlc material, we built a
rouL;h hut, cuttini;" blocks of snow with a lon^". nar-
rowd)laded saw, and building- a low wall around three
sides of a rectani^'le, over which we spread a rubber
blanket and weiL!ht(xl it down with the skidLies,
BIVOUAC ON IHE ICE-CAP.
During' the next nine days we pushed on throuL,di
various experience's. usuall\- in the tec-th o{ a head-
wind. .Sometimes far up the most delicate cirrus
clouds hung motionless in the; blue, again black bcUiks
of cumuli would swee}) up abo\c the hori/on. ( )ncc or
twice we were (,niv<"loped in dense fog. which coated
e\'erything with tiny, milk-white crystals of ice, and
in one march a brilliant pcU'helion tilled the north-
< •■
.^ - \
,) i
14
Northward cncr the "(ircat Ice
,",
1
(eastern sk\- wiih rainbow hues antl clicilcd answcnno-
Hashes of colour Iro'V the ^iilUMani:,' siiow-ticld.
Atlcr ^eUiiiL;- al)o\c an altitude of six tlioiisand
feet, the temperature ch-opped to lo" and (S.5" 1\
;th, the wind
W
hen we resumed our marc h on the i
had settled tlown t
o a sout h-easteri\- (jah loaded with
snow
d
[iLjamst this we advanced with '.>'()[
les on.
hoods i)ulle(i u]),and heads dow n. IseepiiiL;' our course h\-
the wind, until the sinking- ol tin; sled^'es in the soft
1 the contimud cloL'i'inL'' of our snow-sh,)es,
snow
mc
compeUed us to stop and wait the cessation ol the storm
at an ele\ ;ition ol 7525 Ivcl. Too tiretl and si 'ep\' from
our struL:i;le wit^"' the storm to huild a hut. e\en had
the loose snow rendered it possible, we la\' down be-
hind our sled^-es and fell asleep.
\\ hen I ;iwoke we were C()mpletei\' snowed unde.",
and here we la\' fca* fortj-t^i'j^'ht hours, with the wind
and snow drixiuL;' in one incessant, sulK n roar across
the drift al)o\c; us. Theif ^jvc crawled out durini^- a
lull in the storm and duj^ -a^-shallow j)it, co\erc;d i'
with a rubber blanket, exca\'at'od our Sie(.l_^es and ba^s.
weio'hted the blankest down with the sledot;s, thrc;w
our hair's underneath, and crawled after them.
About lix'e A.M., Monda\' the igth, a narrow ribbon
of cr)stallint; blue appeared beneath the clou'l " in tin
south-east, and widened and L;rew until it reached the
sun. Then followed a perf(;ct day, warm, cU:ar, al-
most calm, enabling" me to L;"et a i^ood observation,
and permittino- us to dry all our o'ear. Our camj),
7525 feet above the sea, and within a fraction of one
hundred miles from the margin of th<' " ice-blink," lay
in a shallow basin, the snow, previous to th(; last storm,
of the consistencN' of hne granulated sui^ar as far
down as I could fore > my alpenstock (some six feet).
We had six dav.. ; »;"e\'i ,i'Mis left, and beiuL:' uncer-
tain as to the chanL;^(,:s ii the lOwer })ortion of the
V ':
/'
Reconnaissance of 1886
15
"icc-hlink" durin<^ our absence, I tlccidcil to rL'turn.
We lashed tlie Sz^'ccfkcari and the J^r/nccss 77/vra to-
gether, makinij- as strong- and llexiljle a httle catania-
ran as (jne could wish to see; the black sail, jcllow
spars and hulls, red sailing pennant, and the tlashin^'
tins of the load, forming- a vivitl contrast to the un-
broken white expanse of the " ice-blink."
COASTING.
Late on the iQtb. we slart<.'d on our return l)cncalh
a cloudless sk\'. A peculiar phciionicnou noticed
thuiuL;- this march w:is the upparcnt sinking- ot lari_;e
areas of siiow at intervals as we passed aion^', ac-
companied l)\' peculiar muttled reports whicli rum-
bled awa\' beneath the crust in e\-er\- dii-ection until
the\' died a\va\" ; just as happens v.hen one is skating-
upon a freshl\- fro/en lake in early w inter. 'l"he sky
abo\e was tlawless blue, the crimson sun in one direc-
tion, the x'ellow moon opposite, and the [)lain on
which we travelled spreatl with diamoiul (.lust. At
^ t>M»t#» 'M-ilmUFr'mMV
. '-MiriB
k
i6
Northward over the "Great Ice"
i
■ if
ST
11:
^i?;-
* .'
K
midnight tlic northern sky was a sea of crimson li,L^iu,
anil the snow la\' hathctl in delicate shades of rose.
All the next day an east wind blew, and the sle(.l_L;es
went merrily alonLT hefori; it, r(,'(|uirin''" no exertion
on our [)art other than to ^iiide and restrain them.
During' this march sk\' and snow were a^ain hrill-
iant with indescribable splendour. Xot a cloud was
visible except, at a ^reat altitude, two or three deli-
cate, motionless " mare's-tails," the baniiv-rs of the
wind. The snow-tlust raised by our snow-shoes
went hurrying" alon^;' ix^forc; us in two lon^", sinuous
lines of pale rose-tinted smoke, twistini;' and wa\ ini;'
like spirits of th(t ice at plaw
When we halted, the wind was howling;- like a de-
mon ])ast th(.' sledLi'". After ri^^iuL; a rudder (a
hatchet lashed to the eiid of a snow-skate) to th(;
catamar.m, w<; turned in upon tht? sUnli^'es. As tlu-
yellow sun stooped to the northern horizon aj^ain,
Maii^aard and I turnial out, took our ])laces uj^on the
sledges, and bt,'L;an a bit of travelling' wh.ich, as far
as 1 know, has no j)arallel in arctic work, krom
midnight till i'lvc a.m. we sped aloiii^'. takinj^ lexcls at
the spc!ed ot a last walk, and dashing' rapidh' down
the inclines, the hatchet rudder woi'kini;' adnurabl\-.
'rhf.:ii a L^roup of enormous snow-coxcr; d crexasses
sprang' across our path, and the land, Noursoak and
Disco, dark and half shrouded in haze, leaped uj)
from behind the white expanse below us with a sud-
denness that wa-. absolutel)- startlini;'. The crexasses,
th(! most magnificent ones w(? had seen, were many
of them lift)' feet wide, and the ^roup was about half
a mile; across. As a rule, the\' were co\'ered 1)\' snow
arcluts, though in several places the^;e had fallen in.
\\\v. snow arches beini;' ai)i)arentl\- strong', we rushed
the sledges over, taking' llvinu' steps, and half sup-
portiui^ ourselves on tht: \ard of the catamaran, as
1^
H,
I..
1
ICE-CAP EQUIPMENT.
^■,1
i I I
I
• .11
J< : ji
'I
^
r
1 !
if i--
/
I I
fcu,
■ I
I
fF'f'
\4.
I
I
Reconnaissance of 1886 17
the wind and the; iniiK'tus (f our run hurried us
across. The eil^a-s of all the openini^s into these
hu_L(e chasms luul an (jverhani^inn" lij) of snow, niak-
ini^'' it impossiijh.' to ajjproach them to sound or look
down. \\\'. could (jnl\- L;('t hast)- glimpses into them
as we i)assed over the snow arches, and these showed
that their ra^'^'ed hhu,- walls, hunij;' with L;iant icicles
and frostwork of fantastic patterns, descended into
de])ths of l)lue-l)lack nlL^ht.
lieyond the crc;\asses the descent was \("r\' rapid,
and. jumping' on the sledges aL;"ain. we he^an an ex-
citing- run. The wind, straining- tlu; sail till it threat-
ened to tear it from the mast, and the rai)id descent
to!L^eth<'r. drove; us down tlu; Irozen slope with a
l)r(;athless rush which only those who have i)een on
a tol)o^-i4-an can understand, oiu* sup|)le catamaran
i^'lidin^' o\-er the snow and risiiiL;- and falling- to every
ii-ie(|ualit\- with sinew\- ease and L^race.
There are two who will not sooii for^-et that glori-
ous dash down tin; slope of the eternal ice in tlu;
crisp air and rosy li^'ht of that arctic summer n-iornin^^.
At the end of an hour we reached a reo-ion w-lu;re
c;\-ery depression was occupied 1)\' a l)lu(; pond. oft(;n
hidden 1)\- the hunimocks till we were almost into it,
and we were con-ipell(;d to lower our sail, L^et off the
catamaran, and walk until we were st()pp(;d by a broad
morass of slush and water, extending- rij^ht and left
as far as we could see. The total descent during- this
march was 2125 feet. The snow where we haltc;(l was
a mass of heavy slush, and the wind threatened to
pick us up bodily and hurl us into the swam}) ah(;ad.
Mere we remained until midnight, waiting- for the
surface of the morass to freeze sufficienth' to support
us. Scarcely fifty yards from camp, howe\-er. we sank
to our kn<;es. our snow-shoes coniin^' up load(;d with
slush, at a temperature that needed but a touch of the
^
1' '
i8
Northward over the "Great Ice"
;
ill
Pl
! '<
3
air to inakt; it coiiL^cal. I'orliiiiaU'l) , ihc clc|)th of this
shish and water now here exceeded three feet, and ford-
ing the stre-ani, which ran throiiLih the centre of the
morass, wc at hist emerged iijion (h\\- ice. and, clearino-
the sledj^cs of their load of skish, started on a run to re-
store sensation to our feet. I'or several hours these
half-frozen morasses alternateil with hard blue ice,
hone^'combetl with water ca\ ities. Then the character
of the ice changed completely, the slush and water
cavitic^s disappeared, and the entire surface consisted
of a white granular snow-ice scored in e\ery direction
with furrows one to four feet deep, and two to eiL^ht
and ten feet wide, with a littK; rill at the bottom of
each.
Vhv. toj)s of all the hummocks were traversed l)y
more or less numerous cre\asses. and one of the? cre-
vassi^s, coveri'd b\- a li.^ht snow arch, came near robbing;;
me of my friend. We had pushed the catamaran
across, as was our custom, till it rested at each end on
the opposite ed^x^s of the chasm, and I had leaped
across to pull at the sanu; instant that Mai^aartl
pushed. Unfortunatcd)'. hc^ trippcxl as hv. spran^j^ after,
stepped heavil)- upon the snow arch, it ^ave way be-
ncjath him, and clin^inL;" to the stern of the catamaran
he sank into the crcivasse, while the bow shot into the
air with a jerk that nearly tore it from my orasj).
r\)r a moment the sledij^es hun_u^ tilted on the lip of
the chasm, with a man's life hanuino- on their quiver-
ini;" forms ; then my weight concjuered, and IMaii^aard's
head came up to the surface levt'l ; the sledges crept
farther on to the ice till the lono- arm of the k;ver was
in my favour, and IMai^aard, pale but smiling-, swunn^
himself up on the ice. A little farther on. I cauK^in
for a disaij^reeable though harmless experience. Hav-
ini^ stepped down mid-thioh-dcep in a s^lacier stream
to lift the Szocethcaj't and the Princess TJiyra across,
ij \
'm'^
M'
II f.: '>
■•! I 1
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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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Photographic
Sciences
Corporation
'<?)'•
23 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, NY. 14580
(716) 872-4503
m
20
Northward over the " (jrcat Ice"
f.
1-'
the current swcj^t my feet from under me, plun^a;d me
into a deep liole just l)elo\v, th(Mi ruslietl nut alon^i^
between the pohshed hanks witli (h//\' vc.'locitv. I
was Ix-^inninLj;' to L,a.-t irritati-tl at my utter heli)less-
ness in this stream, scarcely more than six f(;et wide,
or more than live feet (.leejj, when a shallow place
L^^ave m\' sj)ik('(l sandal i j)()int of application for a
spring" against the steep hank, up which I scrambled,
and ran to hel|) Maii^aard. who was barely able to
hold the half-sul)m(;ro'ed sledges ai^ainst the current.
Idle furrows and cre\asses increased in numlxr
and width as wi; neared the land. Aft(M" the sun
rose from its short dij) below the hori/on, we forgot
ever\lhin_!4" in the splendour of tlut mornini;". 'I'he
wealth of deep, rich colouring' amonu;' th(; dark mouiu-
ains below us was wonderful, and through ih ir
massive portals we caui^ht glimpses of the- deep blue of
Pakitsok and Kan^'endluarsarsoak h'jords, and farther
awa\' Ikart.'sak Sound. I)ehind us the yellow sun
floated aloni4", above the steebblue line of the fro/en
horizon, through a sea of li(|uid i'wc. ReachiiiL;" the
edi:;'e of tlu; ice-tongue, we anchorcnl the sledj^'es. and
with my instruments sIuul;' on my back, descended
the glacier face.
All tlie more sali(Mit features liere were the same
as when we made the ascent three wcH'ks i)efore, but
those thrtn? weeks of arctic summer had transformed
every inch of surface into solid, ^listeninL;". unctuous
blue ice, ami every detail was sharpi-r, (.leeper, mort;
angular, more heax'ily accentetl, like an etchiuL^' longer
exjjosed to the acid. Ritl^es which then were broad
enough to permit a sledge to pass with a man on each
side, were now mere knift,' edi;es ; crevasses that couKl
be jumix'd then, were imjjassable i^ulfs now. As
we went down the \alley we found a new trii)e of
tlowers had made their appearance during' our
I
Reconnaissance of 1886
2 1
absence. In sonu; places ihv. soil was covered with
laro-e i)urple blossoms, and delicate bluebells wi-re
abundant everywhere. The heat in the valley even
' " j% ^^^^^L—
.^ji£f*»C •• .
9^k
t
»4
'^^'felil^^
^-■.•* -y •' Vir
!?'-
r^
«
^IB
LARGE PURPLP: BLOSSOMS.
at this early hour was oppressive to us. accustomed
to the cold atmos[)here of the " ice-blink," and when
we reached th(; tent, I was carr\inLr ni^arlv all mv
wearino- apparel except foot-^ear slun^' at m\- back.
Two da\s later my burning- exes and cracked and
blistered fact! had re^ainetl something" like their nor-
mal condition, and we j)ack('d the sledges o\'er the
mountains and down to the tent on our backs, and
n.'tiu'ned to Ritenbenk. Here much to \\\\ rej^rct I
was oblii^'ed to part with my tawn\-b(.'arded, blue-
eyed friend Mai^aard, and l;() on alone to the Tossu-
katek Glacier and the bast? of Xoursoak Peninsula.
The voyau^e in a small boat from Ritenbenk to Kek-
ertak, where I was to obtain \\\\ crew and oomiak for
the journey up the fjord, was without special incident
I !l
t ,
*■
2 2 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
(■xccj)t tlie waiting- one iiii^ht in the; rain at the black
)>()inl of Xiakornak for tlie swiftly drifting- hcr^s and
icopans to </\\v. us an oi)i)()rtunit)- to cross the; fjord.
The black rocks of the iK)int tossed and pulled at the
l)oat's iKiinter, the rain pattered merrih-on m\- rubber
blanket as on a tin roof, and the point itself under its
sable canop)- of clouds, with ra_i;_n'ed veils of rain driv-
inij- across it, was as wild a piece of rockwork as I
have ever seen.
'i!
.JX
ESKIMO KAYAKERS EFFECTING A LANDING.
Fioin Kekertak I pushed on up the Tossukatek
Fjord in an oomiak, manned by a crew of broad-
shouldered, red-cheeked, white-toothed your.^- men,
the hnest specimens of Eskimos I have seen. Vo my
inexperienced eye, the fjord seemed utterly impass-
able. From shore to shore it was filled with a con-
fusion of hujj^e fiat-topped beri^s, the narrow cafions
and tortuous lanes between them apparently packed
solid with berg fra^i^ments and pans of fioe ice. But
Reconnaissance of 1886
23
my pilots in tlic kayaks sccmccl to know i)\- instinct
where there was a j)assa_i;e, and on tlie second day we
reached tlie heatl of the fjord without misliap. I'his
voyas^e up the lont^, narrow outlet of such an enormous
and active j^lacier as Tossukatek. was ont- of inex-
pressible grandeur. 'I lu,' air was continuousK' tilled
with a succession of shar|) reports. var\inL,^ in loudness
from that of a percussion-caj) to heav)' artilU.'ry, while
every few monients there would come a reverheratiui^
peal as of rollin;^ thunder, and i\\v. swells from ilis-
ruptinir iceber<^s kept the whole mighty tletjt sur^ino'
and swayinj^-, and broke with intermittent roar against
the rocks of the shore.
ESKIMO KAYAKERS TRAVELLING OVERLAND.
My first view of the glacier showed it stretching
across the head of the fjord, a giant rose-coloured dam,
the majestic " ice-blink " rising blue above; it.
Late in the evening of August 3d, as the sun was
dropping behind the northern mountains, I started
' • li
I
24
Northward over the "Great Ice
)•
m
from m\' little tent, which had hccn erected closer to
th(; t;dL(e of thi; ice-cap, on my solitary reconnaissance
of the " L^reat ict; " across the base of Xoursoak \\n-
insula. Three days later I was hack to the tent a^ain,
ha\in_Lj^ crossixl the ice to thi; (.-d^e of the (ireat
Kariak (ilacier, some tw^enty-five miles northward,
where, aft(,'r a momiMitary s^limpse into the mighty
basin of th(! L;Teat ice-stream tilled with chaos-heaped
ice, then out throiiL,di the ma^nitlct-nt beri^-dotted
blue waters of Omenak I'jord, I had been cauLjiit in a
south-easter, the black clouds of which poured nwr
Xoursoak, hiding' th(; snow)- peaks of Okaitsortalik,
Majorkarsuatsiak, and their companions, and blotting'
ni)' world out behind a veil of falling snow and rain.
Then I ha(' retraced my steps through the continu-
ation of the sN)rm back to m\' tent. This solitary
experience in the silence and cU^solation and infinites
expanse of the " L^reat ic(; " made a deep impression
upon me.
Returnmo- to Kc'kertak, 1 climbed thi; ra^t^'cd peak
of Xayat on the north side of the fjord, where I had
a mannificent view of the entire north-eastern section
of Disco Hay. Beneath the e\e of an observer on
the summit of Xayat, the whole of Tossukatek I'^jord,
with its ramifications into Ikaresak Sound, and the
oreat L(lacic;r at its head, lies like a map, and the
apparently level horizon of the ice-cap stretches from
north-east to south-east.
Then from Kekertak I went to the famous fossil
beds of Atanekerdluk. Here I found frasj^ments of
trees, black petrifactions with the Lorain of the wood
and the texture of the bark showin<^ clearlv. Pieces
of sandstone split readily into sheets, between which
were to be seen sharp, clear impressions of lari^e net-
veined leaves, every tiniest veinlet and minute ser-
ration of the etlircs distinct as the lines of a steel
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Northward over the "Great Ice"
i. J
cni^TaviiiLj^ ; Ioiil;-, slender jjarallcl-vfinctl k-aNcs and
(jx(|iiisit(-: feathery ferns. To one who appreciates
the stran_L(e story of these leaf impressions, )et has
not the circumscribed microscopic vision of the
specialist, these fossils i^^ive stran^^e sensations. Ont;
holds in his hand the new-cut tj;rev paLTes of a hook
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if
HARBOUR OF ATANEKERDLUK.
that went to press countless aL^es a^o, with fresh careen
leaves scattered throuii^h it, leaves that seem familiar to
us, that remind us of the beech, the ma_L,molia, and the
oak, leaves such as may be fcund in tht! sun-llecked
aisles of any of our June forests ; \et looking' over
the top of the pas^e we see below a lleet of hu^'e ice-
ber^i^s, and beyond the narrow channel the eternal
ice-dome of Disco Island, cresting' the cliffs antl
reachiuLT ijendent i^Jacier arms down then- sides. I
Reconnaissance of i836
27
cIl'scciuKxI the slope witli astraiiL^n'. unreiil ft't'liiiL;. half
L'xpL'ctini,^ that if I turned and looked up the Liorije I
should see a L(reen. leaf-carpt'tecl forest, rustling and
shimmeriuL,^ in the sunliL,du. Vet it is all a part of
this land of startliiiL^ contrasts, this land of midnis^du
sun and noonday nii^ht, of tropical skies and p(.'rennial
snow, of mountains half hitlden beneath the eternal
ice-caps, yet still tinged with che deej) L,d()w of ancient
volcanic tires.
I !
ATANEKERDLUK FOSSIL BEDS.
P'rom Atanekerdluk hack to Kekertak, thence to
Ritenhenk, thence a^ij^ain in a sluLi^ij^ish tub of a sail-
boat to Godhavn, where the Jiaoic came for me on
the 6th of September.
rVom Ciodhavn the /uro/r steamed directly west
across Baffin's Hay, through the scattered streams of
the " middle ice," and dropped anchor near Aij^nes
Monument, just north of the river Clyde. The low
shore here and the mountains back of it were covered
m*
I •
38
Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
ply
\\'\
th
snow, an un
broken ice-foot hicl tlie
l)('acli, antl new ice was ra[)i(ll)' formini,^ In the
morninj^ the ice drove us out, and tlie Juii^/c steamed
north and dropped anchor in I)ext(Tity Harbour of
the whalers, an uncharted iidet, l>in,i( just north
of Cape CarLienholni, in a j^roup of entirely unex-
plorinl ishuids an.l deep fjords. 'I'he surroundings of
tlie harliour, as seen throu_L,di the deep snow and drift-
ini"- c
loud
s. wc-re wild \\\ \\\v. extrenK
.Sh
lari). rauij'et
mountains enclose its head, the black, vertical clilis at
their summits standin_L,^ out in startling- relief aL;ainst
the white shroud which covered ever\thinLr else. Nine
k
di
most continuous snow-storm.
Then at (kuli^ht of the 20th Jackman drove the
lujo/i' out in the teeth of a north-east snow-storm, and
scjuared away for I'^^linton k'jord. As the; da\' ad-
vanced, the land came n'railuaiK' out from the clouds
on our starboard bow, and ^ave a view of the bold
headland (jf Cape Adair, in tlu; rear of which is a
hii^h conical {)eak very conspicuous to the north.
'Ihe j)eaks north-west of this have also a tendency to
the conical form. Later, Scott Inlet showed out in
sharp relief a^ains*; a i^hastK- backi^round, its vertical
black walls reachiuLi' far inland amoiiL;- the mountains.
Scott Iskunl, at the entrance, is a L;iant fortress, \\h\\
vertical walls i 300 feet hi^h, smooth and true as if
laid b\- masons.
R(,'achinL;' I\L;iinton, we heacU'd across for Ra\ens-
craiLi' llarbour on the south side. The shore here is
solid rock, with not a boulder, pebble, or^rain of sand
aloui^^ its entire wave-worn extent. In thi' harbour
were threi' whalers, the Jisqiiiiuait.w Active, antl Nova
Zcnibla, and as nioht descendetl the; Jiao/c dr()j)ped
her anchor amon^- them.
Ravenscraij;' Harbour is one of the finest on this
whole coast, a narrow deep-water inlet, makinj^ south
Reconnaissance of 1886
29
several miles into the land. The next clay the Iirra
A'iK'ii came in, and here the lleet made its rendezvous
f(3r th(.' next ten days, sendinsj^ boats out dail)' to
cruise for whales. With thirtv boats dartinir hack
and forth over its surface, the fjord presented
an
anun
ated
il)l)(;aranc<,'
If th
U' wmci was iavourai)li
fi
d)l(
tile ships themselves stood out under canvas (whal-
ers never usmj^ their pro|)ellers wlien 1
n
th
e vicinity
of whales), and rt'ached back and forth off the mouth
of the fjord. While here ten bears were killed by
th
d
e various snips, ant
one da)' the /ur^/rs
boats came in with
the skins of two
which they had har-
pooned in the water.
It had
th(
CLIFF VIEW AT ATANEKERDLUK.
t had taken tne
united efforts of three
boats' crews to keep
one of these power-
ful brutes from climb-
in<r into the boat and
wreakiui^ veni^eance
for the murderous
thrust of the steel.
On the last day f)f
September w^e steamed south to Bute Islantl on
the south side of the Clyde. The coast from liij;-
linton to the Clyde looks like the side of a lons^, deep
railway cut. The next afternoon we made Kater
Head (of the whalers — Cape Raper of the charts).
Here we found the Polynia, Icrra Xova, and Jis(p:i-
maux,2i^A alonjj;- this coast from Kater Head to Cape
Kater we put in ten days, Durini^ this time it was
snowini^ almost constanth', and younsj;' ice formed
wherever the lee of a projecting point, or stream of
\\
f
.1%
i>.
30
Northuaicl ()\cr the "(ircat Ice
old ice, made calm water. ( )n(' forenoon the harom-
eter (ln)|)|)e(l rapidU'. and in llu! afternoon the snow-
ceased, the clouds lifted, .and a tremendous swell
came rolIiiiL^ in from the south-east. Not a breath of
wind disturhed the surface as the Ioul;", la/\' swells,
smoothed by the pre-ssuri: of tlu: ice through which
they hail passed, came slippiuL;" noiselessl)' in, lift-
\\v^ and dro|)J)in^" the' hu_L;i' heri^s as if they were hut
corks, anti then, with clouds of dark smoke streaming
from their crests and with oreat cakt's of hlue ice
home upon their shoulders, dasheil up the loni(
shoal south-west; of Kater lleail, and fell upon the
rocks in vihratiniL^ thunders of foam and shattered ic(,'.
A*, sunset th(! wi-stern mountains stood intense hlue
steel i)etween llaminnr skv and sea, anil thc-n the stars
came forth likt,' llashinjj^ brilliants, the Milky Way ri-
valled tlu; Aurora in brii^htness, and the wind howled
like mad devils through the ris4L;injj;'. Just the out-
skirts of an arctic hurricane sweepiniT throuLrh the
straits had reached us.
()ctol)er 8th 1 saw my tu'st whali', — in fact it was the
first siHMi from the /unoic for the s(,'ason. The: bi^-
black brute was phuiuL^ in a little opcMiimj^ in the
pack close to a ber^', antl as he stootl on his head
with his tail and nearly half his body thrown into the
air against the white; background of the berL;", the
hu}4'e tail thrashimj^ the water into columns of sj)ray,
it looked as if it would reach the /uio/cs main-\ard.
After a few minutes' play, he came out and started
south, and though each shij) in turn made for him as he
passed, he was too knowing" or had too pressing- l)usi-
ness, for he <;ave none of them a chance. At Kater
Head a number of the natives of this coast came on
board. One family, consisting" of a wmcIow with one
ijfrown and one vounijfer son and one married chiuijhter
with her baby, were comparatively clean and intelli-
Reconnaissance of 1886
I
31
^a'in-l()<)kin_n. The oKl lady was tattoocil with liiu-s
ciir\in_L( from the hridmc of tlir nose upward o\cr tlu.-
(•yes, and also thn-c lines on each side from th(! nos-
trils across the checks hack to tlu: cars. 'I'lic daiii^lucr
had a pleasant and even pretty face, with dark-hrown
(•\i's, and a ruddy l;Iow to her cheeks. She had on
the peculiar "cummiiiL^s" ( loni^^-le^^cd sealskin hoots)
wilh huL^c pouches on the outside, worn 1)\- the women
of this tribe. The han,i^- i>f these about the knees re-
minded me of
trousers worn
!)}• I'urkish wo-
men. 'I he baby
was complete-
ly cased in mot-
tled fawn-skin
e\cej)t its face
antl hands, and
when removed
from thedi'i)ths
of his mother's
hood for re-
freshments, re-
mintled me of
n t h i n ijf s o
m u c h as a
c h i c k e n just
out of the ei^ii^shell. The boys were both
faced, intellij^ent-lookinjj;' fellows.
On the morniuL;' )f the 10th, all the sliips had a
heavy belt of ice at ami above the water-line, and tlu:
thickness of youn!:i^ ice everywhere i)r(.;cluded further
stay in that locality. In the afternoon the Iiao/c
headed south ai,^'iin. At midnight we ran into the
ice-pack north of Cape Hooper, and the next da\' in
this ice three bears were shot by Jackuian and myself
THE GORGE AT ATANEKERDLUK.
Showing; tlic Stratitication. < hw of the Kicli l-'ds^il
Heds i> just at tlic Left of tlic I'lacc ^ln)\^■M in tlic
ricluic.
I)i<^ open-
' ft
32
Northward over the "Great Ice"
i
k
"s
from the sliip. There; is hut little of the excitement
of clatiLii'er in this sport, i)ut there is an excitement in
heinj^- driven throui^h the ice, and kept in rani^e of
the hU^ L^ame, hy such a ([uiverinu;", jjowerful steed as
one of tht;se whalers. The ice was heavy enough so
that the Jiaolc at her hest could harely keej) up with the
bears, and w^hat with the constant jumpinij^ and trcMii-
blin<r of the vessel as she struck the solid pans, and
the motion of the bears as they leaped from piece to
piece, ran behind hummocks, antl i)lunL(ecl into the
wider lanes of water, wn usually burned sev(M"al car-
tridges apiece beforj the bear dropped. There was
never any uncertainty is to whether a bullet reached
the mark or not, everyone that struck beiuL^ followed
by a savage snap at the woimd. One of the bears, as
he started to canter away, received a bullet from my
Winchester throui^h his hind foot, 'dicitin<^ a bite and
a double-barrelh'd kick, and acceleratini^ his speed ;
another from the Captain through the other foot elic-
ited another bite and kick ; then followed several in-
effective shots, and he took to the water ; here 1 <^ot
a bullet in his head which staLi'L;ered him, and as he
was attemptinij;' to climb out on the ice, another in flie
])ase of the skull tumblcnl him over, an inert mass. He
WMS ai^aunt old fellow, without an ounce of fat on him,
with a maLi^nilic(Mit head and set of ivoric^s, and arms
that \vould be worth a fortune to a prize-fighter.
Shortly after noon of the 13th, the Juii^k drove
throujj;h the compacted edi^e of the pack, and entered
the dark wind-tossed, ice-free waters of the Strait,
off Cape Walsini^ham.
The next afternoon we were caui^ht by an arctic
hurricane, before w^hich the snow drove in level sheets
across the deck, and a friii'htful sea arose, with inde-
scribal)U; rapidity. We ran before it till all the whalino--
^ear was passed from the boats down into the hold, to-
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34
Northward over the "Great lee"
I
w- I
trcthL'i* witli t'vc r)thin<4- movable on deck, the boats
themselves double-lash(xl, hatches battened down,
and extra _<^ask(;ts on the sails. Then with braces
mann(;d by the entire crew, and three men lashed at
the wheel, the old ship was ready to round to into
the teeth of the storm. Clinirino- to the weather end
of the brids^e, wuth everything- excei)t our eyes cased
in the snow, stood Jack-
man and myself, watch-
\n<^ the matl seas which
came tumbling after us
throuu^h the blindini:^
drift. For a few mo-
ments, there was utter
silence as to human
sounds. Then a ij^retMi
monster tlun^- the
Eao/cs stern hi oh in the
air, poured over the
taftrail, burst throuj^h
the propeller trunk, and
passed ahead. ''Let /la-
conic/'' — a jump to the
eUL^ine-room signal, the
wheel tlew round, the
braces eased off, and,
uroed by propeller, sails,
and rudde*", the Juro/c
whirled like a top, rose to a second orey-^^reen mon-
ster, climbed throuLi^h its top, and pinniped down its
rearward slope. Th(? foreyard cockbilled with a loud
crash, the foretopsail llew out with a report like a
piece of artiller}-, then si)lit in thrashint^ streamers,
and then with sails of iron straining- at the sheets till
they were like the slant, half-closed winos of her swoop-
ing- namesake, the Juro/c heeled over to the hurricane,
CAPTAIN ARTHUR JACKMAN
OF THE "EAGLE."
Hi ■^'
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36
Northward over the "Great Ice"
and, with Icc-rail under water, " lay to." A little later,
the lee side was swept clear of boats, davits, and
stanchions ; then a vicious sea stove the weather bul-
warks, and water came pourin«( down the companion-
way, settincr everythinij^ in the cabin aHoat. Just
before dark, a piercini^ cry of " Ice !" came from the
lookout forward, and there, in the troujji'h ahead, wal-
lowed a huge blue, nearly submerged mass. As the
Eaolc plunged down upon it, it secmied from the bridge
as if her jib-boom cleared by scarcely a foot, then she
answered her helm, fell off, and sheered by it. For a
moment, hurled aloft on the crest of a wave, it swung
high above her quarter as she scraped past, then a bub-
bling whirlpool, and a glimmer of blue beneath the
Eagle s stern, showed where it had plunged beneath
the surface. Then the blackest of nights fell on us,
as we stood out into the Strait. At midnight the snow
had ceased, the moon was shining brightly, and the
Eagle riding easily on the subsiding waves. Coming
about in the morning, we steamed for the American
whaling station in Cumberland Sound, where we lay
at anchor sixteen days. Then on the ist of Novem-
ber we hoisted anchor and for twenty-four hours
fought our way out through heavy young ice. The
brave old ship, staggering and quivering from keel
to truck, rammed and fought her way through the
tough, rapidly hardening pack, in her struggle to
escape imprisonment for the winter. This battle with
the ice was very different from those on the upward
voyage in June. Then, it was the quick smashing
work of a powerful and accomplished fighter. Now,
it was the steady, killing pull of a giant, straining at
a load which he could barely move.
Two days were passed in the shelter of Field Bay,
and then our course was resumed south again, and all
night long, with engines throbbing at full speed, with
'r-'-~^ c£.
s ^ \ V \' \\^
^
55
Route of
SUMMER VOYAGK,
1«8G.
I'pward Vojujte of E.VGLIC
Ite C'up Jtoulo
Iteturii Voyuice ot KACLV.
if U
38
Northward over the ** Great Ice"
every sail black iis^ainst the southern moon, with
black masts swayini^ to and fro amonj^ the stars, the
liaolc went racintr southward across the Strait of
Hudson, beneath the blazins^ curtain of a magnificent
aurora.
At first the aurora extended, in a brilliant white,
waving curtain, north and south across the Strait, its
bottom seeming to brush the mast-heads. Then the
curtain disappeared, and scurrying wreaths and
streams of pale amorphous light came rushing north-
ward ov^er the ship, and, forming in serpentine folds,
waved and fiuttered, waxed and waned, separated and
ran together again, with a rapid, Buttering motion,
which I can compare only to the rapid opening and
shutting of a Japanese fan ; and finally, agitated by
some ghostly whirlwind, till every fold shot green and
gold and violet and crimson fiames, they broke in
flying fragments, and dissolved into faint, luminous
clouds.
After this, a week of head-winds and storms, driv-
ing mists, snow, and a waste of mad grey-green waves,
sometimes lighted, for a moment, by bursts of pale
November sunlight, was passed along the Labrador
coast. On the i 7th of November the Eagle steamed
into the harbour of St. John's, and my first arctic voy-
age was at an end. But the northern bacilli were in
my system, the arctic fever in my veins, never to be
eradicated.
OBJECTS.
" To gain a practical knoivlcdgc of the obstacles and ice con-
ditions of the interior of Greenland ; to put to the test of
actual use certain methods and details of equipment ; to mcike
such scientific observations as may be practicable ; and to
push into the interior as far as possible." '
RESULTS.
Attainment of greater elevation than ever before reached on
the Inland lee.
Penetration a greater distance than any zvhite man pre-
viously.
Attainment for first time of the real interior plateau of
unchanging snoiv.
Determination of ruling characteristics of the Inland lee
from border to interior. (See article in '^Bulletin Am. Geog.
Soc," No. 3, 1887,//. 286-88.;
Securing of an invaluable fund of definite practical knoivl-
edge and experience of actual ice-cap conditions and necessary
equipment, as tcell as practical hnori'ledge of arctic navigation
and a familiarity with a cousid^mble extent of the arctic
coasts.
Incept io)i of ideas of pronounced future value, as odometer,
sails, etc.
The folloiving deductions ' :
' Paper read before National Academy of Sciences, at Washington, April 23,
1886.
" Bull. Am. Geog. Soc, No. 3, 18S7, pp. 288, 289.
39
^1
OBJECTS AND RESULTS OF 1886 RECON-
NAISSANCE.
'f '
40
Northward over the "Great Ice"
.'
Attacks upon the biland Ice should he uiade at a point as
far above level of sea as
possible, and xchere the pres-
ence of large and rapidly
discharging glaciers indi-
cates a rapid ascent to high
elevation in close proximity
to coast.
Party should be small and
thoroughly accustomed to
snoio-shoes and ski.
Surface of ftdand Ice
offers imperial highway to
East Coast, and, in case the
ice-cap is coextensive with
the land, to the northern
termi)ius of Greenland.
Proposal of the folloiving
prophetic routes :
" From base of Noursoak
Peninsula to head of Franz
Joseph Fjord, and return.
''From J I hale Sound to
northern terminus of Green-
land or intersection of ice-
cap with East Coast. ' {B)
This route the key to the
Greenland Problem.
" From Disco Bay to Cape
Dan:' ' {D)
' This route actually covered l)y
me in 1892.
" This route utilised by Nansen in
188S. {E)
1 !l
PART II.
NORTH (IREKNL M) EX I-KDITIOX ()F I 89 I -I 892.
CHAPTER I.
BROOK LVX T(J McCURMKK HAV.
Starting from Brooklyn— East Rivkr Stkamhoats Wiiisii.e tiikir
Adieus— My Heavy-Eaden Barkentine— I'irposes ok the North Okeen-
LAM) Exi'EijrnoN— Its Personnel and Eqiip.ment— Oik Companions on
THE VoVACiE- STOI'I'EI) BY ICE IN THE StRAIT OK BeI.I.K IsI.K— ( JrEKNI.AND's
Grand Mountains Come into View— Our First Eiit.d Day in the Arctic
Reoions— A Panoramic Survey ok Mountains, Fjords, Glaciers, Ice-
BERCS, AND SEA— CaUGHT IN THE ICE OK MeLVII.LE BaY— THREE WeEKS
Battling with the Pack— A Broken I,e<;— The North Water Reached
AT Last— We Meet the Arctic Highlanders— The Site Selected for
OUR North Greenland Home.
a.
If
i
li
i'
im
t 'I
ASTRUP.
HENSON.
\
,1 1^
\
bkookl.NN TO MnokMK K I'.AV.
TIII'^ last boxes and
parcels were finally
stowed a\va\' on niv
little harkentine. At live
in the afternoon of June
6. 1 89 1, th(; /\//r cast off
from the foot of iJaltic
Street, Brookhn, a n d
swuno- out into the l^ast
Rivi;r. Cienial sunliL^ht
illumined the faces of a
crowd o f friends a n d
sightseers, wavin_L^ adieus from the end of the- j)ier.
We were fairly off for North Cirt^cmland, and e\erv
ferryboat and steamitr in the crowded Mast Ri\er knew
it. Scores of whistles Yrddv, us ^ood-bNt- and /fo/i
:'()va<^i\ All the way up the Hast Ri\er (lip|)in^' tlai^^s
L;'a\'e us hail and fan-well. The lUn^t of bi^" Sound
steamers passed us one 1)\- one, whistles saluting" and
decks crowded with passen^c'rs waving- handkerchiefs.
At I'dushin)^^ and other points, man\- \'achts salut(Hl
with their L^uns ; and it was not until niL^ht hid us
that the inspirini^ God-si)eeds of our friends and well-
wishers W(;re heard no more. Our little world. \er\'
much cramped for elbow-room, for every inch ot space
43
i
■u
/I
>^.
44 Northward over the "(ireat Ice"
Im'Iovv deck was tilled, and the deck itself hidden
under my e(|ui|)ineiu. was left to its(df at last.
Sixteen persons coniprisiHl the i)assenLjer list of th(;
little AV/6'. Se\(n of them were members of my
CAPTAIN RICHARD PIKE OF THE "KITE."
Nortl'. Greenland Expedition, while nine formed the
scientific party sent out by the Academy of Natural
Sciences, Philad(;li)hia, to accompany me to my d(,'sti-
nation, and then make such investio;ations in their
scientific specialties as time permitted before the A7/<:
i! I
. r,
Brooklyn to McConnick Bay
45
returned home
IS party was known
as the West
Th
Greenlaiul I'-xpedition.
I had limited m\- own parly to the niimher of men
al)S()lutely re(|uired for the work I proposed to do.
I'he (la\' of lar^c expechtions in successful arctic ex-
ploration I l)elie\cd had L;(»ne hy. The L^real Woi'k
of the future, like nuich of that of the i)asi. will l)e
done i)\' \(r\- smal
man i)e\<)iu
1 ih
parties,
il
Vn\
le\ilVJ
that
Kr numher ahsohilelv essen
tial
e\ er\-
is an
element of danger and failure, 1 had selected from
the hundreds of applicants, whose letters had been
pouring' in for months, onl)' ti\-e men to share mv fort-
un(,'s.
Tl
\rv were all n'ouul:', and
1 addition to i)os-
sessin^' lii'st-class physicpu; and perlecl health, were
men o
f education and attainments.
I 1
)eiieve this to
i)e the t\pe of mail hest fitted to eiidup' with mini-
mum unfavourable elfect the ordeal of the arctic
inter, and to elfectivelv execute a two or three
w
months dash on sledijes, where in
Itell
i''cnt wil
power, \()uthful elasticit}'. and enthusiasm rise su-
pc.Tior to tlu; s
f
i)\' N'ears ot work
tolid
•k
f
M
eiKliirance ot muscles
\' assistants were :
hard
elled
l''rederick A. Cook, M.l)., the sur-'con and eth
no-
loj^ist of the expedition, a nouiil;' physician and sur-
geon, a native of X(;w York State, a graduate; of the
College; of Physicians antl Surgeons, and of the I'ni-
versit)' of the; Cit\' of Xew N'ork. lie had been
practising;' his [)rofession in Xew \'ork Cit\' for sev-
eral \-ears. \\v was twenty-six \-ears old.
Lam^^don Ciibson, of blushiiiL;-, L. I., m\- ornitho-
loL^ist and chief hunter, a stalwart \(>un!4" hunter of
' ScliwatkaV threat sIc-iIl^c joiiriu'V was iiiaclc witii fnur uliito incii and an
I'!>kini(). ('aptaiii 1 lolni's parly tn lla'-t l Ireciiland nunilicit-d fmir. I'ayer. in
1 ran/ (osif Land, st.irtuii uitli >c\fn, but, liiidini; tlii^ nuniher cunilircais. lie
loft fmir and puslicd alicad with tuo. I'lio c\iil' raiioiis of tiii' ( irn-lv i'.xpe-
loiis am
tlitiiiii wire made liy parlies of three men. 11 all's earlier exjilKrat
Clraaii's jnurney alon;^ tiie ea^t coast of (ireenland are striking; examples ol the
success that may attend the efforts of ('//(• resolute
man in arctic exploration.
1'
,Ki
46
Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
1 ■
I
m
I
I) it'
t\v('nt)-si.\. a nicnihcr of the American ()rnith()]()ij;-ists'
Union. \{(i was one of th(,' Hmwn-Stanton party in
the Colorado Canon survey of iScSq-qo.
CHIEF ENGINEER JARDINE, 2d ENGINEER McKINLEY, AND
"BOSUN" DUNPHY.
iMvind Astrii]) of Christiania, Norway, twenty \'ears
old, was a stalwart \()un<'" f',llow who hail hut recently
come to the I'nited States. The son of the Com-
mander of the Royal Civil Cuard of Christiania, he
was a hrst-class tj;-raduate of the Christiania Commer-
cial Collet^e, and a winnc-r of numerous prizes in ath-
letic sj){)rts, especialh" ski-runnino-.
John M. X'erhoeff, of Louisville, Ky., my mineral-
ogist and meteoroloirist, was twent\-h\e \-ears old, and
educated in an Eastern uni\ersit)'. Mr. X'erhoeff
contrihuted j^enerously to the exi)enses of the expe-
dition.
IVIatthew Henson, my hody-servant, a hardy col-
ouretl man, was a native of X'^iririnia, twenty-three years
(;
,. I:,'
Brooklyn to McCormick Hay
47
old. 1 lis intclliL^cMici: ami faithfulness, combined with
more than avera_L(e pluck and endurance, as shown
during- several years that lu; had been with me through
varying' exi)eriences, part of the time in XicarajL^i^uan
iuiiLrles, led me to reirard him as a \aluable membt'r
of the party.
Mrs. Peary accompanied the party. ]\)ssessed of
health, youth, energy, and e-nthusiastic interest in the
work, she saw no reason why she couKl not endure
conditions and (Mixironment similar to those in wliich
Hanisli wives in (ireenland pass years of llieir life.
I concurred in this opinion, and belie\'ed tliat in many
ways her prc^sence and assistance would contribute to
the valuable results of the expedition, as the\' were
i' .aluable to me in the prej)aration. I^xcnts pro\-ed
the entin; correctness of this l)elief.
TIM.
Both the North Greenland and West Oreenland
Expeditions were under my command until the for-
fill
(
5 i
i
ilr
V
\(\
4S
Northward over the "Great Ice"
nicr was landed at its winter quarters in McCormick
l^)ay. The West CirctMiland Expedition then began
its distinctive work under command of Prof. Ani^elo
Ilcilprin, I'^xecutor Curator of the Academy of Nat-
ural Sciences. Philadelphia, and a n'coloj^ist of in-
ternational reputcition
Associated with Professor
Heilprin, were: Prof, lienjamin Sharj), zo(')loL(ist in
charge; Prof. J, \\ Holt, zoologist; Dr. William \i.
lluijhes, ornitholoL'^ist ; Mr, Le\i \\\ iMenL''cl, ento-
m
oloLHst ; Dr. Willi;
Ull
H, Purk. Ijotanist ; Mr.
Alexander C. Kenealy, a reporter for tlu,' New York
K
eelv.
Jr., surj^eon
and
Herald ; Dr. Robert N.
Mr. P'razer Ashhurst.
The master of tlu; Kite, a steam sealer of 2S0 tons,
was the late Captain Richard Pike, a famous arctic
ski|)per and one of the best of ice naviL^ators. Mis
death, in the sj)rinnr of 1S93, was widel\- rej^retted.
As conimander of the Proteus, he took Lieutenant
(ireely's P^xpedition, in i(SSi, to Lad)- P'ranklin Hay.
()n that occasion. Captain i'ike made a phenomenally
raj)id run up Smith Sound to the site of Lieutenant
Greely's camp. Two years later. Captain I'ike was in
command of the Profens when Lieutenant Carlin^ton
attempted to relieve Creely ; and after the vessel was
crushed in the ice near Capt: Sabine, he retreated with
his crew in open whale-boats acrcjss Melville Hay to
I'ljernavik.
Cai)tain Pik(,' and his crew numbered fifteen per-
sons, making- a total of thirty-one souls who had to
be packed away in the very snuoyest of (juarters in
the cabin berths, deck-house, and forecastle. The
Kite was a staunch, strong' vessel well adapted for
the vovaij'e, with a steamimj' i)ower of sc;ven knots.
.She had been thoroughly overhauled and additional
cal)in accommodations put into her for my party.
The question of my food supplies, clothing', and
Brooklyn to McConnick Bay
49
other equipment, and scientific outfit, had been the
suhiect of lonii' study and careful digestion of the
experience of ni)' predecessors.
COD-FISHING IN STRAIT OF BELLE ISLE.
My ecjuipinent was one of th(; most modest and in-
expensive ever taken to the "White North." \'et
nothinij;' was omitted that was essential to our comfort
or success.
The food su[)pl)- tliffered little from that of the later
arctic expeditions, I had a )ear and a half's sup-
plies ; with tea, coffee, su^ar, and milk in sufficient
(juantity to last two and a half years. I took little
meat except pemmican for the ice-cap journey, as I
exp(,'Cted to secure an abundance of reiiuleer and
I- t
/;
50
Northward over the " Great lee
?*• .: !
I&.f (H.
other frcsli meat at my winter cam|). Iuaj)()ratecl
vej^ctables in hirije variet\-, antl Ix-ef-meal, pcmmican,
and cocoa taljlets had been prepared expressly for the
expedition.
I carried kimber for a i 2 x 20 feet liouse. I liad two
whale-boats, Mai'v Pcavy and Faith,^ built exjjressly for
the expedition. The former was named Mary I\ar\\
after the mother to whom I owe so much ; the latter,
Faith, after the sturdy boat which thirty years a^o
brought Dr. Kane and his brave companions back to
friends and civilisation, past the same cliffs and ba\ s
that were to know this new Faith.
I took the two sledges used by me in my recon-
naissance of the Inland Ice in 1SS6, antl an amjjle sujj-
ply of timber for makiuLi^ new ones.
Other important items were Indian snow-shoes,
Norwesj;^ian ski, moccasins and rubber ice-creepers, al-
cohol stoves, and an abundance of woollen clothing;'.
Vor my fur clothino-, as for ni)- meat sujjply, I de-
pended upon the rei^ion about my headquarters.
My firearms consisted of Winchester 44-calil)rt; re-
peating- carbines. 45-calibre repeating- ritles, Winches-
ter repeatini^- shot-^uns 10 ^aui^e, a I)aly 3-barrel L;un,
shot barrels 10 Li'au^e, rille barrel 45 calil)re. Am-
munition consisted of one size shells and two sizes
riile cartridi^es.
My surveyino' outfit comprised one; small theodolite,
arranjL^ed expressly by I'auth (S: Co., of Washington,
with prismatic eyepiece and coloured glasses ; oih^ 7-
inch sextant with artificial horizon and extra mercur\- ;
a pocket sextant ; three pocket chronometc ''s, made
expressly for me by the Howard Watch Co.. of llos-
' One of tlieni, l)iiilt by S. II. Mitcliell, nf New HfdfciKl. was 28 ft-el I'Hil,'. 6
feet heam, and 28 inclies deej) aiiiidslii|)s, \veiyliiii<; alxnit 1000 ])i.iiiid'- and
carrying one sprit-sail and a larj^e jil). 'I'he otlier, built by Reeves i\: ("mnstdck,
of New London, Conn., was 28 feet long, 6 feet beam, and 24 inclies deep,
weighing (lOO pounds. It had twD masts (sliding (liinter rig).
'S \
lilt
Hrooklyn to McCorniick Uiiy 51
ton ; scxcral c()nii)ass('s of ditTcrcnt \arictics ; tixc
aneroid barometers ; a hoilino-poiiu ai)i)aratiis ; steel
tapes, odometers, and field-i^lasses.
I'or meteor()loL;ical work 1 had a nicrnirial baro-
meter. h)-dr()meter. and sc\-cral sets maximum aii<l
minimum tliermomctcrs ; scxcral special mininnnn
thermometers, a number of ordinar)- mercurial ther-
m()nK;ters, a deej^-sea tiuM-mometer, and an anemo-
meter.
DECK SCENE AFTER HEAVY WEATHER.
My photoo-raj)hic outfit consisted of i'lastman Xo.
4 kodaks and films, made e.\i)ressly for mv. b\- th(.'
Eastman Compan\-.
Miscellaneous items were na\\-l)lue lii^hts and sit^-
nals, rockets, l)urnin|^--o"lasses. Hint and steel. |)ocket
lamps, and man\- other articles too insii^nificant to
mention, yet of imj)ortance in a region where not
^ ^
I
I I
L
,■. i
^
52 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
even a |)icc(; of striiiL;- or a i)ai)(.'r of pins can he
ol)tain('(l.
( )n June iitli, the fifth da)' out from New \'ork,
we slcaniccl into Sy(hic\- harliour. and while the crew
s|)cnt a da\- tilling- ihc coal-hunkers, the mcmhers of
the; two e.\i)editions enjoNcd to the utniosl their last
^
%
4
4
t4
1^
>9
^
V
<*,. '
i fl
M^^
^W^{fi
H
i
ifc»^
WmM
M
■■*•. . -*
'.»i.\^
MRS. PEARY AND GROUP OF DANISH-ESKIMO WOMEN AT GODHAVN.
day in civilisation. By TViday cvcnino;, the 12th inst..
180 tons of coal from the Cape Breton min-^s had
been taken aboard, irivini'- us over three hunderd tons
1. ^
Brooklyn to McComiick H:iy
D.-)
in the hunkers and liokl antl on (U'ck. Then, with a
kist Liiance at the; hills around the hay, onl\- recently
reclad with verdure h\' the av akeiiiuLi' touch of sprini;',
we put to sea, anil headed northward across the ("lulf
of St. Lawrence; for th(; Strait of i5iHe Isle. It was
li^htnin^' sharply astern, and 1)\- noon next day the
L^rowiuL;" wind had risen to a ^ale, aiul lifi hecanie
a hurden to the poor sailors in our i)arty. The littk-
KiU\ however, proved herself a i^ood sea hoat. lier
waist and a part of her ([uarter-deck were tilled to the
rail with coal, and th(; rest of the deck was jjacked
full of trunks, hoxes, and harrels. Hut in sj)it(.; of lu;r
heav\- load she rode much (easier than was to he i-x-
pectc.'d. I)urinj4' Saturda)' nii^ht the si-a went down,
and Sunda\' was comi)aratively pleasant. Steaniini;
alono" th(; west coast of Xewfoundland, wi- coukl see
now and then, through rifts in the fo^". the snow-
streaked mountain sides. \x. Sydne\-, the .Strait of
Belle Isle was reported to he free of ice, hut early
jMonday morning', just within the Strait, we ran into
pack-ice, and the memhers of ni)' part)' had their first
exjjerience of this common phase oi arctic navi^aticjn.
This occurrence of heavy arctic ice in the Strait of
Belle Isle, chokinj^- it from cw^X to cMid, was unpreced-
ented for this time of year. The ice-pans rose and
fell with the undulations of the sea, and the rhythmic
roar of th(; white pack's heavinLC edi^e was grander than
any surf upon the shore. The; cakes were from li\c to
one hundred feet in diameter, and from one to ei^ht
feet thick, some tin\' pinnacles rising' from ei^ht to
ten feet. As we moved hack and forth alonLi' the ice
edire, vainh' seeking- a lead that would take us north,
we secured fine views of the L;rim shores of New-
foundland and Lahrador. Some Xewfoundland fish-
ermen put off to us in hoats to tell us of their sore
straits, for many were ill in their settlement. They
\l:\ <
A
54
Northward over the "Great lee"
l> H
I S'
liad IK) nicdicincs. and no ship had xisitcd ihcm for
man\- months. W'c L;a\c thcni nicthcines, and letters
for our fritMiils,
Impatient of delay as I was, I still enjoyt'd the
no\-el situation. When the A'/Zr, tired of huntiuL;- for
a lead, anchored now antl
then to a tloe, we fished
and photoL^raphed. or
L,^()t out our ski and
snow-shoes and had a lit-
tle i)ractice. We caught
four huntlred [K)unds of
fine codfish, and saltetl
down a barrel for our
North-( Greenland larder.
Myriads of looms, kitti-
wakes, herrinij;- l,^u11s, and
seals o'ave life and move-
ment to the scene. Scen-
ic splendours were not
wantiuLT. On Mondav
ni^'ht we enjoyed an ex-
quisite sunset. A mir-
ror-like sea reflected the
rosy glories of the west-
ern sk\-, and the Labra-
dor coast was purpkt as
amethyst. Ice. fantastic-
ally carved, floated all
around us, and the still-
ness was broken by cries of ^ulls and puffin<^ ot whales.
DuriuLi;' five days we struo's^led with the ice, forcins^
ahead a few miles, onh' to be caught and drifted back
a^j^ain. At last, Triday afternoon, we felt the swell of
the open sea aij^ain. and crowding- on all steam and sail,
were soon free, and bowliuL;- alonj^ at an eight-knot pace.
CLIMBING THE GODHAVN CLIFFS.
Brooklyn to McCormick Hay
.•>.■>
As we j)assc(l IW-llc-Islc lights, the keepers ran up
the I)ritish lla^ to shtnv that the\' saw us, and |)er-
haps ill ^reetini;' to the first \-essel they hail seen that
year. We came; out of Uelle Isle Strait, our faces
burned as with tropical suns hy the I'iniliiiL;- L^hire
from snow-covered ice-fields,
TIk; next five days wv.w, a time of stress and storm
for the litth; A'//r. On Tuesday morniuL,^ she had to
lay-to several hours, after twice dipping her bows un-
THE PARTY AT THE CAIRN.
der, and risini:^ heavily from the weight of tj^reen seas
forward and in her waist, ( )ur jxjorest sailors. howev(!r,
foi'L^ot their misery at eleven p.m. on Tuesday. Jun<!
p^-fd, when W(; i^ot our first glimpse of the _L;randeur of
tlie Greenland coast. Cape Desolation was th(; dis-
tant landmark before us, and next morninL( the mount-
ains were in full view all aloni^- to the east, Ivitj^tut,
famous for its cryolite mines, was abreast, and before
noon we saw the L^reat marble wall of the.- I'Tederick-
ifi
i'
j |1 II
i I :
r.
\ I
5^^
Xorthuard oxer tliL- "(ircat Ice
sliaa
l)C.l;
icier, one of the lai'-'cst in the uoi
1.1
and to
the ri!L,'-|n of it. ami inland, the peak of Kan^arsuk,
4710 fc«t hiL;li, rcart.'d its shar|), snow-hlotchcd apex,
a |)('rf('rt counterpart of the Matterhorn. 'Ihe \ i\ id
hrilliance ol the sun hrou^ht into hold relief the rue-
le mountains t\vent\ miles awav, on
itl
ed outlmes o
f tl
whose sides was much snow, j)articularl\' on their
northern aspects.
As tl
le sun neari'd the hori/on.
tlu- lights and shadows and clear-cut profiles ol tlu;
mountains were inexpressihK- i^ra
IKl
w
nu
t tl
U!
I'Iast-(
ded C
ireenland |)ack-ice that had rounded Lai)(:
I'arewell, and our coursi- was chan_L;c'd a little; to
a\()id it.
I'^arK' on 'Idiursdax' morning- we ])assed Ciotlhaal).
north of which the ru^^cd mountains drop|)ed away,
and for a lon,L;' distance, u.itil South Isortok I'jord is
reached, the coast is (-om|)arati\ el)- low and the
mountains rounded. North of South Isortok, the
mountains, capped with snow, streaked with i^laci(;rs,
and cleft with deep ^■orL;('s, ai^ain j^row wild and ruo--
^■ed. All ^'rida^• afternoon we passed ^rcat nr.mlx'rs
of icelierL;s, th(! spriiiL;' output from the Disco l)a)'
oiaciers, marvellous in endless \ariet)' of form and
colour. LarL;c llocks of eider-ducks were seen and a
few shot.
I shall not tlwell upon tlie various phases of life and
nature in Danish (ireenland, wliich have been so often
and so well dt.-scrihed by tra\"ellers. This xolume has
to do with hitherto unknown or little understood as-
pects of North Cireenland, and with experiences, some
of which are entirel\- new in arctic exploration.
On Saturda)', fune 27th, we dropped anchor in tlu;
landdocked harbour of (iotlhaxn, the chief settlement
in the North Irspectorate of Danish Greenland.
The place had not chanL^ed in the five years since I
had seen it. No building" boom had reached God-
Hrooklvii to McCOiiiiiLk \U\
:»/
h;i\n and the rcal-cst.iic niai'kci wa-. as tlai as r\rv.
I he families of Inspector .Xnderseii and (loxcrnor
Carsteiis \v<'re a little lari^cr than ti\c xcars ai^o. and
the Inspector and Mrs. Andersen were the same
m'cnial. hospitaMe. homelike couple as ever. We
learned that Hans jlcndrick. the Eskimo who had
accom|)anie(l so man\- expeditions, and whose antohi-
()_nraph) has hecn piiMislied in I''n:.^lish, liail died three
years before. W'itli Mrs. I'eary and Professor I liilprin,
A CkUlSEH or THE ARCTIC WHITE SQUADRON.
I calK'd on Insj)ect(»r Andersen, and the freedom of
the place was L;i\-en to tiu: expeditions. Most of us
started for a field da\' on l!ie ice-cap peerim^ down
from the summit ot the island. It took us four hours
of an arctic atternoon to reach the e-d^c of the ice-
cap, 2400 feet al)o\e the sea. Seating" ourseKcs. ue
enjoN'ed the scene around and Ixlow us, a scene that
can he duplicated nowhere hut in (ireenland.
Almost at our feet la\' the town and harhour of
(iodhax'n, the houses mere spee-ks. The AV/r and a
Danish l^rii;' in the; harhour looked like to\' hoats. i)e-
yond the town, over Disco l)a\', to the south-east, was
'ill
V
i; •
I ': 1
':'
!.
,
1
(A
;S
Northward oscr the "(ircat Ice"
lar-dislaiil, misly I.L^cdcsiniiKlc and the C row n I'rincc
Islands. I'o the west, llic blue of liatVin's l>a\ clinihcd
u|)\varil till lost in golden splendour hcncath the west-
ern sun. ( )\cr the icc-ta|) to our left. I )isco l>a\ hore
upon its |)Iac'id hosoni hundreds of ieelxr^s, the out-
put of the uiiL^hlN |acol)sha\n ( daeier. whose i^leain-
in;^' front was seen hreakin^ the dark round o( the
mountains on ihe eastern hori/on. Uehind us was
the <'ternal. unhroken ice-cap. smooth as marble and
with a i^cnlly undulating surface. We huilt a cairn
ei;^ht leel hiL;h in memor\ of our \isii. depositin:^' in
it. in a tin hov, the date, the names of the part)', and
a lew .\meriian coins. Ihen we returned to the AV/r,
tired and hiniL^rN , hut enthusiastic o\ cr our lirst ( "irecn-
land outint'.
SANDERSON'S HOPE.
The next da\- was dcvotctl to excursions in the
neighbourhood. In the evenini;-, Professor Hcili)rin,
Mr. iAstriip, Mr. Kenealy, Mrs. Pcar\-. and I dined
with Inspector Andersen. After dinner, we looked
on for a while at a native dance in one of the j^overn-
\t'>
. y
S r.
^•-
"^t'i^"
\
>r^
■iS,
, <r:r'^7 «•
(
IClMlIC of
i:xi'i:i)rii(>N. is!>i-!»-i,
Tu mill Iruiii
.M< ( OlfAJK K I!AV
I'invurtI Voyuicf ol'
KIti', IMJtl
lii'tiirii VeyiiKV of
Kite, IS!fJ
s.
N
so A^ ?'i
:«'
()5
It '
.^^
>!i
^ H
w
'■f
r !
i I
/;
I
60
Northward over the "Great lee
nicnt buildings, and tlicn passed a pleasant cvcninL,f
at the Inspector's liouse.
I h:
M.
niornin;
ul nitenckul to i^ct under way (-'arl\' on .Monday
l)ut a sonth-wester, acconipanieil l)y a dense
foL;-, held lis in the harbour until two i'. m., when we
steamed out with lla^s dippin;^" ami a salute from the
ship's cannon. Shanin'j" our cours(^ north, we went
al()n<>' th(; shore o
f 1)
isco
Isl;
uicl, and thirt\'-six hours
hit
er, cast anchor m the harbour o
f I
|)ernavik.
1)
ur-
iuL"" all these hours, we stt;ameil throu'jh a sea (
tn
which hartlK' a rippK,' coukl be seen. Sa\e for the
icebergs that dotted the sea here and there, theri;
as no ice. 1 lu' Waiiiat, Xuiisuak Peninsula, broad-
w
m
outhed ( )
men
;ik biord with the <>-reat Inland I
cc;
visible far up at its head. Hlack Hook of the old
Dutch navigators, and sublime Sanderson's Hoj)e, all
stood out m then' grandest, uiost brilliant aspects.
I found it impossible to obtain from (Governor l)e\cr.
ith
01 L perna\ik, either a ka\ak or a natuc int(;rpreter
to l;"() aloni;' with us, and so, after returning' his otti
cial call, accompanied by Professor Ileilprinand Mrs
\
ear\-
1
'Ot undtu" wa\', lea\im>' l)ehiml
tl
le most
northerly town on the o-h)l)t
^t tl '
sumuKM' seas, past the numerous red-hrown islands
'Idle /vV/r St
eamed oxer
that
*'uai
-d tl
"US arctic coast.
Tl
irou^h e\'ery deprt's-
sion in the; mountains and from ever\- fjord head, the
marble surface of the Inland Ice looked down upon us,
the crexasses in the lower portions xisible at tiiiK;s
ked eve. Past man\- ^iant mile-stones
th'
with the na
1;
■h
tl
)\' which the whalers measure thcnr adxance in their
annual '.attics with the ice-tloes. we steamed without
seeiuL!' a bit of ice, and at six o'clock in the morni
n<
\-l
xiiown rendezvous
reached the Duck Islands, a we
and lookout for the whalers while waiting' for the ict?
barriers of Melville Bay to 0})en for them. At these
islands we stopped till afternoon, la)'inL;' in a sujjply
Brooklyn to McCormick Bay
6i
of eider-ducks which brectl here in thousands. Un-
fortunately we were too kite to Liet eLZLTs, they heiuLT
too far adyanced to be edible.
UPERNAVIK.
Leayino;- the islands, we shaped our course direct for
Cape York, with the most sanguine expectation of
makino- a speedy passa_L,re across MeKille Bay, and per-
haps r(;achino- \Vhale Sound on the 4th of July, the day
on which famous old Ikiffin cast anchor in the Sound
oyer 27s \'ears ai-o. ( )ur expectations, howeyer, wvvc
doomed to speetly disappointment. Sixt(;('n miles
north of the Duck Islands, we met the dreaded Mel-
yille-Hay i)ack, and after runiiin^- alon^- its chI^c close
to the Deyil's Thumb, and then back a^ain to the
westward, in search of a l^-cmxI opcniiiL;-, the /\//r, at
7:30 i'.M., on July 2d. stuck her sturdy little nose; into
the i)ack and be^an a loni^- strui^'i^le.
^1 N
I'
r
i:
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If
i
m
62 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
The Greenland ice-cap, which we could discern above
the coast mountains, seemed verv rouirh antl broken
by crevasses. I had no doubt, howe . er, that farther
inland it off(;red tlu; favourable conditions for sledi^ing-
that I expected to find on the inner ice of North
THE PARTY AT THE DUCK ISLANDS.
Greenland. Baffled by the ice of Melville Ray, I
encountered at the outset of my arctic work one of
the common vicissitudes of polar exploration in ships ;
while not manv miles east of us was the sj;"reat interior
N,
Brooklyn to McCorniick Bay 63
ice-plateau, offerin*^ an imperial highway to the far
North. The ice of the pack, where we first encount-
ered it, was only six to hft(;en inches thick, antl rotten.
The ice-pans, as sailors call very small and somewhat
rounded tloes, averaged perhaps twenty-five feet across,
and numerous iceherirs were scattered throuLfh the
pack. As we i^ot farther into the pack, some of the
pans were six or seven feet thick.
We manaired to keeij under wav bv fits and starts
into the nii(ht of July 4th, hut the next morning- the
ice tig'htened, and after that we drifted, utterly help-
less in its i^rip, for one lonij^ week.
The '* r^ourth " was ushered in by firing,'' the ship's
cannon, and the flails that had l)een run up were dipped
and iji^reeted wit;i a volley of small-arms. We joined in
a toast to the Stars and Stripes, antl the exjjeditions
posed for their picture on the ice, with the Kite as a
backij^round. At dinner we had a special spread of
roast eider-duck, plum-duff, and Melville-Bay Roman
punch, consistins^ of snow, milk, rum. lime-juice, and
suoar. Our celebration of the national holidav was
rejj^arded as a threat success, w'di the exception of the
punch, the rum in this beini^' none of the best, and a
little too much in evidence.
The crow's-nest was sent up soon after we entc^red
the ice, and the chief business of life for da)s was
scanning": the ice-fields from thisloftv point of vantage
for some sign of a change. The white, unrelieved ex-
panse of the pack soon ceased to be a novelty, and
became very monotonous, while snow and foL;- con-
tributed their part to the unpleasant situauon.
On the ninth I secured an observation which L^^ave
our position as 74° 51' N. Lat, and an appioximate
loncritude of 60° W.
Pools were formin;^ on the surface of th< Hoes
and the ice was meltini^^ rapidly and growino; more
1; '
.-. 'I
R J
v-
'" ff'^'
U
r f '
W'^
:m
j :
64
Northward over the "Great Ice"
^'11
rotten. The temperature avera<j^ed 31° l\, the lowest
hein_L( 2<S° V. Often the masts, spars, and riiJi'L^inL!;- were
covered to windward with a thick coatinu^ of hoar-
frost, ^nvinu; a beautiful but wintry aspect.
BESET IN THE MELVILLE-BAY PACK.
Our imprisonment Lj;ave everyone a chance to stretch
himself upon the floes, but after a time some of the
party bei^an to have forebodino^s of spendinj^ a win-
ter in the Melville-Bay pack, not an allurintr pros-
p(.;ct, particularly as the commissary tlepartment had
not been htted out with that continL,^ency in view.
Brooklyn to McCormick Bay
6:;
At five I'.M. on Sciturda)-, July i i th, without any ap-
parent reason, the ice slackened, steam was hurriedly
i^otten up, and tin; Kite fori^ed ah<'ad and ])e_i^an a
slow, laborious run that continued until about mid-
ni'dit Sunday.
Periods of raniniinL; th(; ice alternated with intervals
of waiting-, and the total advance for the day was
small.
Al)()ut ei^'ht o'clock on Saturday- exenini;^, Jul)' i itli,
the Kite beinsj^ then en^aj^ed in rammin^j' a ijassa^t;
throui^h some comparatively heavy ice, I stepped to
the stern rail as she was backintj^ for another l)low, to
watch her Ijehaviour. Just as I reached the rail a lar^^e
cake of ice struck th(; rudder, jammino- it hard over,
and tearing" the wheel from the hands of tlu; two men
on duty. One of them was thrown clear over the
wheel and across the deck. The next instant the iron
tiller had cauj^ht my \<i'g between it and the house antl
snapped both bones just above the ankle. I spoke
to the men at the wheel, asking" them to send Drs.
Sharp and Cook to me, and the next instant they and
Gibson were carryinjj^ me to the cabin, where I was
stretched out on the table. Mylei^was set and I was
stowed on a lont^ seat across the head of the cabin,
where I was destined to remain till I was taken ashore
at our winter camp. Thanks to the professional
skill of my surLi^^eon, Dr. Cook, and the unA-earying
and thoui^htful care of Mrs. Peary, my cojiiplete re-
covery was rapidly attained.
Before this accident occurred, I had improved the
days that we were fast in the ice, to cut and ht all the
frames of our house, so that, when we reached our
destination, the work of puttini;;^ up the structure was
expeditioi sly performed.
Annoyiu}^ as was the delay from the ice, my now
crippled condition made it doubly irksome. Nearly
l\
i-. '
\ ;
' i
I'm
i; t
, If
I ; II tl
66
Northward over the "(ircat Ice
■ )i
m
n\
all the week f<)ll()\vin!_,f^ was a continual round of ram-
ming th<' ice and waiting- for oi)i)()rtunitics to make a
little headway. It was a reddetter occasion wlien
one eveniuL;-. after we had heeii tl^htin^- the (loes for
nearl\- a fortnii^lu. someone announced that a hear
was approaching' th(,' A'i/r. In a moment everNonc
except myself was on deck, crouchini;- hehind the rail,
ritle in hand, awaitino- the bear's approach.
MELVILLE BAY, JULY 4, 1891.
In a few minutes I heard a protracted fusilade, and a
little later was informed that the bear had been killed.
1 he animal ir^easuretl seven teet one inch, and his
' -,timated weii^dit was six hundred pounds. The two
f;:
Brooklyn to McCorniick luiy
<^7
hind (juartcrs, drcssctl, \v(iL;lu(l ahoiil iwo luindrctl
j)Ounds. Through tlu,- carelessness of a sailor, l)olh
hind ([uarters were losl oxcrhoard in iioistini; iheni in
over the rail.
Not very Ion;/ after, a famih' party, consistin^r of
an old hear and two cui)S, were sii^hted and a nuniher
of mtMi jumped on the ice in pursuit, while the /\//r
starteil in another direction in an attenijjt to head
them off. The bears were too wary, iiowever, and,
POLAR BEAR.
raioidly "L;treatin<'', were soon out of si^d-t. The
rumour was atloat that one gentleman in his eai^^erness
went over the side of the vessel and started in pursuit
without his riHe, and, returninj^ from the chase, had to
be hoisted on board.
We saw birds in millions, and eider-ducks, ivory
(Tulls, and seals were amoni^ the game whose caj^ture
fi
1
i
f .
'f"'
^
.
i
I I
f
I
68
Northward over the "Cjrcat Ice"
now and then varied the monolony of life in the
ice-pack.
On the evenini^ of tlu; i6th, the A'i/i' was nipped
hi^tween two h'\^^ lloes, antl all other efforts to free her
failinL,'", holes were drilled in the ice, in which bottles
of L^unpowder wen* |)lace(l. The)' were simultane-
ously exi)loded, blowing' out a lnv^c. j)iece of ic(!, antl
the ship, beini^" i)ut astern, was soon relie\c;d from her
danj^erous situation. At midnight of the i ~th, the
ice opened uj) and the A'/'/c was able to steam for
ninetei;n hours, with such exct:llent results that when
we were stalled ai^^ain Cape York was in siij^ht.
Monday mornintj^, July 21st, land was only six or
eii^ht miles away and the coast was in sii^dit from
Caj)e York to Conical Rock. On the 23d, just three
weeks from the time we enter(;d the ice, the A'//r
was once more free of it and fairly in the north water
off Conical Rock. She seemed as dtHiL^hted as we at
rei^aininL^ her freedom, and bowled merrily alon^r north-
ward in ice-free water jjast Petowik (ilacier, Wolsten-
holm Island and vSound, then rounded Cape Parry
into Whale Sound.
I had hoped to enter this inlet and secure a winter
canij) on the north shore of Inulefield Gulf. At
Harden Bay, on the south side of Whale Sound, we
stopped at a settlement of Arctic Hi^^hlanders, con-
taining]^ a population of seven adults and five children.
W^e obtained here some specimens of native handi-
work and then steamed on to Herbert Island. We
found no natives there, and at once shajjed our course
up Whale Sound to reach the proposed site of my
house near Cape Tyrconnell on the north shore of
Intrlefield Gulf. The ice, however, extended unbrok-
enly from the east end of Herbert hland, south-east
to Cape Powlet. and our progress wa^ soon stopped.
Turninor about, the KZ/c steamed up betwcien North-
Brookl\n to McCormick Hay
unihcrlancl Island and IlcrlxTt Is-
lanil and attempted to L^ct eastward
into In^lefield (iulf throui^h Mur-
chison Sound. Ai^ain we were
defeated l)y the iinl)r()ken ice, for
the winter id', had not yet come out.
So the' A'//(' was run into the in-
let a little farther west, known as
IMcCormick I)a\', and here m\' party
had its heacUpiarters for the follow-
in lj- year.
The site finally selected for the
house was bright with tlowers, and
there were numerous traces of rein-
dt:er, f()X(;s, and hares. Seals and
walrus w(.'re abundant in tlu- wa-
ters of the ba\', and traces of na-
tives were more numerous than I
had anticipated. Although we had
found but one inhabited village,
others we visited W(,'re evidently only
temporarily deserted ; and wlu;r-
ever we made a landinLr we found
baited fox-traps and cache's of meat
and blubber. I had therefore the
earliest assurances that my expedi-
tion would not suffer for lack of an
abundance of fresh meat.
-uytOA '■rf-W>
69
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CHAPTliR II.
^li
i M
Jl
iH
I'KKI'ARINH; our XOUril-C.UKKNLAXl) IIOMK.
The Work hefork is — Simmkk Scknk on an Arctic Shore — SEi.EcriNc
THE Site eor ouk lIursK. — Lamum; itie Stores — Ai.i. mv Voim; Mkn
TlRN CaKI'ENIKKS — Dl.SCKIITloN OK IHE Hol'SE — AN Alii )I)E I II A T I!aI)E
DkKIANCK to KlNd WlMKK — ( li )ol)-i;YE To THK A'///-: — I.oVIT.Y AliUST
Wkaiiiek — Millions of Hiuds and MANiroi.D Phases oe Animal Lile
—We Name our Home Red Ci iee IIoise— Red-Letter Days — Fiust
Eskimo (U'ests — Ikwa and his Interesting Family — Kili.ini; I )eer
AND WaLKIS — Kec iNNOITKINO THE INLAND ICK.
' A I S J
^
71
I
'li
D
<
>i i,
w
i- ♦ V
CIlAl'lllR 11.
I'RI i'.\i;i\(; oiK \(ikiii-(;kKr.\i,A\i> iio.mk
M
N' struL^Lilc with the
M.ivi'llc-I'.ay ic-c
hail hccii more sc-
\(:rc than that of most of
my predecessors in North
(in-enhiiid e.\|)loration.
(hie |)artl\- to th*- com-
parativel)- small size of
m\' shij). partK to the
earl)' date at wliirh 1 at-
tacked it.
The three \vet;ks' lont;-
conllict with the lloe ice had cost me just that amount
of time which 1 had hojxxl to cU;vote to the larL;(;
amount of work preliminary to carrNinsj' out the
main j)ur|)oses of m\- ( xpedition. Ahout three
months, howtjver, \-et remained to us for outdoor
work, before settlini;" down to th(! comparatixe in-
activity of the lonij' winter niL^ht.
'Vhv. first thin^" to do. of course, was to select a
suitable site for our camp, put up tlu; buildini;', and
settle my arctic househokl to riL^hts as soon as pos-
sible. TIkmi, unless th.e li^skimos cduw. to my head-
([uarters. it was essential to communicate with them.
I had reason to believe that one or more of their
hunters would be of ijreat advanlaL''*' to us. More-
-/ .( 'if
i- I
'r'
i i''
I
I
I
i <
Vli
74 Northward over the " C^reat Ice"
over, I wanted thciii liviiiLr near us. I wished to be-
come well accjuainted with these most isolated and
northerly of all jx^oples, and. for purposes of studyini^
this interestinL; trilx,'. I ho|)ed to induce not a few of
them to spentl the winter months at or near our camj).
■
■
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P^^"
■•
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■ ■ri' ■\-^. '-l -^' -.,...,. , ,..^^
* *
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HE ~ ' 1
SITE OF RED CLIFF HOUSE.
On tlic South S]iore of McCoiniiL-k llav.
Then the next twelve weeks would l)e a busy time
for my hunters, for we liad the winter supph' of fresh
meat, and also the deer- and sealskins needed for a
part of m\' arctic outfit, to procure. 1 hoped, too, that
we should fmd some of the nati\e women useful in
sewini^ our skin o^arments. I wished also, if possil)le,
to send a sledge party on the Inland Ice across
Prudhoe Land to the north, to establish one or more
caches of supj)lies for the' use of the party to the north
coast in the foUowin;^ sprins^. Handicapi)ed as my
little party was by my temporar)- disability for all
\\
.f'ij
fi
Preparing Our North-Greenland Home
/D
(
physical activity, I fc^lt that th',- duties before us would
demand the best e-nergy of all.
The eaLj'er desire to ij^et about our work possessed
my mind as I lay helpless in the cabin ; but my party
was prepared to enjo)- with the keenest zest the beau-
tiful arctic sum-
mer day and the
jj^lorious scene as
we steamed into
McCormick Hay.
The sun was just
rising- from the
lowest part of its
nearly horizontal
course alx)ve the
ice-capped cliffs
that line; the north
shore of the inlet.
All was warmth
and light and ex-
ul)erant life. A
deer o r t w o
browsetl leisureK'
on the slopes, cov-
ered with moss
and llowers, that
stretched alone
the south shore between the water's edge; antl
the dark brown antl red-brown cliffs that frame
the inlet and uphold the; Inland Ice. Down th(:
valleys, worn by wat(;r out of tlu; sandstone and ba-
saltic walls that bound the bax', l(;ai)ed brooks look-
ing in the distance like; siKcr ril)l)ons. I'docks of
snow-buntings twittered and chirped, and millions of
little auks kept the air alive with (juerulous cries and
the rapid beat of their whirring wings. The ice still
THE RED CLIFFS.
'
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' (
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f
ll
( f
76
Northward over the "Great Ice"
filled the L^rcatcr portion of the bay. A broad river
of i^leaniioL!;' water ran close to the shore. Every
i^listeninLj^ iceberg- floated in an open lake in which
sported seals, narwhals, and schools of white whales,
and narrow lanes of water ran in every dire:tion
through ihv. rottcin ice, cutting- it into ij^reat Hoes
which lloated slowly back and forth with the tide.
ife^n^, . mSl%^
1
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Wi, '•1» 'si*,*--
•
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i^^^kflP^^^B^^P*
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•-*
RED CLIFF HOUSE.
The bay was found to be about nine miles wide at
its mouth and some fifteen miles lomr. Like most
of this coast line, it was incorrectly charted. Its
shores, according- to the chart, mi^ht be called the
east and west, while, in fact, they are more nearly the
north and south boundaries of the bay. It narrows
verv j^radually towards its head, where it is about four
miles wide. At the head of the bay a lar^'e glacier
was i)lainly seen, and from it came iceberi^s that were
sprinkled over the surface of the inlet.
i
f
Preparing Our Xorth-C Greenland Home
/ /
I imnicdiatclv sent in\- party ashore, first on the
south and then on the north side of the bay, to recon-
noitre for a site for the house. It was not an entirely
easy matter to select a suitable location, because many
things wen; to be con-
sidered, and he upon
w h o m th(; decision
rested was obliLi^ed to
see witii the eyes of
others. The house
must not be too far
from the shore, it
must be where no
landslide or falling'
rocks from the cliffs
could crush it, where
the tornMits from the
meltinL;' snow of earh'
s u m m e r could not
sweep it away, and yet
it should l)e sheltered
from the furious blasts
of winter, and be so
placed as to <j!;iil all the
sunlii^dit possible.
The ice made it
im])racticable to con-
sider the northern
shore, thouL;h I should
h a \' e preferred to
winter on that sid': of
the bay as offering,'' bet-
ter j)rotection from
northerly wintls. Mrs.
Peary accompanied the exploring' party, andheri'-ood
judgment fmally cast the deciding' \'ote for the location.
LOW TIDE.
Mrs, IV-.irv Lciniii"; aijainst ti Bldck of Ice
Stranded liv tla- Kuredim: 'I'ide.
(I
1: l^i
f ^
J)
7«
Northward over the "Circat Ice"
'?i
She sclc'CtL'tl a litLlc knoll on th(; south shore, hctwecn
two brooks, about on(; luintlrcd fci-t from the waters
of the ha)'. 1 1h; soft eartli of this little i^rass- ami
llower-coveretl ('niinencc: n'axc an opportunitx' to set
tile house k'vel with \-er\- littU; clii^L;'in^-. while tin;
descent in evcM"y direction ensurctd dr)iu;ss, and the
siiiL^ht elevation ^axe a jj^ood outlook o\t;r the hay.
Tlu: only objection to the location was that the {lifls
to th(; south would shut off the sun early in sprini;"
and late in autumn, hut this could not In: helped.
Sunday, Jul\' 26th, was beautifully clear and warm.
Karly in the morniuL^ tlut men of m\- i)art\- went ashore
with i)ickaxes, sIkacIs, and lumber, and be^an work
on the excavation for the foundation ol the house. .\
b)Ol l)el()W the surhice the ground was found to be
tro/en. A da\' suHiced tor this work. iheri came
the putting' up of the frame, which, haxiuL;" been cut
and fitted in MelvilU; V)d\ \ had onl\- to be nailed to-
gether and erected.
'The construction of m\- house had becMi the subject
of much study. I wished to attain a minimum ^)(
weight ;md size: with i mjiximum of strength, warmth,
and comfort.
The interior dimensions of the house were to be
tw.-nty-one feet in length, twehc feet in width, and
eii^ht feet in height from lloor to ceiling.
Though its construction was commenced cUion and
pushed with i^reat ener^N' till it was entirel\- enclosed.
it was not comj)letetl until sex'eral weeks later, work
uj)()n it bein^" done; from time to time in the interims
between other more immecliatel)' pressing" work.
As hnallv completed, the house consisted of an iriner
and an outer shell. sej)arated b}' an air-si)ace, formed
by the frames of the house and var\ini;" from ten
inches at the sides to o\-er three feet in the centre of
the roof.
Ml.
X >•
5.
Prcpariiv^- Our Xorth-Cjrccnland Home 79
On the outsitlc of thcs(; frames w.is attaclictl the
out(;r air-tii^ht shell, composed of a shc^athini^- of closely
fittinu;- hoards and two thicknesses of tarred paper.
To the inside of th(!se frames was fastt^ned the inner
shell, composcnl of thick trunk hoards, and made air-
tight hy jxistini!^ all the joint • with heav\' hrown pai)er.
This inner shell was lined throughout with heavy red
Indian blankets.
THE DAYS WERE VERY LONG."
This macU; the interior as warm <'ind coscy in appear-
ance as could be desired, ampl)' comfortable for sum-
mer and early-fall weather. it was still, however, not
in a condition Lo ijr(Hect us from the indescribable
fury of the storms of the arctic winter ni'>lu, and
temperatures of half a hundnnl de^'rees below zero.
To rentier it impr<,;^'nal)U; to these, a wall was built
(.Mitirely around the house, about four feet distant
from it.
dd"K.' foundation of this wall was stones, turf. ('m|)ty
barrels; its upper portion built of the wooden boxes
11
fl
i. ,
' ,^ 1
I. il
^!
I ;
8o
Northward over the "Great Ice"
,■ t
containiiiL;- in\- tinned supplies, jjiled in rcj^ular courses
like blocks of stone.
The boxes liad intentionally been made of the same
width and tKq)th, though
of xaryiuL,^ lenL,fths, to tit
them tor this use
This corridor was
roof.d with can\as, ex-
tendiiiL;- from the sitle of
th:- house to the lop of
the wall, and later, when
the snow came, it. ;:s well
as the roof of the house
itself, was coV': red in with
snow and the outside of
the walls
thickly
banked
with the
same ma-
t(M-ial. P)y
this a r -
ran^ement
of the box-
es I avoid-
ed the ne-
cessity of
usiiiL;- any
portion of
th(? house
for storai^e ; th(,' contents of every box was immediateh'
anil conveniently accessible, as if on the shelves of a
Clipboard, anil the rampart thus formed protected the
house in a surprising- decree from thie stress of the
winter's cold.
While m\" part)- was :it work on tlve house, the ship'.s
HENSON WITH RAVEN AND BLUE FOX.
■^Vi\
Prcpariiv^ Our \()rth-( ircciikiiul Home Si
crew was l)iis\- hrin^inL;- ott in\' stores and coal. This
task tillcxl four (la\s with hard work. The chMftiiii^
lines made it iinpossihle for the Kile to anchor, and
she sttianied slowl\- iij) and down the shore, while the
stores and materials were landed in my whale-boats.
\
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I i
VICTIM AND VICTORS.
On Monday afternoon. Jul\- 27th, I was taken
ashore. strai)i)ed to a ]'lank, and stowed in m\' little
tent, which had keen put up just hack of the r.ouse,
where I could supervise the work. M\- men kept at
their task, in whicli the\- wer^- kindU' assisted 1)\- Mr.
Ashhurst of Professor Pleilprin's party, till nearl\- mid-
f
It
i k
8i'
Northwartl over the "(ircat Ice"
•II,
111
rl
> i
V' J'
niL,^ht, wluMi th(,- frames were: all up. 'Ihcn they went
hack to the A'//i\ lca\inL^ Mrs. !^•ar\■ and m\self in the
tent. A school of \vhit(! whales came putfinL; and
irruntinL^' close to the beach in front of the tent, hut
tlu^y and snow-huntini^^s wen^ our onl\' visitors.
( )ur camp was two and one third miles a little
north of east alon^^ the heach from Cape Cleveland,
the seaward terminus of the southern shore of the
hay. ( )ur position was jj" 40 \. Lat. and 70"
40 W . I^oul^'. We were oxer thirt\' mile-N north of
the latitude in which the unfortunate ycainicftc fountl-
<.Ted. Within a de_nrc:e of latitude north of us had
l)een t-nacted much of tht; histor\- of the Smith .Sound
c!.\i)editions. Two or thre(; days 1)\- hoat or sled^X',
acc()rdin<4- to the season, would take "^ to the winter
camp of Kane, 1 la\'(,'s, and !)udilinL;lon, or to hleak
Cape Sabine, where most ol (ireely's pa:'t\' j)erished.
I'rom our beach \\v. could look out upon islands
whose names had been matle famous in tlu; annals
of exploration. lust past the wstern vW(\ of Xorth-
umbe-rland Island, rose sharp an! clear in pleasant
wtTither the cliffs of " 1 lakluyt'^^^ Isle," which had shel-
tered br;i\(' I^)afrin in his tiny ship rdmost three cen-
turies beiort.'.
We were to sj)end the winter ni^ht withiii 740
^'X^O'^rapriical miles of the Xorlh Pole.
Mrs. Peary and I said ^ocxbbyc,- to our fri(Mids of
the West-(ireenland I{xj)edition and the Kite on the
e\-enins4' of |ul\- 2()th, for it was ex[)ect(Hl th.at the Kite
would sail during- the ni^ht or earl\- n. xt morning'.
M\' party remained on the Kite writing letters to be
sent home. All ni<;ht tlu' wind antl rain beat in htful
Ljusts ui)on our little white tent on the desolate Cirecm-
land shore. Towards morning- wc; fell asleep, but I
was awakenecl about ^\\o o'clock bv the Kites whistle.
I heard chcerini^, the slow I)eat of the Kites propjl-
Prc{)arin;^' Our Xorth-( irccnland Home S3
Il'I'. and then the soiiiul of oars in ilic rowlocks. M\-
party were comiiiL;- ashore and the Kite was nioxin^
awa\' from us to suniu' southern huids. Mrs. I'eai'v.
tired with her loni;- watchini;', was fast asleej) and I
had not the heart to wake her, particuhirly as the
WEIGHING UP A WALRUS.
siolit of the Httle craft that had been her home so lon^-,
xanishiuL;- anions; the icebergs, was not hkel\- to he
cheering'.
The whale-boat soon reached the beach, and almost
immediately I heard the livel\- tattoo of hammers upon
the rafters and sides of our )et roolless home. 1 knew
\
!:S,
"W.Tiai i^ .••■ffmwra
84
Nortlnvaid over the "(/i-cat Ice"
M
I' !^
tlic nvrry racket iiij.skcd more.' than one siohci- thought
that followed flu; Kite. Ihc boys lai)oure(l earnestly
and well, hnt the work was nev; to Lhein all, and the
storm)' weather interferetl serunisly, so dial two nii^hts
more wenr |)assed in the tent, tho;iL;h each ni'Liht we
thouL-ht it would he carri -d awa\' hodiK' 1)\- the furi-
ous scjualls that fell upon it from tlie cliffs. lucrN'
tlay th(.' hoys pilc;d more and m<M-e stones upon it and
attached more jniy roj)es.
I'inally the roof, lloor, and sid(;s were completed, a'ld
just as everyihiiiij^ in the tent was saturated we moved
into tb.v! house, and I was transferred to a j)ile of
patent *uel boxes in one corner. Then the stoxc was
set uj), the stovepiije bein^- pushed through th(; near-
est window after the st\l(,* of architecture recoi^mised
in s(juatt(;r town, and oraduall\- our e(|uip'ment was
brought under cover and dried.
No part of our househ.>ld e(|uipment requiretl more
careful con^ideration than our stove, but b\- sinkiiiL:' it
in a pit in the lloor so that the tirej)Ot was Ixdow the
floor level and carr\inL;- the stox'epipe through a
double window, two of the i)an( s ol ^lass in which
hatl bcMii replaced by slieets ot tin. thus keei);n:^" the
pijje throuL;houL its entire exl- nt entire!)' awii\' irom
contiict with anv woodwork, the two Li'rc^at desiderata
were a.cc()mplished : of warming' the air in tlv' room
clear down. L(/ tile floor h'X'el, aiul of obviating" an\'
possibilit)' of ai. accidental fire.
Tl'ie next mutter of \ital importance in our house-
I'lOld econoniN' was that of sufficient and ecjuable \en-
tilation. This was <iccomi)1ish(,'d l)^' suitabh arranifed
and |)roportionetl air-sliafts, through which all of the
moisture and batl air escajjed.
When the weather was extremctlv cold, the conden-
sation from the warm air escaping' through the shafts
was likt; thick white smoke. Rude but comfortable
I ' I
Preparing;- *^^i^n- N()rth-( irccnland Home f>5
bunks were constructed for "\-er\on'.', ;uul these, with a
nunilx.T of chairs, tal)l", ;iii(l s( \'eral boxes of l)ooks,
coniplc^tcnl the furnishinL; of the house. Our hl)rary
inchided a larL^e number of works on Arctic e.\|)lora-
tion. novels, and other reaihiiL;' matter, and also an
Italian dictionary which some kiiul friend hid sent
us without accompany
Iul;- it with an)' liteTa-
ture in that lan^iuiL^e.
W'luMi the snow
c a m (; , tin,' wall all
around was h ea v i 1 y
banktnl with snow, and
a foot of snow was
j)iled on the can\as
roof of the corridor or
passaij^e-way between
th(; house and the wall
around it. Then, with
blocks and slabs of
hard snow, a thick wall
was built to protect
the Liable, and with
more blocks and slabs
a lon;^, narrow, low
snow entrance to the
corridor was built.
Our fortress was thc-n complet(;l\- fortified against the
severest assaults of the arctic winter.
On tlu; whole, with the exception of the tlrst ten
days, w'v. had ver\- bt'autiful weatlier for ;i month
after the A'i/c \v.h us. Day after da\-. the sun shone
bri^'htK'. The watc:r of the ba\' was blue and spark-
ling^ and the iceberg's gleamed in the j^'enial sunlight
like marble, while the wind blew soft and warm. I
think the wc^ather we enjo)ed during August must
UNTOLD WEALTH
Sc'c I\nifi.'aii(l MiiT r in tlit Wniiiiiii's IlaiK
in
86
Northward over the " Circat Ice"
'I I-
If
: i
bi- cxci'piiDiial ill ihiil far norlhcni rcL;i()ii ; or perhaps
it was the Indian suinnicr of the arctic lands. I'Orc-
warninL^s of approachini^' vvint{M* came to us, liowcxcr.
l)('ton' the end of the nioiilh. In the latter part of
Aii^ust we had considerable foi; and threatening^
weather. ( )n August 2Sth, it bcL^an snowing- and
th(-' snow fell ra|)idl\' for an hoar or two. Next day
th(.' momUains on both sides of the bay were coxcred
with snow to within about 4(^0 feet of tlu^ sea level.
Kain alternated with snow and the day was very
CRIPPLE BEACH.
My I'lDiiK-nadc.
disaj^reeable. We spent it overhaulinL,^ one of the
sled^'es lor the approachint;' sledj^inL;' season. On
AuLi'ust 2gth, it snowed ai^f'ain, and at midnight the
oToinul for the first tinK; was white down to the
water's ed^e. It melted, h()wt;v(.,T, next day, and no
snow was se(;n at a lower (devation than 300 to 400
feet above the sea. On the last day of August, it
\i. i
Preparing; Our North-C irccnlaiul Home ^7
Wiis i'\ idciU that smnnuT was .it an ciul. 1 lu: liltlti
brook near tin- house hail ah'tady \)vcn frozen over
for two or three chiys.
Soon after the /\'/7r left us. 1 was able to i^ct around
on crutches, and one of the deh^hts of hie was to sit
in front of the house, taUini; sund)aths ami enjo\in,L,^
the inviuoratinLr air. Before the middle of the month,
ARCTIC HOUSE BUILDING.
the ice was almost entireh' out of the hay, hut nume'r-
ous small her^s from the glacier at its head were
scatterc'd over its surface, antl fre(|uentl\' W(; heard
the loud reports as they broke to i)ieces. On August
15th, I observed that the snow on the ice-caps sur-
rounding- McCormick i)a\' was melting- (juite rapidly,
and the ice coukl be plainl\- seen bluish-i^reen in colour.
Most of the days were very deliLihtful as I sat in frcjnt
,'1
<•
f t
I < i.
88
Northward over tiic "Great Ice"
of the house; ci'^faiiist the. whaloboat Mary Peary,
enjoying; my sun-hath. The." \\\.\.\v. brook beside the
house i)abbled iiK^rrilv, tlic; llocks of httle auks tlcw
past just off the beach, utteriiiLj;' their (garrulous cries,
and every few minutes I coultl hear the crash and
thunder of a sundering" bersj" rolhuLT across the bav.
'\\\v. mosses and scant ves^^'tation of the rock slopes
alont;' the shore were taking" on a i)urph'sh hue as if
it were the autumn f()hai,re.
On Aui^ust iith, when I assit^ned the various
meml)ers of the part\' to their bunks in the house,
I settled upon the name of our lowly home, callinL^
it Reil Cliff House, aft(M' the ed cliffs behind it, which
\V('r(; l\\v. most j)rominent object in view as our steamer
had brought us into the bay. Red Cliff i louse beiii'an
earlv to hav<; its LJi'ala occasions. To vary th(; routine
of life;, we proposed to esi)eciall\- distinguish anni-
vtM-sari(.;s that were of |)articular interc;st to the
members of our i)arty. The hrst of the fetes in our
new home: was on August Sth. which was the birth-
day of m\- cokuu'ed bo\-. Matt. After the boys had
hatl coffee in the morning', the\- went off on a hunt
and came back early in the afternoon with our lirst
deer, which had been shot 1)\- Astriip on the plateau
above the cliffs back ol the house. Tlu'ir exercise
<4'ave them sj)lendid appetites for the birthday dinner.
Matt had made out the bill ot fare, taking- anything'
he chose from the stores, and he had a more thcUi
usually tine s])read. The third anniversary of the
weddiuLi" of Mrs. Pear\' and nnself occurrticl on August
iith, and while the b()\-s were off in the boat after
seals, Mrs. Pear\- j^ot uj) a litcle extra tlinner. Tl'ie
luxurious feast was served on a bare-board tab!'' in
tin mess-|)ans. It consisted of little-auk ste-w. hot
biscuit, ajiple-pie, pears, and coffee, with a cocktail to
start with and a ^iass of Haut Sauterne all around.
I'
%.
a
Prcparini;- Our Xorth-Grccnland Home ^9
Th(j bill of fare was (.Icclar.-d 1)\- our piirt)- to tciul
to make weddiiiij;^ anniviTsarios })oi)ul;ir.
Diiriiiij^ the hours I sj)(,'in in the sunliL^iu in front of
tlu' hous(; or on the sl()j)cs hotwccn the house and th(,'
cliffs ])ack of it. I was ^rcatl)' entertained hy watching
the m;inifold phases of animal life that were to he
seen ;it all times. l^'locks of kittiwakes hshed aloiiij;'
the shore, and white whales sportetl in the waters,
.1 ,
.. >
/ r
REST AFTER LABOUR.
their antics ^ivin^- us much amusement. fa^cr and
burgomaster ^ulls passed oxer the camp in small num-
bers. On August 14th, I saw a blue I ox j)assinL;" alon^"
the beach in tront of the house. Wdien he saw me
he stopped, but before Mrs. Pear\' could brin^- m\-
rifle he had trotted slowly awa\- up the beach. 1
whistled to him and he st()i)ped a^ain, and, callini;-
Matt, I iiaxe him th(i rilli- and told him to ijo after
i!-.
fi '"■
(e
:iU
'A
90
Northward over the "Great Ice
th(.; animal. ^hltt found that whistlin!^^ would make
him st()[j and look around, and so walking' and whist-
lin;^ he i^ot within ran^c and shot him. The fox
had haz(;l c;ycs, was in poor condition, and WL'i_!:j;"hcd
just seven pounds. His teeth were badly worn, and
as he lo[)ed alon^' th<; beach he had a vcr)- spidery,
lonL^deiroecl appearance. As Matt was brini^in^' his
prize back to the house, a raviMi circled over and I
dropped him with my three-barrelled Ljun. He weighed
three jjounds and was also in very p.ior |)lumaLi■l^
Little auks were to Ix; seen 1)\- the million, and I
spent hours watching" them tl\' over our camj). ( )ne
afternoon about the middle of the month, there was
a continued succession of llocks nundx-riuL;' from a
half-dozen to two hundred or three hundred birds,
Tlu')' were passing' steadiK' down the ba}'. ( )ne series
of llocks woultl lly onK' three; or four feet abo\-e the
wat(!r, from one hundred to two hundred \ar(ls from
the shore. Another dixision would pass hi^h in the
air over the house, and still other tleeks were hi^luM'
)'et and scarcely visible. Most of the ni llew in morc^
or less regular trian!_;les or crescents, the ;ip;\ or con-
vexity always in front. i)\- .Xui^ust 2gth. the little
auks h;id practicalU' left us. though an occasional
stra^^'ler was to be seen. The i^uillemots had also
tlisappeared, but the bur^omaslers had been more
numerous for a few da\'s, twent\' or more passing' at a
time. ( )n August 28^11. I saw a dreenland falcon at
Cape Cleveland. '
Mv broken leij- was meiKlin->- nicelw On Au''ust
I
i :|
' )
*
I' I
' I'roni the I 'Jtli t' > tlic i>ilii>f Aiii;usi, Mr>. I'eary. Matt, ami m\>L-lf were
alniif at the hiju--e, the re^l nf ihe pait}' liein;^ awav in tlie l-'ciitli, on a vdxa^e
to tile i>ian(l>. An aceoimi of this tiip is coiitaineii in the next eliapter.
Duiiiisj; their absence. Mrs. I'caiy ami I sIm.kI the ni^iil watch ; Mis. I'earv
took chai;^e of the eulinai' • ile|>ailM)ent, while I read the instrnnients at the
rej.;ular hoi;is. Malt stood the <l ly waicli, and occupied himself with the fouml-
atioiis of the wall which wa^ to surround and |iroiect the house.
i'l
Prcparin^^ Our North-Grccnlantl I Ionic 91
15th, with the aitl of my crutches, I took nn- first walk
since the accident happened. On the lOth inst., I
hobbled up the hill back of the house, and bei^an
puttiuij^ my foot on the sj^round a little. It was just
hve weeks since I had broken my le^- ; five weeks of
most valuable time, but I did not feel like comj)lain-
ino^, for my le^ was doinsj;' well and there was no doubt
but that in time it would be as j^ood as ever.
HARPOON PRACTICE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
I spent most of the time on August 13th with the
small transit determining- the meridian. ( )n the i6th
inst., I took another set of circum-meridian altitudes,
and, a few da\'s later, I secured L;"o()tl obs(M"\ations for
latitude and rate of watch.
At 3:30 o'clock on the morninL^" of August iSth,
Matt came to our room, crying- " rhe\' are coniin^-,
sir," and in a few minutes after roundin^^ the point, the;
bo\s landed in front of the house with 130 ih-iinnich's
sjfuillemots and an Eskimo famiK', consisliiiij oi a man,
his wife, and two children, with a kayak and harpoon,
f^' !
* .
i I
I
92
Northward over the " Orcat Ice
fi;
1
ij I
if' hi
Si
(;■'■
h ^
., _. ^cs on accoi
so the first Kskinios whom I saw were this family that
m\- partN' had l)rou!j;"ht hack from Northumherhmd
Ishmd. They were Ikwa, ^hlne his wife, AniKulore th.e
Httle i-irl, and tlie Ijahy, Xo\a. This family remained
I ',!)
Preparing Our North-Greenland Home 93
constantly with mc until my (l('i)artiirc! from Reel Cliff,
with the excL'))tion of a few short visits to their home,
m order, as we afterwards learnetl, to an' their niiport-
ance and exhii)iL tlie wealth the\' ha I newl\- ac(|uired
from the white men. I hev became ver\- much attached
to us, as we did to thei
tenacity, assis
ted I
m, and Ikwa's patience anc
)\' one.' ot m\
f
W
mclKsters, ac
1
Ided
many a fine deer to the Red Cliff storehouse ; while
]\Iane became Mrs. Peary's ea^'er anil faithful servant.
Our huntino- made fair progress in Auj^ust, thouj^h
we needed the tuition that we obtained later from ex-
pert native hunters, to make us most efficient in
the
field. I have alreatly recorded that we L;'ot our first
deer on tlu; bleak plateau back of the house on Au-
o^ust 8th. Soon after the bo\s returiKxl froin North-
umberland Island, thev had an unsuccessful chase
aft(M" white whah
Ik
es • hut next da\-, jUst l)eiore noon,
A wick.
\va came runniiiL;' to tiie liousc, cryinL;-
awick I" (" W'ah'us, walrus I") and pointiuL;- down the
ba)'. Sure enough, then; were three or four walrus
coming rapidly on, and the boys. jumpiiiL;- into the
Faif/i,\\(i\\i soon out near them, and in a few minutes
(after a volU^y of twelve or fifteen shots) lliey had a
dead walrus in tow, two or more others haxinsj- bee
n
woun
ded. The walru
s weiLi'hed ' S6q pounils, estimat
iuij^ the blood and internal organs at i 25 pouiuls. The
ikin
wei'j
•hed 22
o i)ouiKis. anc
l1 the l(Mi''"th of the ani-
m
:il was nine fet-t. Ikwa used the skin for coveri
IlL!
his winter habitation, th(; walls of which he had be^un
building" the day bcfor
:list
n
carried stones for (juitt
a chstance, some ot tliem wei-'hrnL!' as mucD as one hun-
dred
jJOU
nds.
On Auij;-ust 27th, soon after mitlniLiht, (iib'<on. Matt,
and Ikwa went out and -jot a female walrus and a
voun*'' one.
Th
e NouiV'' animal, wliicli was :ils:) a
female, was brought ashore and it barked about the
beach much hke a hoarse bulldoi^' until it was shot
;li
i ■
.tl
I :■■ ' I
ii
« !!'
i\
I
It^
94
Northward over the "Great Ice"
to put it out of its misery. Wc also killed a sj^ood
many hurj.!^omaster L,adls. auks, and other hirds near
the camp. Late in the
mon
th.
we sa\v
th
e sun
set, a phenomenon that
had not occurred before
since we reached the
arctic reL,n*ons. On the
nii^ht of August 29th, a
\Ujht was needed for
the first time and the
watch burned candles
for several hours. The
loULi^ summer day was
at an end, but winter
was not yet upon us.
Monday, AuL(ust3 i st,
dawned clear and calm,
and I started Astriip
with his ski for a twen-
ty-four-hour reconnais-
sance of the Inland Ice,
east of McCormick Bay.
He returned at mid-
nig-ht after a sixteen-
hour absence. He had travelled an estimated distance
of seve nteen miles, but had not rounded the head of
the bay. The greatest altitude he attained was 2645
feet and the lowest temperature was +25° F. He
reported that the travelling on the Inland Ice, as far
as he was able to see it, was perfection. He saw no
crevasses, rivers, or ponds. His observations, how-
ever, tended to show that our start for the spring
sledginif on the Inland Ice niust be made from the
north-east side of the bay, as a deep valley seemed to
cut through from the valley at the head of McCor-
mick Bay southward to Whale Sound.
GREENLAND FALCON.
i '
c ,.,-,_» - „ .•>.-rt^"J'*\TXS3I3
!f
CHAPTER III.
lioAT V()VA(;h to the islands.
iNSTKrCTI.iNS TO (ill'.SON, Dk. CooK VeKHOKIK, AM, A STRIP— ( WUs, ).n's
Kei'okt—Du. (.•()., k's Rki'okt--I)ksikiitk).\ of HAKi.fvr Isiand hv Vkk-
Hor.M-.
i-' 'i
I},
f, :
i
i 'I,
( I
r I
iit I
THE FAITH.
'€
I
■I
I
h
M
if
CHAPTER III.
BOAT VOVACiK TO TIIK ISLANDS.
O
V(
X he iftcrnoon of
.\".. ust I 2th, ( iih-
so Dr. Cook,
crl ' ';i; 'Mul Astriip, Ciih-
son m iPinand and I )r.
Coo^' second, left in the
wha ''oat haith, provi-
sioncMJ for fourteen (hi\s,
for Herbert. Xorthuniher-
land,and Hakhiyt Ishmds,
to obtain birds from some
of the loomeri(,'s, to make
plans of Eskimo houses and villa_L(es, to communicate
with the natives, obtain from tlu'm furs and clothino-,
inform them of the location of our house, and. if pos-
sible, induce a famiU' to come and settle near us. The
Faith was thoroughly equi[)jjed with oars, sails, anchor,
and so on, and the boys were supjjlied with compass,
chart, oil-stove, rilles, shot-L^un, and some five; hundred
rounds of ammunition. All the forenoon was occupied
in packing" tea, coffee, sui^ar, and other articles, and
personal outfits for the journey, and the start was
made with a liii^ht favourin;^ l)reeze and with the cliffs
of Northumberland Island showini^ clearly.
The followinuf instructions to Cdbson. the com-
97
('m'I
!
r
A>
v^,.
IP .'
f
98
Northward onlt the "(ircat Ice"
maiidcr of the expedition, to^'cther with a narrative
of the vo\a!L;'e in his own lan^uaL^e. and extracts from
the rej)orts of other niemhers of the party, cover the
incidents and resiihs of the trip.
Rki) Ci.iH' llmsi:. North (Ikkkni. and,
Aug. 12, iS()i.
Sir :— \'()u are hereby phiced in command of the
l;oat expedition to I Iakhi)'t. NorthumhcM'hmd. and
Herbert Ishinds, and possibly tlie south si(U' of
Whale Sound.
On lea\in^- luTe you will proceed to Hakluyt
Island, aiid endeavour to locate the; loomery of guille-
mots sui)posetl to exist there. If succ(.'ssful in so
doinu;', you will obtain as many of the birds as possible,
and then ])roceed to the; settUmient at the south side
of Herlx.'rt Island \isit(;d 1)\- the Kite on her wa\'
here, and at that time unoccupied. Should \()U at
any point cii route to Ilakhut Island discover a
loomery, it will not be necessar)' to continue to
Hakluyt.
\'ou will remain at the IlerlxM't Island villaii^e lono^
enough to permit complete; plans and sketches of the;
village to be maele b\' Astruj). and, in case the inhabit-
ants of the village ha\e returned, to enable Dr. Cook
to complete the ne'i^otiations in rejj^ard to which he has
instructions.
This work completed, you will examine as much of
the shores of Northumberlanel and Herbert Islands
as {practicable without pre)lonL(intj;' your absence from
camp beyond ten ekus. anel then return to camp.
In case no natives are found on Herbert or North-
umberlanel Islanels. vou will exercise your own iuehj-
ment as to proceedins^- to Ittibloo. While it is desirable
to communicate with the natives and obtain furs and
clothing- fre^m them, your trip must under no circum-
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loo Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
stances l)(j proloiiL^n^cl Ix'vond a period of two weeks,
nor are you to take an\' risks wliatevcr in crossinjj^ the
Sound.
W'hiU; sailin,L{ sou will avoid iceherLjs. and when at
anchor or canipt-d on shore you will never fail to have
a man continuousK- on watch.
When in tlu; neiij^hhourhood of natives you will
always leave one man to s^uard tlu; boat and its
contents.
N'ou will keep a full journal durini^^ your absence,
and on xour return submit it to me.
In conclusion, I will call \()ur attention to the neces-
sity for the utmost care and attention to e\ery detail
of e(|uii)nient and methotls, as upon this will depend
N'our success and the comfort of )()ur part)-.
\'ery respectfulK'.
(>S>.'/Av/) R. \\. Pkakv, I'. S. \..
C 'oiiiDiaiii/iiij^ Iixpcdi(io)i.
Mr. L.wciioN ("iii'.si )N.
/'!
kill Cl II 1 llol'^r. NdKIII C.KI-KM.ANn.
Aiij^'. 12, 1 891.
.Siu: — \'()u will be second in command of the boat
ex|)edition to Herbert. Northumberland, and Hakluyt
Islands, and. in the event of serious accident to Mr.
Ciibson, will assume the command.
HuriuL;' the absence of the expedition you will note
carefulK' the location of all l^skimo houses and
villages on the shores \isited. and will take full
ilescriptive notes of them, mode ol construction, size,
material, etc.
Should \()u tmd nati\('s you will endeavour to
obtain from them reindeer, and bear, and blue-fox
skins, and especiall)' kamiks.
\'()u will endea\()ur to make th(' nativ(;s understand
f\
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Hoat \'()va<'c to the Islands
*.^
lOI
th«' location of the house aiul iht tacl ihal tlicy can
find tlicrc (Icsirahle articlL's in (j.\chan*,a: for their furs
anil iniplcnicnts.
If practicahlc. induce a man and woman ( possessors
of a kayak and acci.'ssorics) to return with you and
settle for the winter near the house.
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WALRUS IN MURCHISON SOUND.
if \()U do not succeed in this vou may be abh- to
brinj^^ a man with his ka\ak back with xou.
As an induceuKMU xou can perhaps con\-e\- to him
the idea of his having a ^un to use.
{S/oynW) R. !•:. Pi Akv, r. .s. X..
( 'o))n)iandi)io' /i.xpfdilion.
Dr. F. A. C....K.
Sui'ocoii at id lithuoloirist.
/■'»
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•i-j^ir-
I02 Northwcird o\'cr the " ( ji'cat Ice
Ri:i) Ci.ii r IlmsK, NOuni (Ikii.ni.and,
Aug. 12, iS()i.
Sir: — DuririL; the ahscncc of the boat (^xiK'dition
you will nicikc as complete a mincralouical ami topo-
l^Taphical examination of localitic!S visited as j)ossil)le,
and wiicnt-'ver ])ractical)k; obtain with compass and
aneroid a careful vertical cross-section normal to the
THE FIRST NATIVE.
rhoti). l)y Dr. Cook.
shore, extending- from the water level to the crest of
the cliffs.
You will also keep a L;eneral record of the weather.
Very respecifully,
(Sio-ncd) R. E. ^l;.\K^ . U. S. X.,
Coniuiaudincr Expedition .
Jxo. M. YkriiokI'-f,
Miucralooi^^t.
Astriip was requested orally to make sketches and
])lans of the I^skimo dwellinos and villages.
■■*»».
Boat Vovasjc to the Ishiiids
103
KKl'Okr ttl- l.A.\(,l)( )N (;ii;.Mi.\, I\ (OMMANK of Wn.W
.•///;'VAs7 ]2//l — ilaxiiiLi' received our sailing" instruc-
tions, and all hein^" in readiness for starting, with a
boat's cr(AV of three hesidc's nnself. coinprisiuL;' I )r.
F. A. Cook. I^^i\ind Astriip, and j. M. X'erhoell. we
set sail from Red Cliff i louse this afternoon at 4:10.
ESKIMO FAMILY AND l ENT, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
riioto. by Dr. Cook.
We proceeded as far as Cape Cleveland, aided by a
liij^ht wind from the east, which was also accompanied
by a lii^ht rain. When abreast of the cape, the wind
failed us altoij^ether, and we were com|jelletl to use the
oars. At seven o'clock, we all rested and had supper,
consisting' of baked beans, corned beef, crackers, and
coffee. Ahead of us we could see, in the direction
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104 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
of Herbert Island, consitk-raljle ice, which seemed,
thoiiL^h^ to he much l)roken up. At eii^ht o'clock, a
lijL^ht breeze from the south-east helped us aloiiL^, ancl
we were enabled to lay our course north by west
(mai'- ) for the northern i)oint of Herb(;rt Island.
\\'( soon came up with the ice, which seemed to be
cover(!tl with innumerable tlark objects, and which, on
closer inspection, proxctl to be a lari^e herd of walrus,
Takintj^ in our sails, not carinij^ to be botbered with
them in so lii_;ht a wind, and placing" our oars in posi-
tion, we rowed cautiously to within about fifty feet of
a cake of ice which, by actual count, contained four-
teen of the brutes, I lere we j)aused lon^- enoui^h for
the Doctor to obtain some sna|)s at tlumi with the
kodak, and then, at the word, we all bred ; our bulK.'ts
seemed to hav(! but little ellect on their touL;h hidi'S,
for, with sull(,'n roars, thev one 1)\" one rolled into tlie
water, and the tloe on which the\- were, relie\t'd of the
j^Teat weiiji'ht to which it had l)een subjected, arose
at least a foot more out of water. W e then stood
read\- to row or shoot as circumstances mi^ht recpiire.
I he\- soon came to the surface some distance away,
and after trxiuL;" a few more shots, which 1 found to
l>e a useless waste of ammunition, we proceeded once
more on our journcw 1)\" tiiis time the wind had in-
creased to a whole-Scdl i)reeze, and setting- sail once
more we went alonj^' at a i^ood speed antl founil no
trouble in passing- through the ice, which, on tn*st in-
sjx'ction, seemed to be a barrier of no little import-
ance. At ten o'clock, we jxissed the: sound dixidin^'
Herbert and Xorthimiberland Islands and soon foimd
ourselves sailing- alon^' ( at ^ocxl speed 1 the coast of
the latter island, whose shore presented a most deso-
late appearance, bein^' utterK' dexoid of Nci^etation.
At elexH-n o'clock, I turned in with I )r. Cook, lea\inL,r
Astriip at the helm, and X'erhoett to tend sheet.
'i
1 ■*
Boat \V)\acrc to the Inlands
\^
105
.lni^iis/ 13///. — At ihrcf o'clock this inorniiiL;-. wj
changed watches. Hakhi\t Island now appeared very
plainly ahead of us, and ahout six inilcs distant. 1 he
wind iiad increased to almost a L;ale. and there was a
heavy sea runninL^-, in which the /'\u'/// behaved most
admirably. Guillemots were seen lUinL;- in the direction
of the island, each carryinpr somethini^ in its beak. This
1 took to be fair evidence that we would fmd their
ESKIMO IGLOO, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
I'roiit \'icu, r'lotu. by Dr. Conk.
loomerx'. At \\\v o'clock, we reached the island and
found tile waves breakini;- so hii;h on its steep and
rocky shore that it was impossible to land the /-ailli
with"an\- decree of safety to her. So sailin:^- around
a point we canv upon some perix-ndicular clitts which
in some ])laces seemed to o\ erhaUL;. I hcse clitts
facc'd the west, and it was in \\v clefts here (with
which th(; walls were well fui'rowed) that we tound
the guillemots resting- in lar^e numbers. \\'estop|)ed
here lon-^' enough to prot~ure a tew birds, but tound
much diihcult\- in picking- up the birds, which would
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io6 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
fall at th(,' f(i(U of the cliffs, on which the waves w(;re
l)r('akiii!j^ with much force. So I decided to look for
a suital)le cami)in,L,^ sj)Ot, when I could liL^hteii the
boat, and then return for more birds. We found
such a i)lace around the point where the cliffs termin-
ated, and on a smooth, shelving- rock facing" the
south-west. We unloaded the Faith and proceerled
to cook breakfast, after which we returned to theloom-
ESKIMO IGLOO. NORTii: ■ !>: BEPT AND ISLAND.
Kuar \"ic\v. I'lidto. b;, i 'i'. ' >> k.
ery. By eight o'clock, we had gathered about forty
birds, avera^'ino" more than one bird to the cartridi^e, in
spite of the fact that we were unable to ij^et much over
seventy per cent, of the birds killed, as they would
fall on the little projections of rock on the cliffs and
there lod^^e. Our method of jjicking- the birds up
after they had fallen in the water was as follows :
after havins^ droi)ped as many as we could keep track
of, the i^un was put down, and two men would then
back the boat up to the cliffs, while another would
stand bv to fend off with a boat-hook, and the fourth
Boat Voya<4C to the Islands
107
would pick up th(j birds. In doino- this, wc (several
times) came nearly strikin^r the rocks, as the waves
were still runnini: vv.vy hitjh. We returned to camp
and had an early lunch, after which Mr. X'erhoeff
started to takc^ a cross-section of the island, while Dr.
Cook and Mr. Astriij) took a walk alon^ji'shore in
search of si^ns of natives. It rained in the afternoon,
and by four o'clock the Doctor and Astriip returned,
having- seen nolhiuij^, except a few fox-tr;ips. The
wind having- moderated considerabh', we ni.'ide one
more trip to the loonier)', and returnetl to camp two
hours later with sixt)-t\vo birds. \\'(; waited supper
for Mr. Verhoeff, who did nc '. r(;turn until cm l: I it
o'clock, he having- Ix.-en to the hi^licst point on the
island, whence he obtained a I'ood \icw of Smith's
Sound, comparatively free oi ice, and ("irinnell Land
appearing- in plain siLj^ht on tlie otln-r side. ()n his
return, he saw two youn^" foxes of a dirty-i^a^ey colour,
who came ([iiite close to him, evidentl)' attracted In' a
piece of seal blubber which he had taken from a io\-
trajj and was carryiuL^ in his hands. This trap, whicii
seemed to be of recent construction, he found at i.n
altitude of eleven hundred feet. After suppe-r, we
turned in under the lee of an ov(]rhan<^n^• rock, Mr.
Verhoeff and I taking' the watches for the niij^liL
Aiio^Ksl ij^th. — This mornino-, ii-^ a drenching;- r.;in,
we made our final attempt at
turntid to camp at nine o'clock w
makiuL,^ our entire catch one lui
On this last trip I observe-d a
evidently had their nest alou'
Other birds whicli we havc! s
raven, eider-duck, black i^uilleinot, and little auk,
kittiwake i;ull. and burs^omaster. The ravens were
very tame, as well as numerous, some of them ven-
turing within the limits of camp to obtain the bones
loomery, and re-
thirt) more birds,
reil and thirty-two.
>ir of puffins whicli
with the ^Cuillemots.
while; here arc; the
I M
9
£^
III
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io8 Northward over the "Great Ice"
of birds that wc hatl (hscarded. W'c. had another
early lunch, and by eleven o'clock started for North-
umlx.'rland Island. st(/|)|)inij;' for a few minutes at the
eastern (Mid of the island to examine a small loomery
of little auks. We soon crossed the Sound which
TH^ WAULS Sf SUPPOWTIM&TME. ROOf
--^
C (\ o a i t p. c T 1 o r< ,s-i n. - c^
PLAN AND SECTION OF NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND IGLOOS.
I )r:i\\n by liisind A^triip.
separated tiie two islands, in which we found a stron^'
current settling- to the wt^stwartl. The tide was there
a!M)ut halt hi^h and rising-. Thi-re was no wind, and
rowing- alon^' slowly we came upon some l^skimo huts
(at seven o'clock). 'l"he\- pnncd to be deserted and
mucli dilapidated. lUit here we camped for the niL(ht.
Boat Voyagrc to the Islands
109
Supper over, we turned in after a stroll on the beach.
Dr. Cook and Astriip liavini;" tlu; nin'ht watch, ^ives
theni ample time to take tlrawinL;s, photographs, antl
measurements.
.hicust 1 s//a — At cML-ht o'clock this mornin*'. we
once more started on our cruise, keepini;' close to the
shore. We were compelletl to row, losiiiL;' what litth-
wind there was, as it came from the land. We saw
three foxe^ at different times, running" and (lod^iuL;-
al(MiL'; the Ix-ach, makiti^" ineltectual attciupls to catch
the l)urL;()masi:er l^uIIs, who would v)nl\- ll\- when th(;
foxes s(;emed almost upon them. At ahout tweh'e
o'ch)t'k, we came to three more stone i^ioos, and as
\\v. were about to land \\v. were surprisi-d at hearini;"
a shout. l.(H)kin^' farther up the hill, we perceixcd
a nali\ e- comiiiL^ towards us. He was soon followed
b\" his wife and two children, the younger ol which
she c;u"ried in her lioed. ' v'e had lunch, which we
shared witli them. 1 hev liked coffee and crackers,
hut did not sc-em to fancy baked beans or tomatoes.
In the afternoon the woman made us a pair of kamiks,
and lat(-r on we tried as well as we could, b\ mak-
ing' sii^ns, to show that We wanted tliem to accompany
us back. Ikwa, for such is the man's name, schmus to
untlerstand, but we do not (|uite make out his an-
swer. Mr. X'erhoeft and 1 take the ni^ht watch. It
he's stopped rainiuL,^, and looks as though it were
t^oin^- to clear.
.■///;'//.v/ 16//'. — This morning-, aft(M" breakfast, it
bein^' Sunda\, we had a xote as to whether W(;
should tra\''' or rest, and as all the boN's seemed anx-
ious to return to \\v(\ Cliff House; to enjoy the lux-
uries of home life, I decicU.'d to mo\'e aloiiL^. After
the boat had been reloaded and readw we made one
more attempt to induce; Ikwa and Mane, his wife, to
come with us, which they decided cpiite suddeidy to
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iio Northward over the "Great Ice"
do, and wiih apparent!)' no pi"t;parations whatrvcT.
V\v. hrouL,du his doL,^ a female, also his kayak, which
we towed Ix-hind us. Shortly aftcn* leaving, we came
into si^ht of a discharL^inL,^ o-lacier, whose surface was
discoloured a deep hriek-red. Tht; colouring' matter
was onl\' su])erticial. however, for ict^her^s only re-
centl\- detached seemed to contain nothin«'' hut clear
ESKIMOS ON NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
I'holo. liy Dr. Cook.
ice. A little farther on, we found lloatino^ a seal
spear, which we pickt^d up, and soon after this we
came around a point antl found ourstdves ([uite near
an Eskimo settlement. We could see natives run-
ning- from one tent to anotlu'r, and one took a kavak
and came to meet us. There was considerable hea\y
ice at this point, and hapjx'nin^- to strike the rii^ht
kme of water, we were soon landed, and the boat was
I
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Boat \\)yai^c to the Islands
1 1 1
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surrounded l)y natives, who would have JLj^ot in it hatl
we allowed them to. Mere we decided to spend the
remainder of the tlay. Dr. Cook started in. and soon
had trailed for man)' valuable ethnological specimens.
We also obtained two mon; pairs of kamii<s. The iiar-
poon which we found was claimed b\ one of the na-
tives, and conse(juentl\' turned oxer to him. ihe
south side of this island sliows a marked co.Uraht
to its northern side. Mere the xOi^'etation is hixii-
riant, the whole slope of the hills appearing; ,L;reen,
savt; where it is hidden b\" semi-p\ramidal piles ot
rock, out of which project perpendicular walls of con-
siderabk; hei_L;ht. In thesi- walls the l)urL;(»master
L^ull breeds in lar^'e numbers, and lower down, in the
loose rocks, which vary in si/e trom a man's head to
that of his bod)', the little auks liaxc tlu-ir nests.
.•///;'V/.s7 17///. -W hen all was read)' for a start this
morning-, we found our friend Ikwa and his famil\- had
decitled to i^o no tartlu-r with us, and no amount of
persuasion on our part could persuatle him to chaiiLiC
his mind. .So we were soon on our journeN without
hitu. .Shortly after leaviiiL;' the settlement, we i)asscd
another discharging;' glacier, just past which were seen
some more igloos. .Stopjjint;" here to make some;
tlrawin^s and to take measurements, we suddrid\- re-
membered that some deerskins which we had traded
for had been left behind. .So we returnt'd, leavinij;-
Astriip to make the drawings. The distance beiuL^
only about a mile, we were soon there and L;'ot our
two skins, and then we thoui^ht of once more tr\in_L;'
Ikwa. This time h(; seemed (piite willing', and it was
a very short time before he was in our boat, his only
additional ba^'Li'ai^e consistin^^ of a borrowed tent, and
a ])iece of narwhal blubber which he swuni; ^n'er the
bow. WhtMi w'c stopped to s^'et Astriip, Ikwa w.Jked
back from the shore a little distance, and soon n.-turned
, I'M
ii:; Northward oxer the "(ircat Ice"
' M.
£ (
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'.I 1^
with ail I'^skiinn sled, which we also placid in ihcliow,
flcrc also we r(j)lcnish('(l our water hrcakcr from a
stream, and W(,'re once more on our wa\'. As there
was IK) wind, we were compelled to row. in which ex-
ercise we made Ikwa tak<; his turn. W'e had |)assetl
throuL^h the Sound dividiiiL;- Xorthumherland and I ler-
bert Islands 1)\- live i'. m.. and could once more seer the
AMriip.
Dr. Coi.k.
NATIVES AND FOREIGNERS.
i'hoto. liy eil)S')ii.
red cliffs in McCormick Hay very distinctly. When
about two miles from Herbert Island, we fell in with
apparentK' the same belt of ice we had encountered
on our outward journey, also the walrus, which seemed
cjuite as |)lentiful as they were before. Ikwa appar-
ently bein^- anxious to tackle them, I steered in the
direction of a hummocky cake on which one animal
was sleepin^f^. Ikwa waited until we were within about
Ro:it Voyage to the Islaiuls
113
ten feel of lht;cakc. when h(,' plun-vd his harpoon into
its side. At the same instant, a shot from Aslriip's ritU-
practically settled it. The walrus came to the sin-face
hut once, towed us a little distance, aiul then the line
ESKIMO VILLAGE OF KEATE. NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
I'hin and l'",lf\ali()ii, Hrawn liy I-'.i'. iii'l A^triip.
sudd(Miiy tightened, this time pointing directU' down.
While: this excitf nient was ^"oin^" on we had heen e.x-
chans^injr ranch Mil shots at (Ulier walrus, intlictin^- onl\-
occasional tlesh wounds. While enL;-a;.4ed in pulling- in
Hi
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TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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Photographic
Sciences
Corporation
33 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716) 872-4503
114 Nortlnvard over the "Great Ice"
the tU.'cul one, a bijj^ hull walrus, a])partMUly more hold
than the rest, rose within a few feet of our hoat. and I
was fortunate in lodj^nuL,^ a h. Ilet from m\' rille in his
vertehra, killinL( him instantly. Ikwa fastened his other
harpoon point in him and we so(mi had them alonjj^-
side of us. Ikwa proceeded (as I at first supi)Ose(.l)
to hleed them, hut I soon discovered he intended
only savinj^ the heads. I let him cast the carcass
of the hiir one adrift, savinij^ only the ht^ad and ivory,
hut the other one I made fast to the stern, antl
we commenced what proved to he a most laborious
task, towinij^ it home. During;- the heat of the excite-
ment, Mane had heen placed in tht' hottom of tlu? hoat,
where she sat huddled up with her two children, who
were cryini,^ at the top of their luniks. At ahout
seven o'clock, we s^^ot our walrus, and at 4:30 a.m. the
next morniuL^, a much-tired crew hauled the hody of
the walrus up on the shore at Cape Cleveland, where
it was left, and a half an hour later wv. arrixed at Red
Cliff Mouse, after an ahsence of live days, none the
worse for wear, havin^,^ enjoyed a \ery pleasant cruise.
Lancdon Ciinsox.
; }
■ '(
Rv.v Ci.iiF House, North Grkkm.and,
Dec. 30, 1891.
Sir : — In pursuance to your instructions of August
12, 1S91, I suhmit to you the followinL; report on the
duties you assii^ned me on the hoat cruise around Hak-
lu\t and Northumherland Islands, from August 12th
to Aujj^ust 19th.
Hakluyt Island presented few sii^Mis of Eskimo hab-
itation.
We found fox-traps all alonjj;- the south-west coast,
but only one was set.
Near the south point, just below the little auk
loomeries, I found another place where two tupeks
Boat X^ovciij-c to the Islands
"5
had been placed amid a lar^-e l)ed of beautiful ^reen
moss.
'rh(;re were several places where stones had been
arrantrcd as fireplaces, shewn by the; blackened stones.
The sole food of these peo|)le whih- here- must have
been either birds or hare. I found no lari^e bones,
such as sc;al or walrus. P)ird feathers and bones were
scattered in e\-ery direction. i found one small cache
of little auks, evidentl\- ([uite old. 'I"h(\- were consitl-
erably decomposetl, and covered with the L^erms of
decomj)ositi()n.
Lines of stones of nearly ecjual size were stood on
end in a regular order on se\cM-al places at ele\ations
of not less than six lumdred feet.
I''ox-traps and these h.are-traps we also saw all over
the south-west coast of Northumberland Islaiul. j^ut
few of the fox-traps were set, and none of the hare-
trai)s hatl lines on.
Many of these; tox-traps were i)laced on hi^h rocks
below loomeries when birds would h(; ajn to li.^ht.
The first intlication of Eskimo habitation that we
discovered on Xorthumberlantl Island was in a bay
antl to the west of a lari^e L;lacier. Hetween the villai^-e
antl the i^dacier was (piite a lar^-e stream of water.
The deserted village was m.,.J.e up of two stone
ii^loos, six tloo;-houses, and ei^ht bird and blubber
caches. All entrances of both tht; igloos and tloo-
houses opened directl\- on the south. The roofs of
the ii^ioos ami the /osc/nw wen; either removed or
fallen in. The i^eneral mode of construction was pre-
ciseh' the same as others that w(.' examinetl. but lari^re
bones, such as whale, walrus, and narwhal, skulls,
scapuhe. and vertebrae, formed a larije part of their
walls.
The measurements of these dwelliiiL^s will appear
in Mr. Astriip's report, which accomj)anies this.
' M
n
!
1 '
1
'* i •
1
r i
(
(
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I
ii6 Northwarti oxer the "(ircat Ice"
W(j found no L(ni\('s. hiil lar^c heaps of hones and
dcljris, niosll\- those of \vah"iis and seal.
'Idle next Inniiit houses we found in a larL,^e hay.
Hc;re we found three stone igloos, two with th( roofs
removed, and one rccentl)' tixed for winter liahUation.
TENT VILLAGE, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
I'lan and lOlcvation. Drawn 1)\ I'.iviml A-tiiip.
When we first saw these igloos from a cHstance. we
could st;e no si^ns of life, hut as we ai)j)roached nearer
and were ahout to land, wc; saw a man coming down
over some hummocks, at a short distance.
His oeneral apj^earance a|)|)roachetl nearer that of
a wild animal than a human heiiii;. He expressed no
.*'V,.
li
Boat X'oya^c to the Islands 117
fear. Init camr ri^ht down and h('l|)(.'d us with oiir
hoat. and smiled, and talkt-d for niimitcs at a time.
W c (jf course knew not a word of what he was sa\-
uv^. Soon a woman with two children also a])|)eared
on the scene. We had liuich, and offered tliem some
of it. 1 hey seemed pleased at our generosity, ate
what we i-.ave them, but ai)i)arent]y did not enjoy any
of our fooJs e.\cei)t the coffee and biscuits ; and this
was also true of the i)eo|)le of the next settlement.
After this jjleasant entertainment. I tried to c()n\c\'
to them an idea of what I wanted. 1 had alrc-ad\- ex-
amined th(; stone ii^loos. i)ut found there absolutely
nothing- of value to us.
1 hv. woman disappeared for a half-hour, then re-
turned with a sealskin. .She be^an inuiiediatel)- to
make a pair of kamiks. for which I ^ave a knife. '
The man said tiiat that was all the skin he had, and
the ai)i)earance of his clothes and those of his wife
seemed to bear out his statement.
\\ hde the woman was makin^ the kamiks. (dbson
visited the loomerii-s with the man, and found that he
had a tu})ek just below them.
Before we went to sleep. I tried to tell them that we
were to sleep there once, then we wanted them to
come in our boat witii us.
I he next daw I examintnl the igloos, 'i'here were two
natural hreplaces where the soot on the stones showed
that they had used these places for thai purpos.-.
1 he usual collection of bonc's and debris surrounded
these stone i^ioos. Tlie one fixed up for winter had
been cleaned out thoroui^hly. re-covered with moss.
and linht stones on the outside of the moss.
There were a number of ImhI and blubber caclies
to the rear of each of the housi's. but no d()L,'--h()uses.
'Ihe caches were all empty but one, which contained
a small amount of blubber.
u
ii8 Northward over the "Great Ice
^ 1 1
I
I
)
( ;'
i
Jf
J
I found tlircc L^ravcs about lifty \anls to the: rear of
the ij^loos, hut the hones were so much destro)etl
that one could liardl\- find them.
As we L^ot in our hoat and read)' to start off, tliey
(h(l not seem inchned to come with us, l)ut after
a htlle u'entle persuasion the nian i^ot liis kayak, the
woman and her chikh'en _L;()t in, then the man went
after liis dn^^. W'e now tlioui^lit that we had these
people secure, antl would brins^ them home, but he
^vBIIK**'
:-^«-''*«^.
' '"^rt^y.i'^-^j't'i.-.^ «H«<»-
JOSEPHINE GLACIER, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
soon told US that there were more " Osikees " around
the cape.
As we _L;'ot arountl the cape, we saw a tupek, and a
man in a kayak came out to meet us.
This kayaker seemetl more than pleased to see us ;
his face was all ai^low with smik:s. Me piloted us to
the settlement, which had by this time all assembled,
the men on the beach, the women and children in a
row on the rocks in front of the first tu];ek.
Our friends from the other s(,:ttk;ment left us here.
\\\; had lunch and a^^ain shared part of it with these
K t:
Boat \'()va«'c to the Ishiiuls
1 19
•H'(),)lc. ()iic()f ihc in<ii L^ot d l)()ilc(l l)iir^(>in;istcr
null, and offcrctl it to iis.
AfUT lunch, I took a census of the \illaL;c. the
j)oi)ulation of which nunihcrcd thirteen.
I'lach man possessed a ka\ak, a har|)oon. a kinic.
and a l)ird net; and two possessed hows ami arrows.
a number of rolls of line and narwhal sinew. Their
hluhher and meat su|)pl)' seemed to he all cast in one
L^eneral heap, the lean meat beini;- on lines to dry.
,. r^2nE?RB
itj
S^"^**!^:,.
ik^
«
1
*•
■■*'*
1
^&iiukteiL^^^^^^^^^^^II^B
WESTERN GLACIER, NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
Tile lack of fe;ir in these; men and their confuleiice
in white men were cK'ar!}' shewn the first nii^ht we
campeil tliere. .\t about ten o'clock, all the men
suddenK' started out in their kayaks after narwhal,
leaving" th.eir wom mi and children unprotected. At
about tix'e o'clock, the\- returned with a narwlial in low.
I noticed here what 1 ha\e npeatedl)- noticed since,
that the\" ha\'e fre(|uent and proloni^cd hemorrhas^es
from the nose, due, I think, in most cases, to excite-
ment or acti\e i)h\sical exercise.
There are two \ery i)rominent and important
ms
\l,
M (
1^
U
'i
1 20 Northward o\cr the "(ircat Ice"
physioloi^ical characteristics that attracted my atten-
tion lure. These seem to he pecuhar to these |)eo|)le.
Idle first a \"er\' tree and ra|>id suhciitaneous capillar}'
circulation. 1 he second- a com|)leie en\-elo|)ment of
areolar tissue, not unlike the seal or walrus.
dhe care of their huntiuL; outlit, the attention to
details, the econonu' ol wooil and iron, were \-er\'
marked in this xilla^f.
'l'he\- all toKl us that the)- hcaril the whistle of tlu;
A7A-.
We tried to infoiiii these people where our camp
was, and that we had pleiUx' ol wood and kni\'es.
As we were ahout to leaxc, we tried to jx-rsuade
Mychotia to come with us, hut he lu-sitated consider-
al)l\". I'inall)- M\chotia and AnL;<)dol)lachu followetl
us ill their ka\aks, Ikwa and his wife evidentK' mis-
luulerstootl us, and did not intend to come any farther.
We went as i'ar as the winter settlement of these
peoi)le, when we discoxcred that we had left some of
our thiiiLi's behind.
Mr. Astriip went ashore here to take the measure-
ments of the igloos, while the rest of us went hack to i^et
what we had left. In so doinj^', our ka\akers K'ft us.
I a^ain tried to jjcrsuade our lornu-r friend to come
with us. 1 le hesitated, hut suddenK' made up> his mind,
took his helon^in^s and all he could borrow, put them
in our boat, and came with us with his t;miil\'.
As W(; reached the i)lace marked 5 on liie map, we
saw two stone ii^ioos, but did not dare to s^o ashon^
to examine these for fear of losing" our j)ri/e. the
Mskimo famil)-.
These ij^loos are also situated in a small ba)'. One.
is a double and the other a single i^ioo, both deserted.
Its nati\e name is Ka\ati.
Ikwa told us before he came in our boat that h.is
wife and children would irct seasick, bu when we
K,
Hoai \'()\a«'c to the Islands
I 21
cTossrd the Sound she and the chiiilrcn wciU aslccj)
-and in this condition \vc hrouL^iit thcni satiK to
Red Cliff. Kcsix'ctfully submitted.
I-'. A. CnuK. M.I)..
S/irQf(yn to Xoi-di-drcctiliDid /: vf>(t////(>!/.
R. I-:. iM.AKv. r. .s. X.
I liii-ciii , ( iilix 1
V-i riiii.
AT CAPE CLEVELAND WITH THE WALRUS.
DKSCKH'TION OF IIAKl.rVl' ISLAM* !;\- N' I'.kl lol. II'.
Hakluyt Island is al)out three or four miles lon^j;-,
north-wt.'st to south-( ast, and a mile wide in widt^st
part, separated from Northumherland Island 1)\- a
strait apparentK' about two miles wide lli^hest
point, al)OUt i^^20 feet elevation, is about two miles
from west end. and on north side of island. Island
ascends from west end 1)\- a L^n'adual slope till reach-
ing- hiiij-hest point. On top is a table-land j)robabl\- a
mile louL^
!•»
U '
]l '
] i
122 Northward over the "(n'cat Ice"
r ' \'
It als!) slopes f^roin iiorlh to south. Clilts on north
side near ciiil, while on south side there is low laiul,
the cliffs hciiiL; farther hack ami not so ])recii)itous.
On cast part of island is an indentation ; at farthest
inland i)art is highest |)oint on island. The sides of
the indentation are very precii)ilous clilfs. where L;uil-
leniots llock in thrones.
.\|)proa(hin^' the end of island towards Xorthuni-
herland, the ground becomes steeper than on north-
west side. A cairn about four teet hiidi is huill about
a ([uarter or halt-mile Ironi this coast. I here is also a
cairn on the table-land. When on sunnnit tiiere was
a ver\' brisk wind and the ground set med to shake.
About two miles from summit, on south side of
island, ^oo or4')0 \ards Irom south-east extremil)'. arc-
two peaks. probabK' ol basalt. 1 he)' are about 150
\ards apart, and \isible lor soru' distance awa\' Irom
island. ( )ne is accessible, and about c).So U-ri W\'j^h.
as shown b\- aneroid barometer. The other is about
50 feel hii^h, and is inaccessible. It is nearer the coast.
Apj)arentl\", !;;l<icier llows down from north to south
part of island, almost di\ idiiii;" islanil. ( )n the table-
land at south-east part ol island is much ^rass and
flowers, about So or ic^o acres, a veritable llowi'r-
_L;;u\len, aj)|)earinL;' \'er\' much like sp'riiiL;-. Near b\\
about So \ards Irom cairn, was a lo\-lra|) baited with
oUl-smellin^' seal blubber. Returniii',; to camp, I kept
mostl\- on southern part ol island, ^oin^- over man\'
loose stones, antl haxin^' water flowing' beneath often-
times. AftiM* returning- about a mile Irom the twin
peaks, I reached th(; bottom of a hill, anil about three
(juarters of a mile more l)r()UL;"ht me to the glacier, at
an elevation of about 300 feet. About a mile or
more of walking- brouL^ht mv. to comparativ(.;l\- level
rocks, from which place the ground was somewhat
level the remainder of the distance to camp.
< i
:'] I
i 1
Hoat \'()\a"'c to tlic Islaiuls
On tlic tal)l('-lan(l near cciUrc of island were wliat
appcarcil to Uiwr .u one linic hccii Eskimo sloiic;
huts, l)iil at this time stones fallen. Also two empty
mound remains of a linplace. Man\' of rocks are red
and white, L;r.inite and (piart/ abouiulinLi' on the isl-
anil. In many placc:s roeks are coxcnHl with hird-
IKWA CUTTING UP THE WALRUS.
lime. Near our camj) there were luin'e rocks, some
KinL;- in such positions as to altord a natural siulter
to man or heast.
Water luM'e was continuallx" llowin^- down the rock
to the sea, and it matle an excellent place for a cam|).
On the return from other end of island, two foxes.
prohahK' \"er\' nouiil;'. hein^" attracted hy a i)iece ol
blubber I had taken from the fox-lraj). came within
ei^ht feet of me. so if rocks had not cox'cred the
Lrround 1 miLrht have caught one. llad ncn'illewith me.
'remjjerature on summit 40", like a sprinL,^ day, but
at one time rain. J. M. \'i;rii<)i;i1'.
' m
I
ciiAni-k i\'.
r.oAi .\M> >i i;i)(.i: rKirs.
Oi K lAii K,|,,N r,) I hi; Hi ai. m|. MiC'dUMirk Il\v— A Si.KiK.i: Tartv
Mill Ms II) nil l.Ni AMI I. I — liii: AiTiMpi |,i Mam, an AiUANcr, Srriiv
1)| I Ml I'"\|| s— 1!(.\1 [(ilKNI VS in Ml K( lll^iiN Sol N|i \N|) Ai Kn^s I 1 1 1. \\\y
— Kn'Imno r.AiTi.i; Willi a S( iiiMii (,] Waikis— Oik 1'ik^i Smim.i I.hk.
m:v ikom Rid c:i,ii i — I'm-, I'.iuni m w Fci hkkc— |)i:i u in 1'iim\_
M \NV \\ri\i>. Visit is— Iiikik Snow Hi m I<i:\kiii akih nhoiu II<iisk
— ( »ru I!i;n;iir X \ii\ I SiA\isiKis>—||ii Winiii, Xk.iii I'.ni m hs is.
I «
'1 I
•t'
1 i
If ir I ^
sU
i> 'I
chapti-:r i\'.
liOAT AM) Si.i;i)(iK IKIl'S.
E
u
He
T
m-: first (1;
.f
(i;i)s ot .S('])tctn-
I)cr were vrvy l)iis\- ones,
ill i)rcj)ar!iio- (or tin- first
sledge journey upon ilic Inland
f-^^ ^^WK '*""*'• ^ intended to start in the
■jyi^Wfc ^^^'^n' /'V^^:r lor the liead of
^^^ iR McCorniick Uay on the morning-
J^j^ of W'echleschiy, September 2(1,
l)ut on that morning- the east
wind was whisth'n^- out of the
bay. raising- such a sea that the
v()ya.L^(,' would haxc meant the
thorouo-h wettui^i,- of the partv and e(iuipnient. I
therefore postponed the trip till the wind should
motlerate, and we- were compelled to wait till l-
mornini^r, September 4th.
I'riday came, briohi and clear. I took Ikwa with
us and the entire party excei)t Matt, who remained
Coffee was serveil at five a.m.. so that
I he Mai-y Peary was
"■ was react\-. and wind and tide
ru
ay
at the house.
we mi^ht make an early start.
loaded and e\-er\'thin:
were favourable.'whenit was suddenly discovered that
the boat s rudder was missin- It had been left where
the tide floated it away. X'ainlv it was sou-ht for up
and down th(; beach. I set to work to tit the I'\u(h\
rudder to the Mary Peary and at eleven a.m we -ot
127
ili ! i
(i I
\l
128 Northward over the "Great Ice"
uikUm- \va\'. ['or a mile or two, a favoiiriiiL; wind lulpccl
us alontr, then it failed, and the oars were run out, but
the tide was now a^^ainst us and we made slow projj^ress,
At three p.m., we landed just below the first hang-
inL,r o-lacier, about ei^ht miles east of K I Cliff House.
Its massive front, about one hundreil feet hii^-h, risinir
and fallino- with the undulatinL^^ surface of the slope
on which it restetl, liunL,^ far down the hillside. Here
we prepared lunch, but just as the tea was boiled, we
"THE EAST WIND WAS WHISTLING OUT OF THE BAY."
Sun Glacier in the Distance.
were compelled to hurry aboard and push out from
the shore, to prevent the falling; tide from leavin<^ us
fast on the flats, which would have delaved us for
hours. Once outside the shoal water, the grapnel
was thrown out till w^e finished our meal.
Gettins^ under way, we pulled ai^ainst a brisk head-
wind, and, when near the head of the bay, saw a herd
of reindeer feeding- on a sji^rassy slope. 1 landed
Astriip to ^^et a shot at them, while the boat went on
X'
+
Boat and Sledge Trips
I2g
in search of a cairi))iM_--|)lacc. At th<.' head of the
bay I found a continuous sea-wall of boulders parallel
with and about one hundre'd \artls from the shore.
which, across the entire head of the Ikiv, was a stccj).
L^^ravelly bank six to twent\- feet hi^h, strewn with
boulders. Outside the sea-wall the water was deep,
but the presence of boulders showiuLj^ above water in-
side indicated very shallow depths there.
PulliuL; across the head of the ba)-, past the mouth
of a muddy glacial river enterini^- nearly in th(; ce-ntre,
a narrow opening- in the sea-wall was found. I steered
the boat throu_L,di this and beachetl her, at se\en
P.M., where the bank was lowest. We were nearl)- at
the north-east aniile of the bav.
We had just carried our sui)j)lies up the bank and
kindled a fire in the oil stove, when several shots were
heard from Astriip. Dr. Cook and Ikwa started with
their ritles to join in the sport, leaving- Ciibson and
Verhoeff with me, Mrs. Peary having- wandered up
the valley soon after we launched. As both these
men had been up nearly all the niu;ht l^efore, I told
them to _<rct into their baL,^s and I would stand watch.
HobblinL( about as best I could. I rii^i^^ed up the bijr
tarpaulin as an impromptu " tupic " or tent. About
midnight, the huntino^ party returned, reportin^^ one
deer shot. W^e ate our supper lyini^ or sitting- ujoon
the i^round about the little oil stove, without dis-
comfort. The thermometer reL,dstered +i6" \\ I
named our restino-i)lace Camp Tooktoo (the Eskimo
word for deer), and here I wrote my instructions for
the Inland Ice party, appointini^ Astriip, the most ex-
perienced snow and ice traveller of my party, leader
of the little expedition.
The object of the party, consistiuL]^ of Astriip. Gib-
son and \'erhoeff. was to establish a depot of ptnnmi-
can, biscuit, and milk, across Prudhoe Land near the
t
t
I30
Northward over the "Great Ice"
t
>iifi
.i 'I
I !.
southern aiii^U; of the I lumboldt (ilacicr. This depot
was f(jr the use of my aclvanci; party of ne-xt sprinL(,
and was to be located preferably upon a nunatak if
such could be found in the neighbourhood.
Astriip and his part\- were; to have ample rations
for twenty days for their own use, and I thought they
could probably advance the depot one hundred miles
in this time — /, c\, cover the same distance that I had
in 'S6.
Saturday mornin!^^ after our first nii^ht in camp,
Astriip went up the slopes to the ice-cap to select the
best route for carrying up the provisions. The rest of
FOETAL GLACIERS.
South Sliorc McCurmick Day.
the party went after the deer killed the night before,
and returned with it antl another. Astriip returned in
about six hours A'ith a favourable report. He estim-
a^
I,'', )
n
I -ri
132
Northward over the " Great Ice
ated the tlistance from the camp to the ctli^c of the
icc'-caj) at less tlian four miles.
That nii^ht it looked very threateninix down at the
mouth of the; hay, and Sunday morninL;- was raw and
disaL^reeahle, the outer half of the hay hidtU'n in fall-
inirsnow. 'Flu; Inland-Icti j)arty antl Dr. Cook started
up the hluffs with loatls varying- from fifty-two to
tifty-ei^ht j)()unds. They returned in four or five
hours, and 1 had the hoat turned hottom up and sent
them into their bairs under it. About four I'.m., I
i *J
MJ
'i ^
I'l
FIRST HANGING GLACIER.
turned them out and started them up the bluffs
with a second load. Returnin^r from this trip not
loner before midniy^ht, thorouj^hly tired, they all turned
in under the boat. Meanwhile, Ikwa had obtained
another deer. Throujj^hout the day it snowed at the
entrance of the bay.
Monday was a repetition of Sunday's stormy weather.
I let the boys sleep during the morning, and not until
Boat and Slctli;'L' Trips
ele'ven a.m. did 1 tt-ll them to i^ct their hist h)a(ls
ready, break camp, and i)iit the; l)()at in tht; water for
my return to Retl Chit House. H\- the tinn; this was
don(,' and the boys had filled themselv(.'S with venison,
roasted at a fireplace which I had imj)roviseil under
the hank, with an old box for fuel, it was ni-arU' four
P.M., and the wind was whisthiiL; o\'er our heails and
down the bay at the lixcliest rate. Dr. Cook went
with the three Inland-Ice men to carry a UkuI, and I
told him to return as soon as possible, so that we
could start for the house and i^'et out over tlu; d\ke
of rocks before the tide f(."ll too low. Hardly had the
four men, with their loads, disappeareil over the ridi^e,
when the; excitement bei^an. I was a cripjjle hobblinj^
around on crutches, and had with me, l)esides Mrs.
Peary, only an I^skimo who untlerstood no word of
Enj^lish.
Before startini^ away, the boys had placed the l)oat
in the water, antl had carrit'd the masts and sails down
and put them into her. She was now lyiiiL;' at the
foot of the bank in front of our camp, fastened b)- the
painter tied round a stone. We commenced stowintr
th(
e various articles al)Out camjj in lier so as
to h
ive
cverythinL( in readiness to start for Red Cliff as soon
as Dr. Cook came down from the ])luffs. While we
were ens^aLjed in this work and were all three u[) by
the camp pickini^ up a few last thinos, a furious and
sudden sq
u
all
swen
.t d
own
th
e valle\', and catchuiLr
the boat drove her several yards away from the shore,
draeifine her stone anchor after her. As luck would
'.->?>
have it, also, Ikwa's kayak had been tied to the boat,
and it, too, was bevond our reach. The masts havinLJ"
)een s
tepped
in-
th
e bovs, as
I
.earet
thi
IS operation
would be rather difficult for Mrs. Peary and Ikwa.
the boat offered considerable surface to the wind, and
each succeeding; i^ust, sweepinjj; down the valley with
1 ., ',
'.'^r
■ I
134 Northwiird over the "(ireat Ice"
the fury ihat <)iil\- arctic s(|iialls from ihc ice-cap can
allaiii, was Liradiiall)' drixiiiL; the- boat, anclior ami all,
farther and lartlu-r from shore. If the hoat passed
across the narrow hiL^oon between the shon; and the
d\ke of tile glacier moraine, 1 knew her anchor would
han_L;' like a i)lummet at the vm\ of the painter, and
the l)oat, with nothinn' to hold her, would (lisai)pear
through the; driving' snow, to he dashed to pi(;ces on
the rocks of the northern short: of the bay, or >lriven
out into mid-sound.
PACKING SUPPLIES TO THE ICE-CAP.
The i)rosj)ect was not a pleasant one, as the boat
had on l)oard i:ver\thinn', and the lifteen-mile journey
to Red Cliff I louse alonj^- the rock}' shore would have
been a work of days for me in my crippled condition.
Althoui^h the water in the lai^oon was now onl\' per-
haps waist-deep, Ikwa, with the well-known Eskimo
J !
Boat and Slctli^c Trips
3d
dislikr for this i-UmiiciU, ri-fuscd to l^o into it. hut in-
stead, (Mich'avourcd, with his rawhide wah'us hnc. to
lasso the lioat and thus drai; her in. Unfortunately
the distance was too L^reat. and cast after cast of the
line was made, without success. The boat all this tinu;
was heiuL^ L:;-radually dra^'j^ed farther and farther away
from the shore.
DASHING UPON THE WALRUS.
Suddenly the idea occurred to Mrs. Peary of j)ut-
tini^^ on the Doctor's lon^-lej^ri^red rubber boots, and
clad in these she rushed out into th{; water as far as
possible, and, after twoorthrcn; unsuccessful attempts,
was fortunate in oettin^- a loop of th(; line round the
stem of the whale-boat, which she- and Ikwa then
drai^i^cd in to the shore and made fast. Not until
this was done did I learn that the presence of hol(!s
in each of the Doctor's boots had rendered them no
136
X(irth\vard oxer the "Circat Ice"
tl
u
■' 1 I*
l':'i^
: I
protection whatcxiT. and that she had practicall)' Ix'cn
staiKhn^ there nearly \vaist-<h'e|) in tlie free/inL;' \v;;ti'r.
with the snow whisthn!: al)oiit lier, while she lassoed
the truant boat.
After the l)oat had heen reco\-ered ar.d the wind had
apparentK' suhsidetl, we all ^ot into the hoat and 1 let
her drop oiitsitle the laj^onn so as not to he cauL^hl in it
1)\' the falling' tid(\ Scarcelx', howe\ er. were we in deep
water, where the anchor could he of no use, than the
wind hll upon us a^ain and droxc us out into the
l)a\. 1 tried to ha\e Ikwa step the foremast ai^ain
(l)oth masts haxiiiL;' heen unste|)ped when the hoat
was dra^u'ed ashore), so 1 could l;cI sail on her; hut
after two or three unsuccessful attempts, in one; of
which he let the mast fall across m\- broken le^', the
eltort was jL^ix'en up. and he and I settled down to the
oars, with Mrs, l\'ary at the tiller, and dexoted our ut-
most energies to workinL;- the hoat into the comparatixi!
shelter of the cliffs ^uardinL^- tlu; c^astern side of the Sun
Cilacier, and then, inch 1)\' inch, we crept back to the
shore until we could drop our anchor just inside the
moraine.; chke. I shall not soon forget m\- feeling- of
relief when I found that we were secure after our
three hours' strui^^U; with the _L;"ale. Those who have
not had the experience; will j)rol)al)l\' have dit^iculty
in understantliuL;' the sensations of one who, havinj^
alwa)s been accustomed not only to feel the utmost
confidence in his own jjowers to extricate himself from
a disa^Teeable predicament, but also to feel that he had
a reserve; force which could be; devoteel to the assist-
ance of e)thers, tlnels himself ne)t only helpless to
assist those near and dear to him, but almost entirely
unable to take care of himself.
W'e were just be^innino' te) oet \ery chilly when we
hearel the I )e)cte)r's she^ut fre)m the bank above lis,
and looking- up through the blinding snow, saw him
Hoat and Slcdi^c Trips
137
rcturnini^^ from the Mult. I Ic was sprcdily on hoard,
'riii'ii. lioistiiiL,^ the Marv /Vcirv's foresail, w r went dash-
iiiL^- down tiK" hay towards Red Clitf I h)iisc. Ica\iiii^
a wake of foam through which Ikwa's kayak h()l)h('(.l
and tumhh'd hkc a s|)orti\c aUiL^alor. l''.v('r\lhin_L;
went well until we reached the llannin^ (dacier,
when, after a few moments' calm, th<; wind fell upon
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1
Br '^ '
^B
i
^1
MRS. PEARY.
us from dead ahead, antl threatened to drive us hack
to the head of tlu' ha)' in spite of our utmost efforts.
Sheerinsj^ the hoat in to tlur shore, we cast anchor,
antl crouching' under our ruhher hlankets. j)ut uj) to
break the force of the furious wind, we waited till
I' 1
I *
i , ■ .1
i;^^ Northward oxer the " ( irc.it Ice"
ncarl)' morninL;. when the wind siil)si(lcd siitticiiiuly
to ('nal)lc lis lo take to the oars and j^radnall) work
the l)oat down to Kcd ClilT House.
\> ! slowl\ hol)l)l((l. with the Doctor's assistance,
from the l)oal up lhrouL;li the snow to Kcd Cliff
I louse. I promised m)self thai I should ne\cr leave
it ai^ain until in full possession of my wonted |)lusi-
cal enerLiies ; set the inaction at the house was worse
than possible misha|)s, and two days later I was a'^ain in
the l)oat hound for the head of the haw after the re-
mainder of the herd of deer which we had seen on our
first trip. Mrs. I'(;ar\-, I )r. Cook. Matt, and Ikwa ac-
companied me this time. lea\in'4" onl\' Ikwa's wife and ;
her two children at Kcd Cliff lloUse. LandiiiL;- at the
llaiiniiiL;- (dacier for our lunch, for a moment I was
startled hy seeini;- footprints on theheach. which Ikwa,
without a momtMU's hesitation, pronounced X'erhoelf's.
l''ollowinL( thesi; tracks, however, for a short distance,
I found them acc"-nj)anieil I))' two others, hut as all
the tracks showed no indications of injury or e\en
fatigue, I at once came to the conclusion that the
l)o\s had simpK' returnetl after haxiiT'" encountered
some obstacle on the Inland Ice. ( )n this trip fort-
luii; smiled upon us, and in two or three da\s Matt
and Ikwa had hroui^ht to cam]) nine tine deer, Re-
turniniLi' with my load of venison anil skins to Red
Cliff House, I lu^artl the l)o\s' stor\- of their i^xperi-
« ' I
ence on the ice-caj). ami then sent them to the head
of the hay in the f\iith to hrin^' hack their e(iuii)ment.
The attempt to estahlish an atlvance su])pl\' depot
had not heeii a success. The sled^'e j)arty returned to
Red Clift on .Sei)tend)er 12th, rei)ortin^- that soft snow
made sledw-hauliiiLr very arduous work. rhe\- could
drajL^ only one sletls^e at a time, and hein^' compelled
to douhle on their tracks, thev made only one mile on
September Sth, reachiuL; an altitude of 2300 ^oet. A
I
lilT
Hoat and Slcdi^c Trips
' M)
snow-storm and hl'j^U wind kept them in cani]) on
Scpicnilxr ()lli. The nt\i niorniiii^. the liaulinL; was
worse than txcr. and thc\' mailc only a inilf I)\ noon.
After reconnoitriiiiL.;" tliree miles. alie.id an«l tindin^ no
prospect ol better sledi^inu;'. the\' dej)osited one ol tile
sledge loads on a nnnalak at an < l;\ation ot 2(y)n
feet above the sea. and returiuil home without their
sledges or sIeej)inn-_L;i'ar.
WALRUS.
( )n Se])temlH'r 22il. I sent Astriip and Ciihson to
the head of the hay a^ain, to attain the Inlaiul Ice, and
study the condition of travel as lar north-east as j)ossi-
ble. After dra^Liin^' their sleii^cs tor live da\s and
attaining' an altitude of about .p)00 feet, thc-y deciiled
to return, owin^' to sn()w-s(|ualls, hiL^h winds, and hard
hauliuL;'. The thermometer was broken on the third
day out, antl the lowe-st temi)e'rature recortled uj) to
Mr It
i^f'
m
140 Northward over the "Great Ice"
tliat tiniL' was 2" [\ Astri'ii) cstiniatc'tl tlicy liad made
about tliirt\- miles inland, ThcN- turnc'd back thu day
*. *■ *
after they lost sii^dit of land. They were warm enough
when walkinLT, and Astriii) believed the low(!St tern-
perature was not more than — 10° F., and it was hi^dier
in their snow huts.
WALRUS HEAD.
As a result of this futile attempt upon the Inland
Ice, my sledi^e party the following- spring- travelled to
the north-east coast of Greenland and back, over 1200
miles, entirely without depots, and carryinu^ their
entire supj)lies, except the musk-ox meat obtained on
the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
While the sledj^e part}' was away on its second
'h
.1
i
Boat and Sledge Trips
141
i
r
'i
journc:y, Mrs. Pciiry, Dr. Cook, Matt. Ikwa, and
myself started in the Mary Peary o\\ Septemlxr 2},(\,
for Innlefield Gulf, provisioned for a week, to learn
the prospects for j^ame in that direction, and intro-
duce ourselves, if possible, to more of the I'^skimos.
Roundini^ Cape Cleveland, the north shore of Murchi-
son Sound stretched away before us, a broad traj)-
dyke runninjr up the slope and a lon^;, stee[) bank of
detritus formini^ the shore, A few eiders were tlyin^-
about, and new ice was tormiuL,'" in the Sountl. We
pushed on until nearly two i". m., when we were stoj)])ed
by new ice a lialf-inch in thickness. As the ice was
too thick to pull through, we skirted it to the south-
west in the direction of Herbert Island ; but did not
succeed in findin<j^an openinij^ throusj^h which we could
advance farther eastward. It was not long, howevtT,
before w^e had plenty of excitement to di.ert our
thouL^hts from the difficulties of navijj^ation.
On a larj^e cake of ice we saw fifteen walrus enjoy-
inu;- the air. i lost no time in making- for them. ldi(,'y
did not seem to mind our approach, and ditl not wake
up to the expediency of vacatin^^ their fragment of
ice until we had fairly run our boa upon the cake.
Then the shores reverberated with the unwonted
sound of ritie-shots, and Ikwa, poisinj^ his harpoon
a moment, hurled it deep into the side of a female,
who, with her younij^, tumbled into the water.
We barely (escaped cai)sizino-, as the prow of my
boat was jerked oft" the ice by the now desi)erat(^ ani-
mal, and, before we knew it, we were in tow, scuddinLj;-
throuii^h the water at a lively pace, behind the har-
pooned walrus.
It was a picture full of action. Tlu; fris^ditened and
infuriated walrus, dashing- here and there amouLi^ the
iceberL!^s and cakes of ice that covered the surface of
the Sound ; the Mary Peary in tow, her sharj) bow
14- Northward over the "Great Ice"
crunchiPL,^ through the crust of new ice; Dr. Cook
stantliii!^- in the how of the hoat ovc.-r the sin^iii!;; line,
ready to cut it sliouKl the animal make a dive umler
one of the hi-r^s or cakes of ice ; and ^hltt and my-
self endeavouring-, as best we couUl. from the motion
of the boat and the erratic movements of the animal,
to _L(et a bullet into its head and stoj) its career. It
was a loni;;' tow in si)ite of our efforts to brini^' it to an
end, but hnalh' we killed both the woundetl brute and
her younu, and, turniuL; about, wt- went back to the
ice-cake, where we secured the heads of the two wal-
rus we had left dead th('re.
(J)ur ai)i)etite for sport had been onh' whetted by
this adventure, and we had a new and still more ex-
citing' exj)erience a few minutes later. W'- suddenly
ran into a school and, blazintj^ away, \\\t killed two of
tin; animals. The rest of tliem resented our intru-
sion, and we suddenly became' the? huntetl instead of
the hunters. There were, j)erhai)S, one hundred of
the enraged Ijrutes, and we had the hardest kind of
work to keep them away from the boat. ()ur rcjx'at-
ers blazed continuously, and to add to the din, Ikwa
beat a lively tattoo on tlu- boat with his harpoon and
emittetl the most startling' \ells. Mrs. I\-ary was very
cool throui^h it all, and slipjjino- down from her seat
beside me in the stern into the bottom of the boat,
where she; could w^ith hvx body shield my injured leL(,
now knittiuL^ in the splints, from the; excited move-
ments of the others, she steadih' filled the ma_i;-azines
of our Winchesters as they were emptied, and v^nabled
us to keep up i-.uch a continuous fire that the iui^e
brutt^s, thouL(h fiercely and repeatedU' led to the' charge
l)y a bi*;" bull, could not stantl the uninterrupted blaze
and crash from our repeaters, antl at last we L,dadly
witnessed their departure, and then counted the spoils
of battle.
S
i\ '
vc-
ncs
Lil's
h
I-k)at and Sledge Trips
143
We had four walrus hcatls in the hoats and at I'ast
four more animals had been killed and sunk o:;'. of
si_n-ht. We were i^lad to land iind camp for the ni^ht.
Next morning-, 1 )r. Cook and Matt st uled to walk
east alon_!^ the short? to the house of a natixc who.
Ikwa said, lived near Cape Ackland. Tile)- were oone
twelve hours, aiul I put in the Unut takin:;' hearings
and photoi^^raphic views around the Sound.
The Doctor and Matt returned at ten i'. m., and
AMPHITHEATRE BERG.
Young Ice just Fnrmiiig.
thouo-ht they had walked nearly forty miles. They
had seen no natives, hut had found four stone igloos,
laro-cr than others we had seen, onl)- one of which
seemed to ha\c; In'v.n reciintly used. They f(nmd the
youno- ice farther up th(,' Sound stronu; enough to
walk ujjon.
As the n(;w ice preV(Mited farther pro-ress. and we
had found no tracc-s of th'cr aloUL-' the shon.', we re-
1 1'
I(f
':i
I \
144 Northward o\cr the "Great Ice"
turned tlic next niorniiiL;- to Red Cliff House.", and the
&d\ follo\vin<'-, SeptcnilxT 26th, set out earh- to cross
JMcCormick i^)a\-. and reconnoitn- for deer in two \al-
le\s on the north side. Soon after leaving' Red Chff
House in the Mary Pcar\\ we met ne-w ice, and were
three hours pulhiiL;- throuf^h it to the north shore.
After landing", I sent Dr. Cook and Matt to recon-
noitre the upper valley. Mrs. Rear\-, Ikwa, and my-
self put up the cam]), and I took a round of views and
beariui^s. About einht i'. m., the bo\s came Ixick with
two deerskins and one deer, troj)hies of Matt's rille, and
after a hot meal they brought in the other deer. They
were unable to reach the uppt-r valle\- on account of
the steep shore, and they reported the youuLj^ ice much
heavier farther up the ba\'. It was a calm, clear, lovely
da)- ; and, in our ])oat tent on the beach that nioht,
we enjoyed the sound, refreshing- sleep we had well
earned.
Next mornino-, Dr. Cook and Matt went out for
the skin of a seal Matt had shot, and when the\' re-
turned we launched our boat, homeward bound. The
ice was much heaxier than when we crossed it the day
before. With my crij^pled le_Lj; in the boat's l)ow, and
the other han^j^^ini^ over the side, I broke ice with my
heavily booted left foot durin^- the seven hours' j(Hir-
ney. The boat was forced alonu- sometimes by boat-
hooks, and sometimes by oars driven into the ice. A
day later, we could not have taken the boat across.
\W' saw numerous walrus, ooojook and nctsook seals.
We were very tired, but dinner never tasted better
than the glorious repast we soon spread in our little
cabin.
The days were i^rowin^- short apace, and. having
successfully started the hunting campaigr., we gave
much attention to getting the house ready for winter.
On Monday, September 28th, the stove was put up,
t
Boat and Slcd^c Trips
'45
I
^
antl Ikwa manifi'stt'd the first si^ii ot astonishment
at anxthin^- he had seen. When the fire was kindled
in the stove, and the tiames went roaring- ii|) the
\n\)c, the spectacle startled him rntg^slnviits and antics
indicatinL^f unbounded surjorise. The noxclt)- allured
him for sc^me time from his seal and walrus sj)ears
and sledi^a;, which he. was j)utlinL;- in ordcM' for the
winter cami)ai^"n. In two minuti's after I started
the fire, the temperature; in the house had run uj) to
+go'' F. Next da)-, the ventilatiuL;- sliafts, double
up,
THE BOAT CAMP- EXTERIOR.
windows, and oth(!r details about the house received
attention.
On October ist, I establishetl our camp routine,
b'ourdiour watches were appointed. Dr. Cook, \'er-
hoeff, Gibson, and Astriip taking- turns.
The (lav this routine went into effect, I had the
satisfaction of counting- fifteen reindeer in my larder;
and a few days more would see huntini;- full\- re-
/
' v
t'T I
' *,>'
146 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
sinned, for the l)a\- ice \v;is ra])icll\ thickcninLi'. the
icc-t();)l aloiiLi' the sliorc was forniiiiL;- fasl. ami weeks
of L^ood slecU^iiiL;' would coiiie. '\hv. sun was soon to
lea\'e us. and the tn'st da\' in October we IkuI the
benefit of its ra\s onl\' for a few hours late; in the
afternoon. ( )n ()ct()ber ^^d, for the tn'st time, 1
walked nearl\- a half-mile aluni,^ the beach, with
neither crutch nor cane.
'.■~>
Hciison.
1»|-. (nok.
I U wall.
THE BOAT CAMP- INTERIOR.
Before the winter nii^ht came, we made our first
sleduj'e trip from Red Cliff House. It was on the
mornino- of October 7th that we started for the head
of McCormick I^a\', to hunt deer and brimj;^ back tin*
remainder of the ba^'jjl'a^e the Inl'ind-Ice j)arty had
left. The j)arty comi)rised Mrs. l\'ar\-, Oibson, As-
triip. Matt, and myself. We had three do^s and two
Boat and Slcdj^c Trips 147
sk-d-es. Near tlu; first Han-in- (dacier uc nicked
ui^ th(' sl('cpin,Lr-,<rL'ar thr hovs had Kdt. and after
Jum|):n.L,r the sli'd^ires across one or two narrow leads
ami travc'llinLT at top sp. c d over lanes of thin ice
which sui-ed and l,iickh-d l.eiieath us. we reached
the ice-foot a-ain. about a mile from the head of the
hay, then followed it to - lioat Camp." an ei-dit
hours journey from the house. I^ittin-- e,, our t "nt
we were soon ensconced in it. wrapped 'in our furs
Next morninc,^ the boys went out for reindeer while
1 lay in camp all day with a tired le- On J-ridav
th<- 9th mst.. the boys brouuht the sledovs and other
niipedimenta of the Inland-Ice^ trip d.nvn from the
plateau, and made another sc-arch for deer, while I re-
mained useless in cami). We were havin" a few
spurts of snow, but I observed that there was not so
much snow at the head of the bay as at the time- of
my previous visit. On the loth inst., the boys made
anotner unsuccessful raid after deer. As the cjuest for
p "i 7^-^'' ''"^'" •'^^'^^^^'•'^^fi'l- I determined to return to
Ked C iH. Ik:fore we went, though, we were; c-nter-
tained by the calvin-- of the bi- o-hicier at the head of
the l)a>-. which I afterwards named tiu' Sun (dacier.
Ihe o-lacier face had a precipitate; front about a
hundred feet hiVh. 1-ar up the wide fjord bordered
by steep black cliffs that rise a thousand to fifteen
hundred feet above the bi_<r ice river, we could sec- tlie
Inland Ice that incessantly feeds the olacier and Uy its
resistless force j)ushes it forward into the sea. 'The
ice-front had advanced to deep water and. as we looked
our attention attracted by ominous sounds from the
.L^lacier, a .irreat mass broke off with a thunderin.. re-
port, dashin.cr water and sprav hioh into the air '"and
the new-born bero; went teeterin^^r throuoh the youn--
ice, which It shattered far around.
On one of the lessee olaciers back of ni)- camj) was
'I
'.I
II
^4^ i\orth\v:ircl oxer the "Great Ice
I
i\
il
a l)iL,^ hlotch of rcil colour, sharpK contrasting- witli the;
white surface, and streaminL,'^ down tlie L,dacier face.
So vivid was this colour that I named the glacier the
(dacier of the Scarlet Ileart.
GLACIER OF THE SCARLET HEART.
We reached lied Clilf I louse after a five hours' trip
from the heatl of the hay. The I^skimo do^- and fack
jndled Mrs. Peary, myself, and the load, ai^LireoatinL,^
about live humlred jjounds, the entire distance with
comparative ease. I determined that this should be
my last tri|) for the season, as I found I was in no con-
dition to iMidero'o severe physical exertion. The three
months' confinement with m\- lei^ had affected my en-
ilurance, and the lei^ itself i^ave me trouble if 1 over-
exerted.
At nine p.m. on Sunday, October i ith, (iibson. who
was on watch, reported an aurora. It was a j)ale,
wa\\' curtain extentliuL;' nearl)- north and south across
the ba\', and apparently not far distant. It hnalh' dis-
Boat and Slcclti^c Trips
140
appL-arctl. — hut next iii^ht uc had another aurora, aj)-
pearini^ at t'K'Vt-n o'ck)ck and (hsa|)i)('arin^- three hours
later. Akhou^h our huntiuL;' trip to the head of the
l^ay for tleer had not heen succt'ssful, we wen* all much
elated hy tlv s|)lendid results of an excursion on ( )cto-
her 13th to Imvc CUacier X'alK-)- on the north-east side
o
THE FIVE-GLACIER-VALLEY PARTY.
Startiiit;.
of the bay. Gihson. Astrup, and Dr. Cook formed
the party, and they did not return until hve days later,
when they arrived at the house with ten deerskins,
a fox, and a hare. Tliex- IkuI cached the- meat. The
Doctor had covtTetl himself with L^lory. I'p to this
time he had been unfortunate in not shootini;' ;i deer.
Now he had made the record of the entire expt^lition
by bai^^t^in^^ hve in an afternoon.
it
15^ Northward ovcv the "(ircat Ice"
Tile Mary Peary was now |)ii]lc(l up well a1)()\'(:
hiLi'li-watcr mark, turned oxer, sii|)|)()rt(''l on |)illars of
ice. .md a snow wa.ll hnilt around her, thus conwrtinL;;
her into a storehouse.
Ah)nda\' evenin::', ()c:tol)er 12th, .M;i'Lt iliseerned a
lii^ht direct!)' across the l>a\-. 1 he appearance of this
li;^hl. ll;ci<i riiiL;' on the far-olT opposite sliore. startletl
us into straUL^'e fancies, anil we could hardl\' rid our-
seKi's of \\\c iilea that we saw he lore i... the fanl;istic
huit' rn of souk; arctic \\'i!l-o'-the-wisj). l'nima_L;ina-
ti\i Ikwa (k'clared, howewr, tliat this faint and un-
stead)' heani undoubted!)- c;nne from an Innuit's hmip
and tliat he would i)r()])al)i)' arrixc the; next da)-. Suri,;
enough, after lunch next afternoon. Mane came runninij^
into tiie b.o'ase with the cr)- of " Innuic," and through
ni)- i^hiss I saw a man with a sled^-e and three do^s
coming:;- across th.eha)-, and before lou;.; tl-i • lix'el)- team
dashed over the ice-loot and was at our camp. TIu.'
visitor's name was XowdinL;)ali, and we ciiiled liim
Jumlx), i)ecause \\v. w:is one of the giants ol his peo-
ple. Stand in:;" h\e ft;et se\-(.:n inches antl W(ML;hin.u;'
oxer ! "j^ pounds, such a man would be a lar^c; person
in an)- costume, and in I^skimo outfit he loomed uj)
like a Colossus. NowdinLixah hadi a moustache cind
^i^-oatee, and was clad in a fox-skin jumper and bear-
skin trousers. My visitor seemed to be; fa\-ourabl)- im-
pri'ssetl with what he saw, anil nc-xt ela)-, accomi)anie(.l
b)- Ikwa, he hastened away to spread the news anion 4
his neiLi'l'ibours ; and onl\' three; twilight da)-s elapse;d
before X()wdinL;)-ah returned, brin^in^- with him two
fellow tribesmen, Kahunahanel .\rre)toksuah. with their
sledges anel six doo's. The latter was an olel man, whose
placid, beMii^n face, anel throat fringe of white bear-
skin elicited from mv irreve'rent ye)uno- me-n the nick-
name- by which he- was ad ways afterwarels known.
" Horace Cireelev." They se)e)n re;turned to their
!i
Boat ami Slcclj^c Trips
131
ii^ioos to the north-westward, l»iit on ( )ciol)cr 2^i\\,
kaluiiiah with his wit\- iind three ihikh-eii ami Arro-
toksiiah witli his wife and one child came over the
icc' to me with two sleil^cs and onI\- two do^s, the
entire party, exceptin,; liie iiiYaiU. walking. 1 jxr-
mitted the newcomers to sKi'i) on the lloor ol tlu-
house.
,
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^^
.
14
^^^1
B
K
THE FIVE-GLACIER-VALLEY PARTY.
KcturniiiL; Oct. iMli.
We found thai "Horace Cireeley's" wife was a
character. Gaunt and tall in !i:^un', brown and wrin-
kled of face, she went into Insterics of lauL^hter at
the siLjfht of Mrs. Pear\-, and when seated beside tin;
stove at Red Cliff, she fell into such a j)aro.\ysm of
voluhilitv, ret>'ardless of the fad thai none of us un-
clerstood a word she was savin<'-, that she at once
Northward ()\ cr the " Circat Ice "
M
111
I \ <
! /
I!
Ul
ri'ci'ivcd tb.c (.'nclL'ariiiL; name of " Sain-) ("lamp."
This old coiiplu had hccn at I'olaris Mouse and still
possessed some articles L,nveii thi-iii 1)\- nieinhers of
I )r. liaH's |)art\-. AinoiiL; tlnse were a sextant box
and a striiv- of heads.
NOWDINGYAH.
Late on Xoveniber ist, anoth(.'r family arrived,
Annowkah, his wife Me^ipsu, and their hahy, from
Nerke, far to the; north-west towards Cai^e Alexander,
where they were livinLj^ in their solitary hut nearer to
the Pole than any other human loeini^s in the world.
They were a clean, well-dressed, L,mod-lookinsj;' younjj^
couple ; the woman particularly intelli^^ent and bright
in appearance.
We called Megipsu " The Daisy." The Httle wo-
Boat and Slccls^c Trip^
i5;>
)X
3
mail was slircwd ciioiil;!! l'» pcnciv <• al once the ad-
vaiitaL^cs of hcconiinn' an allaclu'- ot ni\ mansion, and
slu; provi'd such a fine seamstress and worked herself
so completely into our i^ood L^races, that 1 tmally closed
a contract with her to settle down in a snow i^loo
close to Knl Cliff an<l remain with us until the return
of the sun, makin:^ up our fur clothiiiL;" and sleepin^;-
l)a_L;s.
Annowkah went to work with a will upon the con-
struction of a snow i^u'loo. and soon had it roofed in.
Then the interior was u])holstered with a ruliher
i)lanket, an overcoat which The I )ais\'s winniuL; ways
had obtained from Matt, a blanket contributed by
(libson. and some pieces of tarred rootniL; pap('r.
IMecL's of blubber from m\' stock furnished the: oil for
an impromptu lamp matle from the side; of a cracker
tin, ami my seamstress and her husbanil were made
entirely comfortable until he. with the assistance of
my doLi^s. could brini^' over from their distant home
their household utensils and su|)plies of food. Mere
they li\ed until the warm May sun threatened to
tumble their house in uj)on their heatls, when they
moved to their skin tent, or tupik.
The first Eskimo to reach m\' camj) with a team
of doo[s found an eatj^er purchaser for the animals,
and for some trilling- presents he parted with his
doi^s and went home on foot. Both Ikwa and
NowdinLiyah said the I^skimos had a jj^ood many
clours, and the prospect seemed favourable for obtain-
ini:;' an excellent do^- team for the si)rinL,'^ sledL^in^'.
As the result of a s\-stematic series cf interviews with
the natives who canie to Rt^d Cliff, I had, when the
spriniL^ of iSc)2 dawned upon us. in my jjossession
information as to the location and ownership of prob-
ably every do^' in the tribe, and knew also the tinan-
cial ratinir of their owners (if such a term ma\' be
15
5 ,
* [
•i!
154 Northward over the "Great Ice"
used); in other words, 1 knew just what eacli one's
possessions wcTe, and also what eacli one most desiretl,
and what would he most effective in harterinj^ for the
doi^s.
Occasionally snow-scjualls visited us durint^- Octo-
her, thou;di the weather was oenerally pleasant. On
Octoher 3d, the youni;- ice was strong enough for
I
'■
"HORACE GREELEY" AND ' SAIREY GAMP."
Ikwa to walk half-way across the bay. Cajje Rob-
ertson, on tlu.' opposite shore, was clad in a goodly
mantl' of white. November 3d, the ice in front of
the house, 150 feet from th(! shore, was seventeen
inches thick. Ice; was still lloating in the; strait be-
tween Herbert antl Northumberland Islands and
Netiulume on the south shore; of Whale vSound.
All throu<'"h October the sun was sinkiuL'' nearer
I (
.v\ .
Boat and Sled^^c Trips
.■^.t
SIL^IU.
and ncarLT the horizon, till it sank ..ut of .......
October loth, it appeared from behind Cape Cleve-
land at 3:10 I'.M.. very low and much distorted bv
refraction. On the 19th, sunh\du illiimine-d Cane
Robertson across the bay al^out 2:50 i-,.m., and we
observed a beautiful eff(,'ct of the sun's raNs tintin-
the white iceberu-s in Omenak Sound, and i'lluminin"
for a short time the hills across the bay. Owin-- to
cloudy weath(.'r, we did not ol)serv(- the actual time of
the sun s disappearance. The i st of November found
us well started on our winter nio;ht. At seven \ m
however, on a clear day, I was still able to distinuu'ish
the mountains at the head of th(,' bav. The ii^oon
when at the full, was very brilliant.
On November 7th. there were seventeen men wo-
men and children besides our party at th(^ camp and
the h()wlin.L,^of twenty-one doos made the nUj^ht lively
iMy httle city was orowin-- nearly ev(n-y dav."^ It could
not preserve its cosmopolitan character without some
sort of a substitute for a hotel. Soon November i rth
a snow hut. 6x10 feet in size, was built as a hospitable
.i;uest-chamber for my visitino- frit-ntls.
Meanwhile, all through the darkenino- days we were
workin.cr about the house. I fitted up mv librarv
shelves, made a writin^r-desk, and bu..ied nnsel'f
with many odds and (;nds that were likelv to add to
our comfort durino- th(,' winter niuht. Airs. I\'arv
decorated our room with flaos, producin<^r (juitc- a
pretty effect. The boys beo-an makini^ sk'^lc^r^-s from
timber I had brouoht alono-, odometers to 'measure
the distance travelled on our comino- shnlot; journevs
and pumps for use in the u'hale-boats durTn.r'the nc-xt
summer's homeward xoya-e ; and I spent" consider-
able time puttin.i; in orch-r mv littK,' ars(Mial. the usc-
tulness of which had become somewhat impaired
through accidents.
!f/
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i 'f
f
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1/
I'j
CHAPTER V.
THKOLtill THE liKKAT NICIIT,
My Priceless Dekrskin^,— Fikst Imi'kf.ssk.ns ok thk \V
TiiANKsiiiviNc, Dinner— The N.
— " Open hie Door"
RoiTINE— Re(;oRI)IN(
INTER \|(;HT— ()
\rivEs Vanolisiiei) in Fea
riiE Common Cry at Red Ci.u e— /=
THE Ar( TIC Tide— Experiment
dleei'in<;-Hac;s— Arctk- En ekatire— Oir Hisy X
Taki
r.Rii
N(; Fi.ash-Ei(;ht I'ik
"Tor.KAl'HS — MoDKSTV
IR
IS oE Stre.N(; III
/ji/.tKK/o — Daily
s wiiH Sledces and
•\rivE Seamsikesses —
liant and Beaiitkll Winter Days— Ski V
"E the Native \V
RACTICE.
OMEN —
I
\
( r
.»
u
I 1
":Hi
i
%
AHNGODOBLAHO.
I !'
i I
i
CHAPTER V
TiiKorcn Tin-: crkai" nk.iii,
' ~1l
■f^ f
!^
1
-A'
ja ' 1
>>,
?
^'y
T
MI"> luintin^" season
cncUxl when dark-
ness came upon
us, antl we settletl down
in our small (]uarters for
the winter.
I regarded the deer-
skins we had secured as
of the hii^hest value. be-
fore I left home 1 had
said that nothino- hut tlu,-
imperxious integument of
animal skin would keep out the searchiiiL;- wind of the
Inland let-, and ever\- day spent hen; only strenL^th-
iinad me in my belief, and made me prize more; hi^hh'
the e.\(|uisitely soft, liL(ht, velvety autumn jK-lts of
the reindeer, the best of all furs for clothing- and
sleepin^-ba^s.
It was a part of m\' plan to obtain this material
from the Whale-Sound region, and m\- hopes were
full\- realised. My men shot all the de(M" we neeih-d,
the skins were stretched and dried at Kdd Cliff, I de-
vised ant cut the patterns
for tl
le suits and sleej)inL!^
baL;s. and the native women sewed them.
The work of preparing- the skins for clothing in-
159
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f
M
•
t ■
Mlli:
i6o Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
vulvcd a i^rcat tlt-al of chcwini^ on the part of my
native seamstresses.
The skin is folded once with the hair insiv.le and
then the operator chews hack ami forth alonL,^ the
edj^e until the fold is thorou_L;hl\- soft anil j)lial)le,
when another fold is made and the process repeated
until the whole skin has been car(;fulh' chewetl ; 'dhv.r
this it is scraped and worked with a blunt instrument
and thiMi, if necessary, chewed ajj^ain. It took two of
m\- workers about a day to chew a big buckskin.
RED CLIFF IN THE WINTER NIGHT.
It was not eas\- at first for us to accustom ourselves
to the absence of sunlight. Hy November 23d, there
was really no difference indoors between day and
night. Our lamps burned constanth' through the
t\vent\-four hours. Some of us often thought in the
first few days, "Oh, we won't do this by lamplight,
Throujj'h the Great Xiijht
i6i
but we'll wait till to-morrow," for*'(jttinLr that tlu;
morrow would hrinij^ no sim. Still, we ditl not tiiul
tlu; darkness oppressive, which was fortunate, for we
were not to haxc our darkest da\' for a month to
come. The darkest da\- of winter would reach us
about December 22d. and we would not see the sun
aLi^ain until about b\'bruar\- i uh- -^t nine a.m. now,
the tlawndii^ht was very distinct over the cliffs back
of t!i(' house, ami at eleven o'clock the iceberL^s bexond
the shadow of Cape Cleveland showed a pronounced
liLdu.
\\
V 4
;lves
lere
and
the
the
i.^'ht,
IKWAS MANSION.
We '.ad man\- rc;asons to be thankful for tlie ^ood
fortune that had thus far attended us, and I thought
we could, with peculiar propriet), observe the day
that at home is set aj^art in recoi^mition of our na-
tional and domestic blessings. The followinij;" pro-
clamation, therefore, was issued at Red Cliff House
on November 25th :
I'
I ^
162 Nortlnvcird over the "(iPcat Ice"
•flif
'I' i
■f; 1!'
. 'Ft
1 I
t V
" Thursday, November 26th, is lu-reliy designatod as Thanks-
giving Day at Red C'lil'f House and will be observed as sui h.
The preservatior. of our isolated little i)arty thus far in gocd
health, a larder well stocked with game, and a house well fitted
to keep its inmates (■omt"f)rtal)le in se\erest weather, are reasons
for the day to be something more than a mere form to us.
"K. 1:. I'l AKV, U. S. \.,
" Co 1)1 ma luH 11;^ Xort/i-Grccnland J'lxpciiition."
Thankso;-ivino- 1 )a\', Mrs. Peary and I walked to
Cape Clevelaiul to see as nuich as possible of the
noon twilioht. The t'-mperatiire wjis — 12V' I'. It
was lioht enoiioh for comfortable walkinLf, and when we
reached the Cape, the sotithern horizon was all a^iow.
On each side; was the ros)- li_i;"ht of dawn and just
over the channel between Herbert and Xorthiuiiber-
lantl Islands \\w\-\\^ the silver crescent moon.
In the eveninL,^ with the tem))erature outside at
— 16-V" b'., we sat tlown in oiu* comfortable little cabin
to a tempting; Thanksoivino' dinner of broiled guille-
mot tlressed with L^reen peas, a \-enison pie, hot
biscuit, pltmi-i)uddinL!;' with branil\- sauce, ai)ricot pan-
dowdy, apple-pie, pineapple, cantl\'. coFtee, whiskey
cocktail, and Rhine wine. Idle party all appeared in
their civilised attire, though the o(intlemen were not
in dress-suits, a phase of costinne that some of the
newspajjers at home hatl included in oiu' e(|ui})ment.
Astriip's wardrobe was deficient in shirts and he im-
provised a shirt bosom from a towel. A silk llao' was
fastened over the table. Later our Flskimo friends
shared in our oood cheer and the boys and the natives
amused themsehes with games of strenoth until far
into the (!venino-.
December ist foimd us in first-class condition, btisy
and content. As yet we had imch rgone no seriotis
hardships. The month was usher* d in with a brisk
wind and a snow-storm that lasted for twenty-four
hours, half burying Red Cliff Hotise in drifts. In-
! I
Throiiijh the Great Niijht
•63
LISV
t)US
■isk
our
In-
doors, however, \vc; were burniiij^" hut sixteen cans of
coal, averai^nnjj;- i J| pounds each, in twents-four hours.
I do not know that any arctic house was ( \er com-
fortal)ly warmed before on so small an amount of
fuel. The constant cr\' from
the inmates was not " Shut the
il()or!"l)ut "Open the door I"
Our little cabin was a _L;reat
success, and untler its sheltc;r
the hercest blasts of tlu; arctic
Storm Kintr could not reach us.
Two auroras were st:en on
December 8th, and the moon
was cominL( back to us ai;ain.
After eleven days' absence, we
saw her silver ^low oxer the
cliffs back of Red Cliff House,
and her lii^ht fell on the north
shore of the bay. Two days
later, she was with us again
in full brilliancN'.
On Decemljer 19th, we had
driftini:^ snow, and a strong^
wind that lasted all niij;ht until
late the following- afternoon.
The wind drifted, and packed
the snow until it was almost as
hrm as marble. 'I'his I thoui^dit
aui^ured well for our sledi^in^-
trip on the Inland Ice in the
sprin^r. On December 21st,
we saw a brilliant meteor in the north-eastern sky,
descendinu^ vertically, and a little later a met(;or with
red and ijcreen trail was seen over the cliffs back of the
house, travelling' west, about half-way to the zenith and
with a sliofht downward anirle. December 2 ist was the
MEGIPSU.
4
11
f ■ -^
';>f
j '[I
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1
1
L
1
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i
ill
1'' y
i(
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)
Mi i
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164 Northward over the "(jrcat Ice"
sliortL'st clay of the year at home, ami the hoys orave
thr(;L' cluuirs hy way of (Micoiira^cnu'iU to tlic sun.
which was now In'i^nnninL;" to rctturn to us.
\\'(j did not (|uitc (;scai)c ihv. /^//'/oc/c/o or (irccn-
land doL^- disease, a dread discjrder that at times has
threatened to roh the poor natives of one of their most
vahiahle Resources. It was prevalent in South Green-
land over thirt\' }('ars a^o. and when it attacked the
doL^s of the Arctic lli^hlandtM's, Dr. 1 la\'es was unable
to buy the sledge teams he recpiired. Xo remtnly has
been discovered for the dist^ase, though fortunatel)- its
ravaires are now small. Its victims betra\' their de-
ranja-ment by howling- antl snapping-, and refusing- all
nourishuKMit. The)- often die of convulsions on the
day of the attack. Annowkah's do^- went wild with
the malady, and before the fact was discovered, and
the doo' killed, she had bitten and manL-letl two of mv
younu^er doL;s so terribly that in spite; of Dr. Cook's
best endeavours we lost th(;m both. I )ous had a most
important \rdv\. in my i)lans, and I was very s()rr\- to
lose; the two animals. Their skins, however, L;a\e me
material for a nice pair of trousers.
I^(;fore December arrived, I had (juite a colony of
native work(n"s. i\Ie_L!;^ipsu and other women were busy
chewing" and sewin^' skins. " r\ather Tom " and An-
nowkah wt;re scrai)inL;- skins. " T'ather Tom " also
made himself very useful about the house, sweejjiuLj^
the floor and putting; thing's in order. He oftc;n
remarked that \\v. wished to oro home with us when
we returned, but he chauL^ed his mind before summer.
" Fatht;r Tom," on the whole the most remarkable na-
tive we met, deserves more than a ])assinLi- word.
He was Ikwa's brother, and his name was Kvoah-
padu. We called him " K)o " for short, and I nick-
named him " blather Tom." His brother brought him
to us from his home in Omanui late in November,
Throui^h the Circat Night
lO:
Ot
and he at oiilh; became a tixluri: at Red Cliff Hon ;.
Active and willing', ea.4Ci' to he ot service, reailiU" un-
derstandiiii^- us when other natives faih-d to conipre-
hentl, hi; soon workeil his way into our i^ood ^^races.
He took upon himself the care of the lari;"e .oom,
sprang" for the hroom \Vhenever he saw th(; least
dust or litter, and told the other natives they must
not hrino- dirt in-
.-^
to the palace of
the "(ireat White
Man." He said
his brother's i^loo
was uncomfort-
able for him be-
cause it was so
small ; moreover
his brother talked
too much, and his
verbosit)" was a
weariness to the
tlesh. So K y o
asked if he 'nioht
sleep on our th)or,
and I accordint^iy
oave him a couple
of blankets and let him curl himself uj) at ni_orht in a
corner of the b'njc room. In the morning- he would
carefully fold his blankets and deposit them in an
emi)ty box outside.
One dav there - ame to us from a little settlement
to the north, a widow, Klayu, and her three daugh-
ters. The\' were with us oiiK' a few da\s, but this
was lono- enouu^h for Kxo to become enamoured of the
widuw ; and one star-lit December noon. K\'o sud-
denly discovered iu; had business south, and went
away with her. He told us he was L^oinnr foj- his deer-
KYOAHPADU.
i
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1 66
Northwiucl o\L'r the "(jrcat Ice
• ^ I :
I ll
n?
skins iiul tliat he woiikl return after ten siini//>n/is
(sleeps).
It was nearl\' ten times ten siuuipa/is Ix-fore we saw
his oily face a^aiii. I ie seemed wvy ill at ease when
he re-a|)|)eare(l at.
\<(id CI ill" House
on a Miisierin^'
March (la\' ; and
a little later the
widow, now K\()'s
wife, re;ich<'tl the
camp with her
danL;ht<-rs. They
settled down at
\<v(\ Cliff and
matle it their
home until we de-
parted on the /\i/('
in August.
W hil(' Kyo was
away we heart!
some remarkable
stories about him.
I'ew s})oke well of
him. I)y most of
the natives he was
hated and fearetl.
It was said that he
had murdered a
man and that he
had twice been a
also that he was an
Y~7 /"'/rTi-^-i'V/'Tr'T-i J'l^'T' f
THE TIDE GAUGE.
widower, having- killed his wives
anoakok or medicine-man of n^reat power.
He was not the same man after his return to us
Perhaps it was because 1
confidence by remaining;-
le thought he had lost my
away so lon_L;". We dis-
rhrou'-h the (ircat Ni'-ht
'.^
.■*>'
lo:
c{)\cn'(l that he was siihjcct to tits of uiicoiUroHahlc-
aiiL^cr, when he sciMiicd ahiiost insane ( )nc(' or twice
in thi'se naroxvsnis lie s(\crcl\' cut iiis wife \ ct,
hittr, as my driver on my two-hinulrecl-anil-lifty-mih:
sledL^^e trip around
In.Liietield C. ulf,
he was most ol)e-
dienl and \'ery
attentix'e to thi;
w ants hoth of
Mrs. I\.'ar\- and
m\ self.
W'hiU? Astri'ip
and I were away
on our ice-caj)
j o u r n e \' to tlic;
Arctic ( ) c e a n ,
Kyo. as hecanK.' a
mi^ht}' iiuo^akok,
often went into
trances and saw
\isions, d 11 r i n l;'
wliich the Lzreat
expanse of the
I n 1 a n d Ice was
spread Ijefore liis
spirit 11 a 1 ^aze;
and after lie had
retiirnetl to his
tleshl\' tal)ernacle
he would rei^ale
Mrs. Peary with stories of having' se(Mi, lar to the north,
a s()htar\- kobluiiali (white man) plodcHnL;- slowh' and
painfully southward, and that this wayfarer was not th(.'
kapitausoak (myself). His reputation as ;i mighty
auoakok was damasked be)'ond repair when I re-
VERHOEFF READING TIDE GAUGE.
/
«
I
fHltflTTlMhM
'('i ,.*''
;;|"
E ^'-i
n
' I
i68 Northward over the "Great Ice"
turned in sjjite of his predictions of disaster. Just
before I came hack, he had tiireatened to kill his wife
and her nearh' L^rown dauL^hter, and the poor women
were so terrified thcit thc;\' lied to a distant s(.-ttlement,
and he did not hnd and in^luce them to return to him
for several weeks.
To return to our work in Red Cliff House. Dr.
Cook experimented with seal-oil lamj)s for melting ice
with excellent results ; and every tlay hnnii^dit him
other tasks, if indeed he did not have his hands full
photo<^rai)hinor and measurini;' his " Huskies," as the
boys familiarly called the natives, while X^.'rhoeff,
Gibson, and myself Iniilt and put in commission a
self-re^isteriuL;;- tide L;auL;e which, on November 30th,
was erected out in the dark and silent cold to record
the resistless rise and fall of the Arctic Ocean.' At
this time, the thickness of the icc' in the ha)' at the
tide-i;au!^(? hole was twent\-six inches. When a li_i;ht
was shown at the hole, nnriads of shrimi)s came to the
surface, and as the lii^ht was turnetl away and the
water stirred, phosphorescent ilashes a[)i)eared.
Saturday was designated as general cleanino- day.
' My device for leLjiNteriiiL;; tlic wi'.iter tides was ereeted at our " llre-liole," an
ojieiiini^ in the bay ice ju'-t (iui>ide of tlie ice-iont. 'i'liis liule was icept open
tlirouL^iioiit tlie \\iiUer to afford a supply of waiet in tlie escnl of tire.
'I'iie tide !:;auge consisted of :
l''ir>.t, a rii^id trijiod of spruce scantlinL^s erected o^er the liole, its feet frozen
into holes cut in the ice. To one siile of tiiis was atlaclieil a \ertical plank
some twenty-two feet Ioiil;, with feet and tenths niarkeil upmi i',
Sectiud, a heavy >tone lowered throu_L,di the hole to the bottiun, and from it a
stout co|)])er wire pas^inLj up through the hole over a pulley in the top of the
tripod, then over another at the top of the graduated i)laid<, thence down the
face of the plaidc to a lead counterpoi>e, to which wa-- fastened an index and
guide jilaving ujion two wires strung fruni top t.i liiittnni of the plaid<.
The anchor ami wire l)eing fixed, and the framework ri-ing aiul falling with
the ice under the inlluence of the tide, the movement was indicated w ith pre-
cision by the index ])as>ing over the graduated scale, (.'leats attaciied to the
scale enabled VerhoelT, who made the tidal ob-ei\atioii>, to read the highest
range of the spring tides with ease.
This device gave thorough satisfaction, though in very low temperatures it re-
quired constant care to keep the rapid dejiosition of frost from the vapour of the
open hole from clogging the pulleys and index. (See cut, p. 166.)
Through the Great Nii;ht
i6g
On that day, immediately after coffee, the stovepipe,
stove, and stove-hole were thoroui-hlv cleaned. All
beddins^ was then taken fro!"!i the bunks, and, when
the weatlier permi*^ted, carried outside to air. The
entire room was overhauled, and the floor thorouirhlv
swept. Every Saturday nij^ht each member of the
party was required to take a bath.
On December 3d, I cut out the first sleepinu^-baLjf,
and in a day " Uais)- " ( Me^ipsu) had it nearly hnished.
Verhoeff and I devoted ourselves to keeping' the tide
g'aus^e in runnuiL^ order. The slope of the bottom
"RED CLIFF WAS SINKiNG INTO A HUGE DRIFT."
was a little less than one inch per foot, and apparently
the motion of the ice was more rapid here than it was
at Fort C()nL!;^er.
Red Cliff was sinking- into a hu^c drift that almost
buried it from view. On December 9th, my s(.'am-
stresses bej^an work on the first deerskin koo/cfa/i, or
jacket. The last skin in my stock had now been
«A
/,
fit
/
m ^
f
\\
1
-■■
'-n
I/O Northward over the '* Great Ice"
chewed, and all the skins were ready to be macU; up
into irarments. I completed a sledj^e, December i 7th.
We took a good deal of outdoor exercise, practisint^
on snow-shoes and ski, visitinj^ the iceberij;' for ice,
which was melted for the water we used, antl atterdinjj^
to the fox-traps.
Astri'ip and I made two or three odometers and
these were used in measurinj;^ distances about Red
Cliff.
The natives were cominir and Li^oin^- all the while.
My boys irreverently applied nicknames to (|uitt; a
number of them. Three, for instance, were known as
"The Priest," " The Villain," and " The Smiler,"
()win_L^ to ])hysical pecu-
liarities, 'i'he X'illain, it
should be said, was per-
fectly harmless. 'I'iicn
there was Ahnin^ali-
nah ( the moon ), a \nn)V
weak-minded fellow.
These native oentlemc'.i
one e\eninLi' had an atii-
letic contest with their
white friends, which
showed the members of
my i)arty to be superior
to the Kskimos, both in
strength and a::rilitv.
Meij^ipsu and Annowkah, who earh- in the winter
made a short visit to their home at Nerke, returned
with a youn_L,r Lj^irl named Tookumim^wah. Me^ipsu
told us that a bear had visited their hut and eaten one
of their seals. Tookuminjj;'wah, whom we now saw for
the first time, was a twelve-vear-old oirl and one: of
the prettiest youno- women amom^ the natives. Her
father had recently been drowned by an ooosook
THE SMILER.
Through the Great Nii'ht
171
(bearded seal). She went to work sewiiiL;- under the
guidance of *' Daisy," and was married before we re-
turned home.
We really had no time
during- the winter niorht'
to "-row tired of the dark-
ness or to wearv of our
surrouncunofs.
During
the winter all the men
of m\- party emulated I
one another in the effort |
to produce the best prac-i
tical sledge. Modelling!
the sledges in a general
way on the McClintock
pattern, I found we could
safely reduce the; weight
two-thirds or more. While
AHNINGAHNAH.
McC
mtock s sledges
weighed one hundred and twenty-fixc pounds or more
apiece, I found we could
turn out sKulges of an
('(|ual carr\-ing capacit)-,
weighing onl\- thirl\-tive
to forty-eight j)ounds.
I'^xperiments with sleep-
ing-bags, too. resulted in
a complete change of
equipment in this re-
spect. Our sleeping-bags
were (evolved from actual
experience in sleeping
out-of-doors during the
winter night. My assist-
ants entered heartiU" in-
to the work of preparation. I^2ach was eager to work,
and all made suggestions of value. Every minute
TOOKUMINGWAH.
I
V
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I
it "
I h
» C}.
(if
i f>
f >.
Sll
t , f
172
Northward over the "Great Ice
detail of our preparations was scanned, discussed,
and criticised. 1 he activity of mind and expendi-
ture of physical eneri^^^y which all this called for,
helped to keep us well in body and <"heerful and san-
guine in temper. We did a i^ood deal of reading.
I had a very complete arctic library, and this was
chiefly in demand. The fact that we were living
under arctic conditions, whetted the appetite of my
boys for records of Arctic exploration. All these
books were eagerly devoured for the story they con-
tained, the adventures they recorded, and the useful
hints we might derive from them. JSomc^how we
could not make our ideas of the country, the natives,
the winter night, the cold, the storms, or the hard-
shi))s agree at all with those of some predecessors
who had spent a se'ason not very far from McCormick
Bay. Viewed in the light of our own experience,
some things we read seemed to us unjust, particularly
in respect of the hapjjy. simj)le-minded natives, with
whom our relations were so friendly and who were so
helpful to us ; some things seemed exaggerated ; and
some, in spite of our willingness to believe, took on
the aspect of pure romance.
Aside from our study of the natives, they afforded
us considerable diversion. Ikwa. my chief Eskimo
hunter, derived intense delight from imitating the
sounds of our language, and his use of English was
very amusing. Megipsu, or "Daisy," was particu-
larly bright, and gave us much information as soon as
we were able easily to exchange ideas with her.
Megipsu was the head seamstress by virtue of her
superior skill and rapidity. Discarding her clumsy
sealskin thimble for one of American make, she deftly
plied the shiny implement of her trade. Any garment
of her manufacture was honestly made. The seams
were warranted not to rip, and they were neatl)' made.
i
fe
[
I
Through the Great Night
^7Z
the stitches beinjj^ even and so close toj^ether that the
thread entirel)' hid the skin l)eneath them. Tcxjkuin-
ins^wah, the twelve-} ear-old beauty of the tribe, was
also an industrious little seamstress. No thoughts of
the cominu^ matrimonial event, w-hich was to iji^ive her
a walrus hunter and an i<;loo of her own, impaired her
efficiency as assistant tailoress. Okl Sairey Gamp's
eyesiL,dit was none of the
best, but we made her
useful repairiuL,^ i^ar-
mc;nts, and other miscel-
laneous work ; and her
tji'arrulity seemed to help
beo^uile the hours of la-
bour. Altoj/ether I s^ave
emi)l()yment to seven
seamstresses, includinjj^
Ikwa's wife Mane, and
Kessuh's wife of t h e
same name, who, how-
ever, was with us only
a short time. The wo-
men bad never heard of an eiLi;-ht-hour law, and chevM"-
fully acquiesced when our necessities rec^uired them
to sew from ten to twelve hours a day and even longer.
It was the busiest winter they had ever spent, for, be-
sides our sewing', they had the work of their own house-
holds to perform. Patches were needed on the ij^ar-
ments of their husbands and little ones, and, thouL;h
their culinary methods w^ere not elaborate, food had to
be prepared. Meg'ipsu, " The Daisy." however, was my
most reLj^ular and constant seamstress, and as she was
with us nearly all the time, the larger part of the sew-
in_i^ was done by her.
My photographic work was confmc^d tlurin^f the
darkness almost wholly to ethnoloi^ical sul)jects. As
SAIREY GAMP.
/
f
U ''lU
'I
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^■^ ' 1
I
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1 ;
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174 Northward over the "Great Ice"
soon as my Innuit friends hci^an to come to us, we set
al)out takinu^ measurements and photographs of them.
Dr. Cook, who had special charL,^e of the ethnolos^dcal
researclies, made anthropometrical measurements, dur-
ADULT MAN.
Flash-light.
ADULT WOMAN.
Flash-light.
ing the winter, of seventy-five individuals, and I took
a complete series of photographs of the same persons,
comprising portraits, and front, side, and rear eleva-
tions in the nude, of each subject.
;
Through the Great Night
/D
4
On one side of thu stove, near tlie partition sepa-
ratint^ Mrs. Peary's apartment from the main room. I
stati(jned myself to handle the camera. On the other
side was Matt manipula^inij;- the tlash-lis^dit. I )r. Cook
would pose the subject at the other end of tlu: room,
and near at hand was a table at which he recorded his
anthr()[)oloL(ical measurements.
It was interesting^ to observe the modest)- both of
the women and the men. They c(uild
not understand at first why 1 desired
to take their pictures in a nude condi-
tion, and I am not sure that they ever
^i(ot a very clear idea of the matter.
I told them that we wished to compare
their bodies with those of other people
in the world, and it was not lonjj^ before
some of them grasped the idea so far
as to decide that our work was in the
interest of a perfectly laudable and
proper curiosity. At first, however,
some of them asked Dr. Cook if I
wanted the information he obtained for
the purpose of makini;' other people ! !
The fiash-li<rht work never failed to
be a subject of lively L^ossip in the na-
tive community. All the fresh arrivals
were told what was before them almost
before they had unhitched their doiji's,
and as soon as a native was photo-
graphed, he would invariably tell of the experience to
an admirinjj;' group, narrating- every minute detail.
When the sky was clear, p.nd we had the moon with
us, the arctic niL];-ht was one of remarkable beauty.
In that dry atmosphere, the moon and stars seem to
shine with a deg'ree of power and brilliancy unecpialled
in temperate latitudes. We saw many auroras, but
BOY.
Flash-light.
'i
'M
1"^
Northward over the "Great Ice"
» 1 1
I /
;ifl
lit
i i
%
V
\
they were cc)mi)aratively faint, and not so i)ronounc(.'d
in outline- and hriL^htncss as those observed in South
Cireenlantl.
Xoveniher 14th was a tine day, and
in the afternoon and ni^lit the moon
was very brilliant. The temix-rature
rose t(j se\eral decrees above ze-ro, and
the house was
opiJr e s s i \- e 1 y
warm all d a v.
On the I 6 t h ,
a full moon cir-
cled, an d t h e
scene w a s in-
tensel)' brilliant,
the moon hanir-
inL( in a cloudless
sky, and A retu-
rn s, Aldebaran,
and t h e Great
I)il)per shininn;-
with remarkable
brilliancy. The
ice-bliid< at the
head of the bay was plainly visi-
ble in the moon's ra\s, and the
new ice at the ed^e of the water,
formed by the oxerllow of the
recent sprint- tide, skirted the
shores of the bav in a 1:)and of
siK'cr.
Manv of our winter davs were
like this, and they were the
heydays of our arctic experi-
ence. wh(Mi we enjoyed with the
keenest zest our out-of-door work and exercise. At
GIRL.
Fl.asli-light.
CHILD.
Fhsli-liylit.
i
Through the Great Night 17;
these times foot-races and ski and snow-shoe practice
v.ere the iK)i)ular amusements, and it would have been
worth while, had it been possible, to obtain a (,rood
photo.irraph of the party on some occasions when com-
ini^r down th(; slopes behind Red Cliff on their ski ; one
of them now and then bur)ino- his head in the snow
while his ski-shod feet were tlourishini^ in the air.
Astrup was our professor of the art of ski travel
which he had learned in Norwa\-, the home of ski-run-
nin|r. 1 he members of the party made oood progress
under his able tuition, thouoh 'they did not become
experts in coastin^r or climbino-. It was much er 'er
to u;et the knack of snow-shoein<j^ than to master the
art of ski travel, thou^i^h on the level we were all
soon able to handle the ski fairly well.
^ The weather was pleasant about two-thirds of the
time throuo-hout the lon.<r niuht. Storms and a low
temperature marked not more than one-third of the
arctic winter.
il.
I
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i'*
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CHAPTICR VI.
riikorcii iiiK (;'<i:at xKiirr [Continuci).
if
Kki) Ci.im- in IIu|.ii,av Athkk— ()i k Ciikisimas Dinnkr— I!.\n(,.cf.i' to
nir. \ait\t>,— A Luti.k Twii.kiiit at Noon— Visitors kuom Distant
Cai'K Vokk— Mrs. I'i arv's Xkw Xv.wi'^ Rk.ckition— I.onckst Sni.w-Sturm
"I- TliK WiNTKR— Ri:i) ClTM. NKARI.V lifKIKD— A MooNI.ICIIT I,ANI .SCA I'l:—
An Alarm ok Imkk_Xai lyp, Storv ok Di.ack Snow— lirsv Timks— Kx-
PKRIMKNTS WITH ImR ( I.oTH INO— CoI.DKST DaVS OK TIIK \'KAR— A ScolT
lo IT IK I( K-CaI'.
'
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CHAPTKR VI.
rilKorCIl Tin; CKIIAI' NK.III' [Continui,/).
Or l\ resources did
not pennil us to
make the merry
Christmas time a partieu-
larl\- hrilHaiit exciil, l)Ut
there were genial warmth
and h^ht. kindly feeliiiL^
[M(\ merr\-makinL;" at \\iK\
Chff I louse as well as in
other parts of the world.
( )n the da\- hefore ^/hrist-
mas. Astrup and I )r. ' ';)')k
clearetl up the kiri^e room, put up two L'nion llai^s
and one of the sledi^-e llai^s, festooned the ceiling \\\\.\\
mos(|uito-nettini4', and made wire candlesticks and
placetl candles all about tlu; room. At nine o'clock,
Christmas e\-e, I concocted a generous milk-punch,
and this with cookies, nuts, raisins, and candies
made a xcry acceptahle cxcninL;' lunch. After the
jjunch, the Christmas numbers ( of the previous year) of
//ar/>c'r\\ I'') auk Leslies. /^i/(\ PiilL\ the l.outloii
AVre.v. and Loudon (irapJiic were brought out, and we
filled the eveniuL;' with conxcrsation and such music
as our talent afforded. At midnight, Mrs. I\'ar\- and
I opened a box tlu; Danish Cioxcrnor at Ipernavik
had Li'iven us, and found it tilled with Christmas com-
IM
T<iriiaiM
;ii!
If
r
182 Northward over the "Great Ice"
fi^s and devices packed by the (iovernor's fair wife.
^Other boxes and let-
ters were opened,
and then in a bottle
c/f Sauterne we
Irank to our friends
at home, at (iodha-
ven, and Ui)erna-
vik. I then went
out and put
my trouble-
some baljy,
the tide-!j^au_L|,-e
anchor, back
in its bed at
the bottom
of the ba\'
A !l^ o o d
deal of ni)-
time for
three days past
had been spent
at the tide-gaui^e
hole, keepinij^ the
apparatus in
working- order.
No one made
haste to arise on
Christmas morn-
ini^, and it was
CHRISTMAS MENUS.
Uesigned by Astri'ip.
Through the Great Night
I '^3
t-
.1.
t;
is
1-
l-
It
It
noon bfjfore Red Cliff House was astir. P>om ti.at
time until 4.30 i-.m. we were occupied in preparini^
the^ Christmas dinner. Then we sat down to ou7
holiday spread and discussed a hill of fare which, with
arctic hare and venison ior /^icccs (A- rcs/s/ancc, would
not have dis^rraced a table at Delmonico's.
Two dozen candles in their wire candlesticks beamed
mildly upon us, and these with our uiickaniiiuv suk-
kiua/i (baby sun), as the natives had christene'd the
Arcrand burner, oave us a cheerful d< or^e of illu-
mination. Astriip had a very pretty suri)rise for us
in the shape of cleverly drawn menu cards, each ap-
propriately desiu;ned to fit a member of the party.
The cards of I)r. Cook and Mr. X'erhoeff were par-
ticularly apropos. Dr. Cook's card was -^^raced with
the presentment of a lono-haired person with hands
on his hips, critically examining- the pose of a poor
nude " Husky," as the whah^rs call the natives, im-
prisoned in a white screen ; the tail-j)iece was a bottle
with skull and cross-bones. On W-rhoeffs car.: . p-
peared the tide i^^au^e and sev(,Tal spring- balancers
supporting; the menu, while at the bottom", the alarm
clock and bull's-eye lantern, personified as two danc-
ino^ imps, hit off happily the lively dance which they
led our faithful meteorological observer. (iibson
was seen brinoino- a deer into camp, and Matt was
" shooting- " a row of Huskies, this beini;- his favourite
expression when my doers L(ave notice of a new
arrival.
With the cocktail that inauourr.ted our i^-ood cheer,
there was naturally but one toast — " Merry Christmas
to all!" l)ut when the Sauterne was broached I pro-
posed two toasts : one. " To tlie lla^" over us, th(; brii^ht-
est that waves, with the hope; tlKit our little party may
be so fortunate as torsade! something- to its lustre";
the other, " To the lovinu- and perhaps anxious hearts
]
r;
hi '
u
1 1
in
H '
184 Northward over the "Great Ice"
at home, with the hope that some of those mysterious
occuh at^encies, which we do ikU as yet understand,
may inform them how comfortable we are."
These toasts we drank
standing-. At seven r. m.
we rose from the table,
and, as soon as the din-
ner debris was cleared
away and a venison stew
couh! be made, I invited
our Husky friends to a
Christmas dinner. Arn-
i^odoj^-ibsah, otherwise
'"The Villain." did the
honours in my place at
the head of the table.
MeiTipsu, otherwise
"The Daisy," poured
The comj^any was ar-
KUDLAH ("MISFORTUNE").
tea in Mrs. l^!ar)'s place,
ram^'d as follows :
Arngodo^ibsah, " Tlie Villain,"
Inaloo, " Mrs. Villain."
Myall, "The While
Man.
Kudlah, "Misfortune."
Annowkah,
" The Veiling Husband."
Megipsu, " The Daisy."
I doubt if anywhere a more unique or joyous party
ever sat down to their Christmas dinner. A free use
of soap and water, under the skilful direction of Dr.
I
.'>
^ !s
il. i :
Through the Great Night
iS =
MYAH ("THE WHITE MAN").
Cook, had removed all dirt from the visible portions
of their l)odies ; and an eveninjj;' dress of sealskin
coats and bearskin trousers for the gentlemen, and
foxskin jackets and
trousers for the ladies,
made all look very pre-
sentable. Considerinir
their limited experience
at Christmas dinners,
they ac([uitted them-
selves very well. The
Youni;- Miisl)an(', it is
true, was a little boister-
ous ; and Myah endan-
gered the intei^rity of his
eyes by persisting' in
lioldinL!^ his knife and
spoon both at once in
his right hand, and then usin^; his fini^^ers for convc^y-
ini; food to his mouth.
Me also was so rude as
to stand u[) and (endeav-
our to harpoon with his
fork some choice [)ieces.
in the stew. Me desisted,
however, when he was re-
proved by The Villain,
who, i)erhaps, was not so
much offended by M yah's
nj^ross breach of eti([uette
as desirous that all should
have a fair chance at the
stew. The Villain l)ore
up bravely under his re-
sponsibility and served the stew very creditably. The
Daisy also sipped her tea with considerable grace.
"THE VILLAIN."
I.
.!'
■C.
■>'■
}
i'
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i »
U'i
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i86 Northward over the "Great Ice"
Tuktoo (venison) stew formed the first course, bis-
cuit and coffee the second, and candy and raisins the
dessert. Then the boys amused themseh'es at games
with the Eskimos until
a hite hour. Akos^^ether
we had a very enjoyable
Christmas,
The next evening; I
went with Dr. Cook and
Matt to visit some of the
fox-traps. We found one
sprunij;- and covered with
l)l()od, and one dej^rived
of the bait, but not
sprung-. Three others
were not disturbed. We
had a race comin^j;" back,
and I thought I actpiitted
myselt very creditably, considering; that it was my first
foot-race since the breaking- of m\- lei;.
After Christmas, it was clearly apparent that the
noonday twilight was increasing". ()nh- those who
have lived for many weeks in darkness, or whose
briirhtest da\s have been illumined onlv bv the cold,
rellected beams of the UKJon, can realise with what
ea^Ji'erness and pleasure every indication of the sun's
returninu;- li^ht and power was welcomed at Red Cliff
House. At nine a.m. on the 28th, the cliffs back of the
house were outlined in the twili!^du, and at noon the op-
posite shore of the bay was illumined In' thr reflection.
On the evnino;- of December 29th, it besj^an snow-
ino;" and kept it up till early next mornino', when a
foot more of snow had been added to Red Cliffs
winter coverins^. There was a fresh breeze from the
head of the bay ami the thermometer rose rapidly.
At nine I'.m., it was i i|-° F.
INALOO.
Throucrh the Great Niufht
IS7
Thursday the 31st was a wild scjually da)-, the
wind falHiiij^ in heavy. L^usts from the bhiffs l)ehind
us. The temperature, however, was hiyh, risini,'' to
-f 1 6^° F. Everyone was
^ ^^1
f
W'^'^
1
^
m
^K^v ^
H
m
w
Piyj
^^^^^^^^^^B^^l
%j^lj^^W.\
v'*"
•*"
"mB^r^l
..--'^■C^.*.^
4 ■ . .■
4, ■
M^Emk^^M
OOTUNIAH.
busy in various ^^repara-
tions for New Year's.
Mrs. Peary sent out invit-
ations to an " at home" in
the south parloiu" of Red
Chff House " from ten
r. M. December 3 1 st, 1 89 1 ,
until 1892." Wliile at
dinner, the unmistakable
barking- of my two New-
foundland do^s an-
nounced the arrival of
more Eskimos, and when
dinner was over they
were admitted. I found them to be our okl ac('(Uaint-
ances : Kessuh of Netiulume, with his wife Mane and
their rhild; Kyowito, an UL;i\' i^iant from Xarksarsomi ;
Ootuniah, his brother, onl\- a trifle smaller and less
u_L,dy ; and Fahtarah and Akpaliasuah. two )()unj4'
men from Cape York. ( )ur New Year's pre[)arati()ns
l^ave me but little time for th(;se \isitors, though the
oiant promptly informed me that he had a fine
narwhal horn, several reindeer skins, ami otlun- articles
to trade, and that he expected to carr\- awa}' a i^un.
It may seem surjirisim;" to some of m}' rc^atUjrs that
durinij;' the winter ni^ht we should have \isitors coming;
from their homes nearly two hundrc-d miles away.
As a matter of fact, cjuite a number ot Eskimos from
Cape York and vicinity came to Red Cliff Mouse
duriuL!;' the winter and sprintj;-.
Promptly at ten r.M., our j^uests bej^-an to arrive and
a very pleasant evening was enjoyed. The young
I
1
i ^'
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1:
1 1
Hi' I
J *j
I '
'I
s
i ;
i
1
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1 88
Northward over the "Great Ice"
men from the United States seemed i^reatl}' to aj)-
preciate a lunch of cookies, douL^^hnuts, and ice-cream ;
and as the c!r/v.k ran^' out the midnight hour, a
generous cocktail sparkled and seven glasses clinked
to a happy New Year,'
THE LIBRARY.
Mrs. Pearv. in a hlack-and-vellow tea-o^own, plv-
ing a palm-leaf fan, was an object of silent, open-
mouthed wonderment to our Eskimo friends, who
' I. est the reader sluniUl, fruni my description nf our various fete-days —
Tlianksgiviiij;, C'luistnias, and l)irtlidays — L^ain a very erroneous idea nf the
quantitv of stiiiiuianls used by my Expedition, it is necessary for me to state
the facts clearly.
I'ersunallv, as a matter, not of conscientious scrujiles. but of judL:;ment and
taste, I am neither a drinker nor a smoker; and I have always selected men for
':
i
V %
Throusj'h the Great NiiJ'ht
IS9
wt'R,' luokiii^;' on and listcninLi^ from the other room.
As if in envy of all this lii^ht, warmth, anil cnjo)-
m<:;nt, the wikl wind outside howleil and shrieked, and
the snow swirled in blindinL;- sheets about my nearl\-
buried house ; and \t't the thermometer registered
-+-3° F. to -\-\2" V. No such picture as this hatl e\-er
Ijefore broken the dark and cold of the arctic ni^ht.
Our New Year's morning' colfee was served an
hour late, and then Gibson antl X'erhoeff laid out a
course for oin* athletic i^ames, which came off in the
midst of a furious wind.
These L^ames consisted of a hundred-yards' dash, a
himdred-vards' race backwards, and a luuKlred-\ards'
four-lei^ifcd race. They were hotl\- contest(;d. but
owinijf to the fact that the starter, .Matt, and th(? iucbj^e
at the finish (m\self) were particularl\- interested in
trying" to keep warm, and also that I had much dif-
ficulty in reco|,(nisinL,^ in the pitch-black darkness, the
different contestants, the actual time of these events
is still very uncertain. I Ijelieve that one event was
awarded to each of the contestants to prevent any
unpleasant feelinjj;'.
At three I'.m., we had our New Year's dinn(;r, and
we made the occasion a joyous one for my Kskimo
dependants, by feedinij^ them on eider-ducks and rein-
deer le^s. The next day, the storm abated somewhat,
my parties \\'lio, as far as their wunl of iiniKiur lmuM he rciicil upon, used neither
toliaccD nor spirits. I.i(ju<>r siinuld iiave no ph^te in an arctic ration, eiliier fur
caiiij) or lield.
Vet on sucii special occasions a-< tiiose above noted, notiiini; .^ives more /est
to tlie feast, or iielps to lift tiie day out of the even monotony of tiie days on
eiliier side, tiian a nuld cocktail or a t^la^s of lij^iit wine.
I'he liipior supply of niy Mxpedition consisted of half a do/en bottles of brandy
and wliiskey, and a dozen pint- ot Sauterne.
Some of this supjily u-as u>ed externally, ar.d some was taken back on board
the AVA' at the end of twelve months
Tobacco is e([ually or more objectionable in arctic work. It affects the wind
endurance of the individual, particularlv in low temperatures ; adds an extra and
entirely unnecessary item to the outti'. ; and vitiate- the atmo-phere of tent and
house.
I
I ifi
I90 Northward over the " ( Ircat Ice
II &
Hi' '
the temperature hej^an to fall, and nu- xisitors departed.
Befort; Kessuh went, Ik- told ni(; tlu; latest luiiuinL(
story. It seems that, e\-eii in the darkness of the
winter ni^ht. he had harpooned a hij;' walrus in a
crack in the ice nt'ar the open water off Xetiulume,
and after a i)rotract(.'d stru^L^lc; lasting- for hours, hatl
succeeded in killin •; the monster and making" him fast
to th(.' ice ; . rer • i,ch Kessuh returncxl to the \illaLre
THE WRITING-DESK.
for assistance, and many willing- hands j^ot the animal
out of the water, and added the welcome store of fresh
meat to their supply. In proof of his story Kessuh,
Othere-like, showed me the fresh and blood\- tusks of
the walrus.
I find this entr\- in my journal of January 2d :
" The holida)s have come and L;one at Red Cliff
House and we have entered on the new year. Will
it brino- a fruition of my hopes ? The \-ear itself will
tell. It seems to me as if everything- is favourable.
i
Th
roLU''
h the (iTcat Xi'-ht
i()i
.1
.,
f
This aflcnioon Mrs. Vcary aiul I walked to our west-
ern fox-traps, and as we moved alon^ o\er the erisj)
level surface of tlu; hay ami thoiii^hts of the e\|): n-
ences of ni\' part)' came crowding' \\\nm me. 1 con.'
not hel|) wondering- if we had really hit upon the most
THE BED.
favoured locality or an especially mild season, or both ;
or if all my predecessors had unconsciouslv exaL^L''<^r-
ated their hartlships and the ri_L;ours of the climate."
Industry knew no pause in my arctic workshop.
Astrup was sj)littin_L:; <^^h runners for the second doLj;-
sledi^e. Dr. Cook and Ikwa wert; husy on the up-
ri^^hts and cross-bars. I was rippini;- a narwhal horn
i
I
:ii
19- Northward (ncr the "(ircat Ice"
into four strips, rou^hiiij^f it into shoes for the slccl^cs.
and cuttiiiLi deerskin trousers to keep " 1 )aisy " husy
with her needh'. Ikwaand dihson wen; niakini;' ixor)'
and liorn knees to l)race the sledLiC. Annowkah was
fashioniiii^ ixory rin^s for the doi;' harnesses. " Dais)-"
was sewing', ^lane was scrajjiuL;- a skin, and Mrs.
Pear\' was workiiiL-' and softeninij- nu' kook'tah.
On iMonchw, |anuar\- i itli. the weather had cleared
conipletel\- and the result was almost indescribable.
The snow landscape bathed in the brilliant liL;ht of
the nearly full moon, the silverw misty distances, the
low stratum of vapour ovcir tlie baw reminded me
of moonlight-scene eff(.*cts in mother-of-pearl. The
southern twilij^ht at noon was bright, and in th(; even-
ing- the temperature fell to — 35|" V . \^(i^ Cliff 1 louse
smokt^d in the ic\' air from (;\ery ventilator. The
humbler dwellings in the \illai^^e were completely
snowed in. Work on the skin clothing- progressed
well, and I finished a sample sleejjino- outfit wein'hino-
only ten pounds.
The next day the temperature fell to — 40.\"I\,and the
dazzling- effect of the full moonlight on the o^reat white
expanse of snow was beautiful be\ond description.
January 13th was diversified by a small tire scare.
Astriij:* knocked a box of matches from a shelf on to
and around the stove. They immediately took hre
in every direction, and Dr. Cook, who had the nii^dit
watch and who was asleep in the bunk nearest the
stove, sprancr out in his sleei)inij;--ba_ij^ and fell, half-
awake, on the matches on all fours, just in time to en-
counter, full in the face, a pailfu.l of water which I had
thrown from the opposite direction. The second
pailful followino;- fast upon the hrst, convinced Dr.
Cook of the efficiency of the fire department and
caused him to retreat in confusion. The third appli-
cation of water extinijuished the blaze.
rhroLb'h the Great Niijht
'.-^
i^'
1^);^
January 15th. the noon twilight was rcllcctcd from
the southern faces of the her^s. aiul Cape l\ol)ertson
across the l)a\' had a steely li,i(ht that was not from
the moon. The temperature was still hoUlinjL;' its own
at -40° V.
M(;!^npsu told me of a heav}' fall of Mack dust or
soot duriuL;" ;mi east wind at Cajx- N'ork about a year
aoQ which fri;^iitened the natives seriously. In this
THE VVASHSTAND.
neiiji'hhourhood the fall was lighter. 1 could L^et no
further particulars, hut as to the general truth of the
story I have littk; doubt. It seems stronj^ly to indi-
cate the [)ossibility of volcanic dust havinij^ reached
that res^non, pi:rhaps from some northern area still
unexplor(_;d.
Jan lary 26th. the south-west sk\' i^lowed for hours
with rose and saffron tints. Arcturus and the (ireat
Dipper, however, werc^ still visibh- at mitlda\-. After
lunch, Mrs. Peary and 1 went out on snow-shoes to
13
i,
\i
*' ' 11
i^ 'l\
1^4 Nortluvaiil over the "(ircat Ice"
the i^raiKl Amphitheatre liern', alM)iit one and a half
miles lUstaiit, in the chrectioii of the l"i\-e-(ihicier
Valley.
Over the ice-cracks aloiij^'' the shore and around the
I berL^s, the fro/en water
I vapour, risiiiL;- throuL;h
' the cracks, was makinj^
wri'aths of mist.
Ill the eviMiinLC, y\rnL,m-
doblaho's three d()ns,and
another I did not recoLj^-
nise, came into our vil-
hv^c with a rush, tlunr
traces drai^L^nnL,^ behind
them. About an hour
later, N ii)sanjj^wah of
Keati, and Talnvana
from the head of In^le-
field Gulf, came in with
three more doij^s. Tahwana hatl fallen into the water
and their sledi^e had been left behind on ihv. ice. I
^ave them both a hot rum punch and they turned in
on the lloor.
Nipsanjj^wah was the brother of Annowkah, the
" Daisy's" husband. Tahwana lived with his family
and one other far up the head of Inj^ieheld Gulf. Nip-
sanjLi^wah was a powerful, quick, athletic man, while
Tahwana was a (}ueer, piq-eontoed, little fellow with
a defect in his eyes, and a walk like that of a bantam
rooster.
I learned from my visitors that there; was still open
water in the neighbourhood of Hakluyt Island and be-
tween it and Northumberland Island ; and also that
the ice in the Sound between our camp and Northum-
berland was very thin and in places dan-^erous, the
thick snow protecting- it from the low temperatures
NIPSANGWAH.
1,1
'Himiii^h the (ircat Nii^lu
'05
and the water wcariiv^ it a\\.i\ hciiratli. Al Kcahr
and Nctiuliiinc there was Hitle snow and hiL;h winds
had pri-vaih'd. At the lieatl of Ini^let'u'ld (iulf there
was a L^ood deal of snow. Merktoshar, tlie one-eyed
hunter of \ (till III me,
and Kiidlah had kiHed a
yoiinL;' Ix'ar near Cape
Parrw It was ctncouraLT-
in<4' to see seven fine doi^^s
at th(.' door and to know
that th(; drc'aded ///>-
lockU\ or do*^ dis(;ase,
had done [)ractically no
damaL;(! to the animals
in our n(ML,dil)oiirh()()d.
l''riday mornini^;, I'\'l)-
ruary I2ih. Astrup and I
starte'd with our ski and
snow-shoes and fur suits
to take a look at the ice-cap beyond Tour-Mile Valley.
W'e left Red Cliff House; at 9:30 a.m.. and took at
once to the bay ice. As the three si)irit thermometers
were readini^ -44" F.. —43° T-. :ind —44" I\, I wore
m\' kooletah with the hair inside. Only a few hun-
dred yards from tlu! house, however. I beoran to tind
it too warm, and, pullimj^ it off, stood nudt; ab()\-e the
waist and turned it with bare fuiLji^ers. The sleeves
gave me some trouble, and when tht; job was com-
pleted, my tuigers had lost sensation, but otherwise
I was warm enough.
After reachiuLT a hcMLfht of about two thousand feet,
Astrup stopped for a rc-st and I went on ahead to the
ice-caj). I kept on to an elevation of about three
thousand fec^t. Then, as it was g(;tting dark, I threw
myself down in my furs with m\' lu,\;.d pillowed upon
Jack, who had followed me, and la) for ten or fifteen
TAHWANA.
\i
196 Northward over the "Great lee
ir
ml
minutes, with th(; rustlinL,^ of the; icc'-caj) wind — by that
stran<'"c contrariety of suii"L:estion which I have fro
quently noted in the Arctic reL,nons— hearing- me far
away to the ledtj^es of brown cHffs famihar in \()uth,
with the weaves of summer seas murmuring at their
base.
Rising to return, I drove my alpenstock witli com-
parative ease through about two feet of snow (the
last winder's fall) to the icy surface of the previous
summer. Into this I drilled about one and a half
feet and then could get no ^"eper.
Returning, I rt-joined Astriip, and as the big yellow
moon, surrounded by a rose-c(»loured halo, climbed
over the cliffs, we reached Red Cliff House at seven
r.M., after a fifteen-mile tramp.
A few days more and the sun would rise.
Constant occupation, first in the little fittings about
the home, then in the construction of ski and sledges,
daily exercise out-of-doors, the visits of the natives,
the pleasant breaks of Thanksgiving and the Christ-
mas holidays, congenial companionship and the best
of food, had carried us quickly through the sombre
darkness.
1 1'
M,
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{\ L
CH.\PTER VII.
IMPRISONKl) ON THF, ICK-C'Al'.
Urn. dim; a Snow Ir.i.oo on ihk Ick-Cat kor i hi -inrisk I'artv — Ciimiu
iNi; io riiK Ici:-C'ai', o\KR 20C0 Fkki- aiiovk thk Si;a— A Fi Kior-. Mcjrm —
AwAKiiNKi) iiY riiK Roar of niK Wind and Dkii-i— Oir Snow Hi r Faikn
away— Exposed io thk Fi.kments in oru Si.i-.i-.i'1Nc:-I!a(;s \vn 11 \ormN(;
ON nr r Undkrclothini;— Oir Ftr (Iarmknts Dkki' i-nder riii: hKiii —
Unaiu.k to Stand A(;AiNsr the Cade— A Day and a H \i,f rkfore we
CAN Extricate ocrsei.nes — Sfnrise— Ri/nRN 10 Red Ci.ii i-— The (amp
nearly Washed away isy the Fcriois I-ohn— Torrents of Rain in
February— Putting Things Shii'shape A(;ain.
.f
■I
I .»
I y.
I
w
i
i ill
I
1
111
!i ■
t
<.,
V,
KAMONAHPIK.
CHAPTER VII.
r
f
fly
IMPRISOXKI) OX Tlil-; K'E-CAP.
T} 1 li ice-cap IdcnoiuI
I'Our-Milc X'allcy
l)cins^ too far away
for my contemplated out-
ing to see the; sun's return,
I sent Gibson and \ er-
hoeff, on Saturday, I'"eb-
ruary 13th, as I have
already mentioned, u[) to
the ice-cap this side of
the valley, to build a snow
igloo, for the sunrise party.
They returned at night, reporting the walls of the
igloo finished, but they were unable, after repeated
attempts, to construct the roof. Gibson reported
seeing sunlight, to the west, on the highest peak of
Northumberland Island. The l)arometrical d(,'ter-
minatlon of the height of the igloo above sea-level
was 2050 feet.
At 9:20, the next morning, Dr. Cook, Astrup,
and I started, dressed in our furs, the Doctor and
Astrup with deerskin kooletahs and trousers, and I
with deerskin kooletah and dogskin trousers. We
all wore kamiksand woollen socks. The Doctor and
I took snow-shoes, and Astrup his ski. Our impedi-
f
200 Northward over the "Great Ice"
nuMita consistrd of reindeer slee[)ins^-i)aL,^h and hoods,
peniniican, cranb(;rry jam, biscuit, tea, suL(ar, and
condensed milk, for two days ; alcohol lamp and
boiler, canteen of alcohol, two spoons, wind matches,
shovel, snow-knife, hunting-knife, aljjenstock, camera,
notobook, aneroid and comi)ass, swing thermometer,
maximum and minimum thermometer, candle and
watch, the Dahlirren and Academy of Natural Sciences
rtaL,rs, and Mrs. Peary's and IMayde's deds^e banners.
The morniuij^ was gloomy and cloudy, and looked so
THE PAIK' ;0 THE ICE-CAP.
unpromising that I thought if tiai-'ly probable that we
would spend the night on i; m), Li;: more likely that we
would carry our packs up and return to sleep at the
house, i/oinLT up again Monda^• morning.
We crossed the snow-covered terraces between the
shore and the foot of the bluffs, on our snow-shoes.
Then removing them we clambered, on hands and
knees, sometimes over bare rocks and snow patches, to
the knife-edge crest of one of the eroded trap buttresses
springing from the main bluffs. A tirm and gradually
a -cending snow-drift capped this crest, just wide
enougli at the top for one to walk. It was broken in
■:^1^K^
Im])risoncd on the Ice-Gip
20I
two places by nearly vertical traj) huKlers. Wc
broii_L;ht up at last aj^ainst the face of the abriijjt sn')\v
cornice of the main line of bluffs, seine se\-ent}-h\(,'
feet below its top. U[) this marble steep the 1 )()Ctor
cut steps with his shovel, and following;- him, we
reachetl the thermometer cairn at noon.
When about half-way uj) my swini^- thermometer
had shown +12 i'\. and the current temperature of the
spirit thermometer at the cairn was -\- 1 2" V. I reached
the top, clad only in my boots, trousers, and liL,dit L;uern-
sey. My kooletah was sluuij^ across my back. I was
more than i^dad to hnd my broken h'>^ all rii^ht ai^ain.
Althoui^h I could not sprinij^ f.'om it (juite as (jiuckly
and vigorously as with the other, it jj^ave mn no pain.
At the thermometer cairn, we put on our snow-
shoes and stretched out across the snow-tield. ;\t
1.50 r.M., we reached the ij^loo. At two I'.m.. the swiuLj'
thermometer rej^isteredd- 1 6° F.. the temperature of the
snow bein^- —4" V. We immediately proc(,'eded to roof
in the igloo, which was nine by six feet vvir.h a recurv-
ing^ entrance, the walls about 4^ feet high, and the
floor the last summer's icy surface of the ice-cajj. about
eig'hteen inches below the present surface. i he ski
were placed leni^thwise on the end walls, supp.ortr'd
in their middle by snow-shoes, interlaced and restinij^
on the side walls.
Then a flat roof of snow blo^ . was laid upon tlvii,
and the roof and walls chinl- At three I'.m.. our
house was finished. The tem^ craturc; at this time v as
+22° F. and the temperatun f the snow still —4" k".
The entire sky was a hea\ lead colour. The out-
lines of Herbert and Nori . nberland Islands were;
bareU discernible, and the hfcless W'^ht about us was
of such a character that it was impossible to form an\'
judjj^ment of the size or distance of objects. A sinL;le
snow block could be taken for a snow house, and our
**:.
, " J
202 Northward over the "Great Ice"
iL;i()(^ itself at a little distance loomed up like- an ice-
berL,^
Tile house beiuL,^ com})leted. our [)ac!:s were j)assed
in, the sleepin_L;-l)a_L,^s si)read out, and I immediately
started the lamp for our pot of tea. Before six I'.M.,
we had eaten our supper and w'vrv snuudy stowed in
our bai^s, wearing- only our underclothing-. Our fur
trousers were folded and laid under the upjxM- portion
of th(; slee])inL,^-])a^'s. and our kooletahs were pulled
over the foot of the bai^s. We could hear the in-
DIGGING OUT.
creasini;- rush of the wind, which had begun blowing
just as we got our packs inside, and was now begin-
ninL"- to drift the tine snow into the entrance. At
nine p.m., the temperature in the igloo was -|-2 2° V.
and the barometer read 24.40.
When I awoke, fme snow was drifting in my face.
Lighting a candle, I saw that it was four o'clock
Monday niorning, that our entrance had drifted full,
and that the wind had forced n small hole through
the end wall of the igloo, through which the drift
was pouring in a stream that had already covered to
^'^w.
Imprisoned on the Ice-Cap
^03
a dej)th of several inclu.-s th'.- foot of in\- slt'cj)iiiL;-bii!:^,
and tlu; lu-ad and shoukk'rs of the I )octor. who was
l)'inij; in tlu- opposite direction. The I )()Ctor turned
out in a hurr\'. j)luL;^'e(l uj) the; hole with snow, and
then rexersed the head of his ha^Lj^ so as to lie the
same as Astruj) and myself.
Attain I fell aslecj), only to be a^ain awaki-ned \)y
the roar of the storm and the snow drixin^' in m\- face.
Lookinn" oxer the foot of my hiv^, I could just see, in
the faint liij^ht of day, that the cuttiuL; drift had (-aten
SUNRISE CAMP.
off the an^de of the is^loo where roof and end wall
met, had completely filled tliat end, and was rapidly
coverini:^^ us, As I watched it. roof and wall melt(;d
awav as fine sand l)efore a water iet ; and 1)\- the tiuK;
I could aroust; Dr. Cook, adjust m\' hood, and tighten
my ha_i;, it required a oood deal of effort to force my-
self Uj) through the sui)erincumhent weight of snow.
The Doctor also succeeded in liheratiuL,'" liimself, hut
Astriip, who was lyin^- on the other side of the i,L,doo,
could not iret free.
\A
J
It J'i
Northward over the "Great Ice"
'IcIHiil; l)r. Cook to keep a hrcathin^' hoU- opiMi
for Aslrup. 1 rose up in m\' bai^', forced the ski apart,
roHcd out over the wall, ha_o" and all, and reached
the shovel at the entrance, then rolled back to the
end of the ii^ioo, and crouched at;'ainst the- wall on
the outside to i^'et ni\- l)reath. Then I crept around
to the side where Astriip was, and crouchini;' before
the howliuL;' wind, tore a hole throuL;h the sidct wall
and freed his head and bod)', and with the Doctor's
assistance, pulled Idni out.
Hen; we were in our sleepin^-ba^s, clad onl\' in
our underclothiuL; and with our fur garments and
foot-j4"ear buried deep under the snow. We could not
have stood up before such a _L;ale if we had tried.
All we could tlo was to crouch, half sitting', with our
backs to the storm, in the breach 1 had made in that
part of the ii^loo wall which was still standint;'. We
sat there hour after hour until nearh- ni^ht, when the
Doctor and Astrup were asj^ain both fast, and needed
assistance to release them from the drift. While
performing- this work of necessity, we manaij^ed to dio|-
from under the; snow a little pemmican and a few
bisciMt, and ate them. Astrup then wriij^g'led alon^'-
side me, and the Doctor rolled a few^ feet to leeward
of where the house had i)een. and thus nii^ht settled
down upon us.
We were lyin^- out on the ice-cap over 2000 feet
above sea-level, wholh' without shelter, on the toj) of
the drift, beneath which our snow hut was buried.
The snow flew past us with such a roar that I had to
shout at the top of m\' voice to be heard by Astrup,
whow^as lyin;^ partly upon me. After an hour or so,
his w(Mo;-ht and that of the snow became oppressive,
and I worked m\self loose and crawled a little to one
side and to windward, into the wind ditch alonoside the
big drift o\ er the house. Here in a sitting- posture,
Imprisoned on the Ice-Cap
205
with hack to the wind aiul sitlc a_L;ainsl the drifl, I sat
out the niL;ht. 1)\' lowcrini; ni\ chin upon ni\ I'rcast,
I could keep most of the (h'ilt out of ni\' face, and \>y
raisinj;- ni\- head I could feel r.iihcr than sec the two
dark j)r()strat(' ohjccts close to me to leeward, and at
intervals shout to them to in(iuire if the)- were warm
enough.
( )ccasionall\ 1 dozed a little, hut most of the time
;^y..*. ..-*»«iil^^,^a^.
."'lai.jr*'-^ .,::..
Vf
•^
■*ii
'■"M
■*•*
MOONLIGHT ON THE ICE-CAP.
I was studyinjj^ how we shoiikl extricate ourse-Kcs
from our predicament if the storm continued for
several days. My <rrcatest source of anxiety was the
fact that the suddenness with which we were comj)ell(;d
to free ourselves from the drift had left our outer
clothinor and foot-i^ear deep imder the drift, m)- doe-
skin trousers beiuij;^ the only thinij^ that was hrouL^ht
out. These, however, and the shovel, I had close to
me. I knew that we were L^ood for at least tw^ent}'-
four hours Ioniser in the bairs, but if the storm con-
i
s
i
— m
,:\
|l<
I I ■
id
i.f;
il
II
fiM
! I
^ 1^ .1 *" . ■
i';. I.
I i
I,
fi,
Ml
206 Northward over the "(Ircat Ice"
tinuL'd loiiL^cr than thai. I should haxc lo lr\- ami (Hlj'
out a koolctah and pair of kainiks, and '^ri to the
house for clothiii!^-.
I)o/itiL,'' attain. I suddenly awoke to hear a rattliiiL,^
as of hail against ni\' hood, and |)uttinL:' im- hand out
throuLj^h tin; sk.'eve of the ha^'. i^reat (lro|)s of rain
dro\-e aj^.iinst it. freeziuL; as they struck. MoNiiiL; in
my l)a_L,^ I felt that it iiad stiffened o^reatly. hut fortiui-
SUNRISE ON THE "GREAT ICE."
February, iS()2.
atcly was not yet fr(^zen down. Callini;' to the boys,
1 told them to roll their ha^s Li^entK' from side to side
every few minutes to prevent their freezing' down, and
then anxiously waited developments. The continua-
tion of the rain would, I knew, make the diooin^- out
of our clothint^ imjjossihle, and if I had to 00 clown to
the house, I shoukl have to wear the uj)i)er jjart of
my hixij; cut off for a kooletah, m\' doeskin trousers,
and a pair of reindeer-skin sleepinj^-socks which I
Iniprisoiictl on the Ice-Cap
207
had in nu' h.iL; cover. I was worse ott than either of the
others, tor the\' had on eoniplctc suits ot underwear,
inchidin_L; stock ini^s, while 1 wore on!) an undershirt.
To u^y intmite rehcf thr rain did not last much
niort; than an hour, and then the snow resumed its
sway. \'er\- soon. too. the wind ceaseil its steady,
monotonous roar, and he^an to come in imcrmitlcnt
stjualls. 'Idiis, 1 hail'.'d with delight, as a si^n of the
near breaking ot the storm. 1 fell aslee|) ai^ain.
When I ne.\t awoke, I found the openiiii;' ot m\ hood
closed with halls of ic;-. hut thr wind was much I'ss \io-
lent. and the intcr\als hctween the L;usts wrre longer.
Putting- out a hand and tearing awa\- the ice, I
looked out, and to ni) delight tound moonlight flood-
ing" the Inland Ice, the moon having just hrokcn
throui^h a rift in the hhick clouds oxer llerhert Isl-
and. It had sto|)|)e(l snowing;, hut the wind was still
whirlini;" thcr tine snow alon^" the surface.
I immediately conveyed the j)leasinL; intelligence to
the boys, and learniiiL;- from the Doctor that he was
cold, I L;'ot over to hini as well as I could in m\' sleep-
inLr-bair and curled nnself around and against the
head of his ba^'. to windward. This expedient did
not succecrd in making him more comfortable, and as
the temperatiu'e was rapidU' lowering" I rolled back,
L^ot the shovel, and succeedetl in diL,^^ino' a hole, down
into the; sn(nv. I then jji'ot the Doctor's bai;" loose,
[)ulletl the sleeves out of the frozen crust, adjusted his
hood, and lu;l|)etl him to wri^^le to the hole, into
which he tumbled and curled himself up. I then placed
m\- trousers ()\-er his head to keep the drift oil, and
curled myself round the windward ed^'e ot the hole
above him. I was \cry L;lad to tind that the complete
protection from the wind thus attorded him, together
with the exercise of moxiiiL;-, restored his temperature
and rendered him entirelv comfortable.
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WEBSTER, N.Y. HS80
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2o,S Xorthward over the "(ircat Ice"
III this way wr, la\ for siAcral iioiirs. the wiiul
gradiiall)- thiiiL; away, and tiic liL^lu of (la\- incri-asiiiL^.
I )icn as Astriip was nion- coni])l('tcl\' dressed than
an\' of us. I re(|iiested him to make the attemj)t to
dii; out our clothini;. I was ohh^cd, liowescr. to 540
to his assistance, and hreak liis hai; free, clear the ic(;
from the opening- of his hootl, adjust it. and helj) him
THE DENUDED CLIFFS.
to a sittinii^ posture. In doiiii; tliis. one of the sleeves
of his ba_i^ was unfortunately torn off, and when he
beij^an to shovel, his arm was so cohl that he. could do
no effective work, so I told him to lie down, and I
took the shovel. It was now 8:45 a.m., Tuesday,
and after a loni;;' time, and with much trouble, owinij
to the hard snow, the coltlness of my hantls. and
the difficulty of workinj^^ hampered by my sleepinj^.
Imprisoned on the Ice-Cap
209
baij;", I duu^ out a koolctah, a pair of trousLTs, and
a pair of kaniiks. Astriip then i^ot out of his \yd^^ into
these, and after a brisk run to limber himself up, took
the shovel and continuetl the work of excavation.
The temperature at this time was -|- V' I'-, \vith a lii^ht
breeze blcnviuL^.
As soon as Astriip had du^j; out another kooletah,
a pair of trousers, antl a pair of kamiks. I sent him to
help Dr. Cook put them on. The 1 )octor was now
thorouL^hly chilletl ai^ain, and anxious to ^ct out of
his ba_L^, so that he could warm himself with exercise.
While he did this, I excavated nu' corner of the
ijj^loo and t^^ot out the stove, tea, su^ar, and milk, and
lit the lamp for a i)ot of hot tea. It was now i 1:45
A.M., and the southern sky was a mass of crimson,
rose, purple, and ^reen clouds. There was one
dazzlinLi;' yellow sjjot where the sun was about to
burst into view. I pulled the Dahli'-ren and Acad-
em\' ensigns and the sleth'e banners from mv bao
cover, shook them out, fastened them to the ski and
alpenstock as Ha^staffs, and then drove these into
the firm snow. At that moment the wintl freshened
and the bri_Li^ht folds of our banners, the fairest in the
world, tlew out into the sparkli'^v' air.
Then the yellow sunlight fell upon the hii^hest bluff
of Xorthumb(!rland Island west of us. A minute
later Cape Robertson, to the north-west, blazed with a
crown of L^iory. — and then the ^reat yellow orb, for
whose coming- we hatl so loULl^ed, peered over the ice-
cap south of Whale Sound.
In an instant the snow wav( sof the Inland let; about
us danced, a sea of si)arklin^, molten j^old. Neither
i^okl. nor fame, nor aui^ln can purchase from mv, the
supreme memory of that moment when on the ice-cap,
far above the earth, with the rustling- of tlic Stars and
Stripes in m\- ears. I lauL^hed with the lauohin^ waves
14
2IO Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
of the L^rcat white sea, in <^^reetinjL( to the returninjr
sun.
Never Ijefon- from tile cK solate heiiL^^hts of the (ireat
Ice had man or lla:^^ welconKnl the breaking; of the
lonued-for ilawn which ends the (ireat Xi.L;iu of the
n(<rth.
lor many minutes we watched the ^rlorious (iodof
EVERY BOULDER CASED IN ICE.
Day roll alon^- the southern ice-cap. Then we turned
to our hot tea, and the completion of the work of di^r-
ginij^ out our imp<'dimenta. As soon as I had tmishetl
my tea, I transferred myself from my baij to my trav-
ellin)::^ suit. The reader may imaL;"ine the pleasure of
this performance. My dressin^^-room was the Inh.ind
Ice, with the wind blowiu!:; and the thermometer
standinL!^ at 3° above zero. In this airy and expansive
B 1-
I iiji ij I _
Imprisoned on the Icc-Cap
21 I
dressiiiLi^-room, I had the fchcity of cnu.-rLiini;- from my
sleL'pinL^-haj^-. chid only in an undcrsliirt. antl puHini^
on a frozen pair of drawers and socks, a fur coat and
trousers, which were driven full of snow, inside and
out, antl a pair of kamiks. which had to he gradually
thawed as I forced them upon my feet. Still I ditl
not feel the cold ver\- much, prohahh' hecaust; havino;
been perfectly warm in my baj^ all the time. I q;ot out
"JOSEPHINE HEADLAND SWIMMING IN PURPLE LIGHT."
of it in a l(1ow of animal heat, and with sufficient ro
serve of stren^rth and warmth to carrv mv, throuLrh
the ordeal.
When once the fur garments are (»n, th(! sensation
of warmth is instantaneous. As far as my own ob-
servation jj^oes with reindeer- or doeskin outer cloth-
inof, no matter how wet the underclothim/ or inside of
the fur clothing- may be, the wearer does not, evcMi
while motionless, feel the cold or wind in any ordinary
temperature of not lower than -25°?". to -30° F.
'(!
2 I 2
Northward over the "Great Ice"
i
• t
fy
The work of excavation completed, we tied up our
packs and started f(jr the house by way of One-Mile
\'alley. The snow was so firm that it easily supported
me u'ith a forty-pound pack on my hack. The force
of the wind had been terrific, as was shown b)- the
way it had scooped and carved the surface of the ice-
cap, in many i)laces down to the ice of the previous
summer. M)- swin^- thermometer, which I had buried
in the snow on Sunday afternoon, was scoured out by
the force of the wind until only two inches of it re-
mained in the snow ; and the windward side of the
thermometer, the alpenstock, and the Doctor's snow-
shoes, which had been driven down into the snow,
had a coatini^ of toui^h, perfecth' transparent ice, a
quarter of an inch thick. TVom the head of One-
IVIile V^alley, the surface of the table-land, all the way
clown to Cape Cleveland, had been swt^pt clean of
snow, and the ujjper ')ortions and sides of Herbert
and Northumberland Islands, Cape Robertsc^n, and
the north shore of our bay were nearly denuded.
We went rapidly alono; to the head of the valley,
and down the firm, steep snow-drift in its centre.
When not ([uite half-v/ay down I was surprised to
find the snow covered with a crust of opa(|ue, cream-
coloured ice. I'he surface of this ic(;-crust had been
beaten by the wind into the form of amygdaloid, or
furnace sla^-. A little farther down, where the rush
of the wind had been api)arently still more furious,
the snow had been scoured awa\ entirely, and the
windward side of every boulder, rock, and pebble was
cased thicklv in ice, sliLrhtlv vellow-tinted with the
fine detritus the storm had scouretl from the clifis.
When I reached the surface of the bay, the change
was startlino". Instead of the deep, level covering' of
soft snow which was there four days before, there was
now over only a portion of it a rai^Ljed conglomerate
I
Imprisoned on the Ice-Cap
213
of ice and snow six inches thick at most, while over
fully a third of the expanse of the bay the snow had
been washed and scoured awa)' completely, leavin^i^
the surface of the ice entirely bare. Hut my attention
could not be claimed loni^ by these; thini^s. for the
j^lory of the scene around and overhead overpowered
everythinf^ else.
To the north and east, the sky was purple-black.
RED CLIFF HOUSE AFTER THE STORM.
shadin^r to excpiisite blue at the zenith. Overhead a
few dainty, feathery clouds o^lowed with the irides-
cent hues of the hummino-bird's breast and mother-of
pearl. The western and south-western sky was aflame
with dazzlini^ yellow shatliuL^ into pale rose and i^reen.
Ai^ainst this rose, en silhouette, the majestic cliffs of
Josephine Headland swimmin^- in jnu-ple lii,du. Misty
purple and o^reen li^lits tloated over the far-stretch-
ini^ expanse of ice, ij^ivin^- the countless olistening em-
erald icebercrs an indescribable softness.
1
: (
1 »
4
J ^
fi'
.ii
iV
214 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
liven a mile a\va\-, 1 could se(; thai Rvxl Cliff House
stood out more prominently than it had since October.
It was evidently denuded of its snow coveriniT.
Half-way home Mrs. l\-ary met me and told me of
the friL^htful storm and deluL,^(.', Nearly all day Mon-
day, the rain had fallen in torrents, washini; away the
snow-coveriniL^ of the house, destroyinjj^ the covered
snow (Mitrance, and cominL;- throuLjh the canvas roofs
of the* additions till it ran into the house. The wind
all the time hurleil itself from the cliffs upon the house
with such force that the hovs could scarcely stand
ajj^ainst it. 1 Ik.' doors and windows (jui\(n'ed with
the assault, but the liouse itself, strongly framed,
frozen to th(.' iL^round, and braced and protected by its
surroundiuL^ walls of stone: and frozen turf, stood firm,
nor did the wintl anywhere effect an entrance.
The coveretl snow entrances to the igloos of the
settlement were beaten down and the i^ioos them-
selves were very near destruction. X'erhoeff went to
the tide i^au^e in his lon^-le^iLii'ed rubber boots, and
the maximum thermometer registered the uni)rece-
clentetl temperature of +41.V' b- The snow ij^loo at
the: tide hole was beaten down, and Red Cliff House,
as I approached it, stood out so bare and black that
it looked as if it hail been visited by a tire. I think
no such i)henom('nal war of the elements, no such
wild freak of the Arctic folin, has ever before been
observed in this latitude in the month of February.
We had e.\]:)erienced an accentuated instance of the
Greenland f(')hn. — a word borrowed from the meteor-
oloL^y of Switzerland, to desii^nate the most remark-
able of the local winds of that country, a south, warm
wind that occurs in the Alps, most frecjuently in the
spring'.
I expected to hear later of our I'Y>l)ruary fohn in
other parts of Greenland, and I was not disappointed.
Imprisoned on the Ice-Cap
215
Lieut. Ryder was liviiiL; for niiH' iiiontlis at Scores!))'
Suuiul, on the coast of h^ast Cireenland, while we
were at McCormick liay. lie was al)out four iiun-
dred and fiftv Lft^^OLrrapliical miles south of us. The
maximum temjjeratures h(.' recorded occurred in l^'eh-
ruary and May. lit; says ^Pctcruiainis Mittcilitiii^oi,
xi.. iSg2. pai;;'e 265) that these hiL,di temperatures
were due to severe fohn storms, onj of which, in
AMONG THE RUINS.
r^ebruary (date not ij^iven), suddenly raised the ther-
mometer to +50° F., Si° hii^dier than my instru-
ments had recorded. Like us, also, he had expericMict^d
his lowest temperature in P\'l)ruary. Rainfall in the
neiLrhbourhood of McC^ormick Ha\- durini/ l*'ebruarv,
or in other words duriui^ the sunrise period, is, ac-
cording^ to native reports, almost unprecedented.
The experience upon the ice-cap. in its actualities of
discomfort and possibilities of worse, was the most
serious incident in all thc:: ice-caj) work of the Expedi-
tion of 1891-ICS92. To me it was an old stor\-. I
had twice been throuLjh similar experiences in 1SS6.
I '
1 y
4
2i6 Nortliward o\cr the " Orcat Ice"
To my two c()mi)ani()ns it was a stern and serious
initiation into icc-caj) work, and an empliasised war
jnL,'^ of wliat the)- nii^lu expect on the lon^; niarcli.
I'lu: tlay after our rt^turn from the ice-ca|) tlie te
•n-
m-
perature rose aijain al)ovt
th(; f
Llr\inLr
ree/.inLj-point.
'rh(
r our
aiu
1 oth
er
clay was spent indoors, (
e(|uipinent, which liad been blown full of damp snow
antl sleet.
Thursday was a day of brii^htness and sunshine on
the northern shores of th(; ba\', and I immediately
^ot the available force of the \ illat^c: at work, rebuilcl-
Imr the lonjj; covered entrance to the house, demolished
by the storm. 'Vhc now solidK- frozen snow crust
furnished fine cpiarries for buildiiiij^ blocks, and after
collectiuij ail the empty boxes and the discarded ice-
melter to build up the wall. Astri'ip. Dr. Cook, Ikwa,
Annowkah, and m)self hewed ^reat slabs, two to
three feet wide and six to eijj^Iit feet loni; and six
inche's thick, of semi-ice, and roofed our entrance bet-
ter than before. I was very i(latl to ij^et this done so
quickl)-, for we had yet to meet the wild storms of
March.
The more pressinij;' repairs upon the house beiuLj
completed, m)' faithful servants Ikwa and Annowkah
set about the restoration of their own half-wrecked
dwellini^s ; and to expedite their work, I i^^ave them
a shovel, snow-knife, and hatch(;t. Then Dr. Cook,
Astri'ip, and I betook ourselves to our ski. and coasted
merrily down the hill back of the house, with many a
ludicrous tumble, b^ven the Eskimos became infected
with the spirit of merriment, and s^ot out a Greenlant'
sledij^e and coasted with us. Mrs. Peary, in the mean-
time, watched the sport and caujj^ht us with the camera.
In the afternoon. Annowkah and I rebuilt the snow
o;M(i on the south end of the house. The next day
Matt and I, with my Greenland sledt^e and the two
IniprisoiiL'tl on the Icc-Cap
21
(1<)l;s. went u|)t() Oiic-Mik' \'allc> after ni\ pack, which
I had left near its hitatl on TiKSchi). Sonic chslancc
1)(,'1()W ilu.' pack 1 liad to li-axc the s1c(1l;c ami iloj^s
on account of the steepness of the ascent, and 'oriiii^
the i)ack down to them on my hack.
W'lien we started l)ack. I ch-oxc tli<' point of my
alpenstock hetweeii two sledge cross-hars. three or
four inches into the snow, and with this as a hrake,
EFFECTING REPAIRS.
I was able to retain con-
trol of the sledj^a,' until we
reached a more L^ently sloj)-
ino; part of the lower \alley.
Here I thoui^ht we wen.' safe,
but fre(iuent patches of bare ice,
from which the last lio;ht snow had
>/ been blown, i^^ave the sledge; such ve-
locity that I was u-lad to apj^ly the brake
again. Even then, we travelled like the wind, the do_u;s
at their liveliest u;allop, unable to keep the traces
straij^dit. Suddenl\-, the iron point of my alpenstock
broke short ofT. and in a moment the sides of the
valley became a roarin^r mist, and the poor doo;s,
1 \
j
T
1 1V
218 Northward o\cr tlic "Great Ice"
howliiiLT and jt^lpiiii^. were rolliiin' and hoiindinLj
throiioli the air in tow of the shootin-^' sledi^e.
I did my best to make the end of ni)' alpenstock
bite into the snow, and just as everjlhin^ was bccom-
in^i;^ invisible in our mad rush, 1 succeeded, with the
result of hurliiiL;' Matt, who was behind me, over m\'
head upon the snow in front, and brini^inj^ the poor
(1(\!l;s uj) with a thump and a yelp in a breathless mass
aiL^ainst the ui)standers. After this, we went on mure
cantfully and soon rciached the house.
j
»
f
y-y. ii* --'
k
;:
cuApri-k \'iii.
I'KK'AKIN(; 1-Ok TIIK KK-CAI' ( A M ! A K ;\.
An A.NX1..1S KiMso.,i.-jA. K Kkscuki. at La.i-Wii.i. Wkaimkr-Tiif
(,K„._lK\VA I.KS IMS SI.KIm;,.; kCNNK.kS-Sl.RIN.; HrN,,N,:_A Tk.,. ,.. IMK
|ck-Cai>-I,in(,iiin(; in C.mkort ,n a Tkmpkratcri.. ..k -32 K 382s
FkKT AnuVK THK SkA-NkW VISITORS FROM CArK. V. .KK-WKAr.I.. K " Rf-
I'OKTS l.K,.M AI... AI,.,N.; TIIK, C.ASI-A Mll.l. WlNTKK-Sl ,.;|., iK TuiPS |„
Hkriikri Isiam.-Skni.in.; SriTi.ii.s n, tiik, I, ,,-(.ai— Mv Kskimo Maii
Carrikr
r, !
. a-
WOMAN AND CHILD.
CHAPTKR VIII.
PREI'ARI\(; FOR rilH ICK-CAI* LAMI'AKIN.
A
r"ri'^R lunch, on I^Vi-
day, Fel)ruary
19th, Astriip and
Dr. Cook started off to
build some cairns on the
brow of the bluffs from
Cape Cleveland to Three-
Mile Valley. They
thouLi^ht they would make
the ascent at Cape Cleve-
land and started in that
direction. Old Arrotok-
soah and his wife left us at eiiji'ht a.m. for Netiulume,
and a little later, Ikwa started with his sleds^e and my
one remainino;- Eskimo doo;-. This day, for the first
time, we ate our lunch by daylig'ht, the lamps beintr
put out from one until two p.m.
While we were at dinner. Ikwa came back and said
that in passing;;- Cape Cleveland he had heard a small
snow-slid(^ I thought nothinij^ of this at the time,
but about nine I'.m. \rrotoksoah and his wife returntxl,
havinn^ found the travelling- over the Whale-Sound
ice too rouLih for th('m. Old Sairey (iamp said she
had heard Dr. Cook shouting- and Jack barking- as
they were [jassino- Cape Cleveland. 1 tlid not like
the looks of this, and immediately told Gibson to L;et
221
t,
> ;
f ti
1 »
W
i
222 Northward over the " Great Ice "
ready to ^o clown to the cape with me, and piittini^r a
jlask of rum in my pocket, and takin.i; my alpenstock
in one hand and a bull's-eye lantern in 'the other, I
started off with him.
We made crood time to the cape, and just before
reachin!^rit,heard Jack bark well up thediff in answer to
my shout. Then
w^e left the sled_L,re
track, and went
directly to the sio--
nal llai^r, follow! n^^
Dr. Cook's track
of the day before.
While at the
sio^nal staff, a
mournful lono^-
drawn-out howl
broke throuo-h the
gloomy, starless
nioht, from the
darker _L(loom oi
the bluff above us,
and filled me with
forebodings. I
shouted Dr.
Cook's name
as^ain and again,
without answer, except Jack's dismal wail.
A few steps from the signal, we found the boys'
tracks leading straight up the steep snow-slojie to
wards the trap ledge, which I knew jjrojected from the
bluff about half-way up. I^^llowing the tracks as well
as we could through the gloom, we found two or three
places where the boys had slipped and slid some dis-
tance ; and then, just as a particularly mournful howl
came from Jack, I saw one of Dr. Cook's snow-shoes
JACK.
h
Preparing for the Ice-Cap Campaign
2 2 %
— " O
lyintT^ on the snow, where it had fallen from ahove.
A little above it, ijreak^- in the snow looked a-, if matle
by the spent del)ris from a slide arrested some distance
up, perhaps at the trap led^e.
Ai^ain my shouts elicited no answer, savt; Jack's
tloleful howls, and the rustle of the bitini^ wintl. The
whole thinijf seemed clear to me. The boys, in L^oin^r
up, had detached some of the rotten masses of trap,
which had fallen upon them and either pinned them
down or crippled them so that they could not move.
Dr. Cook was still able, when the old couple passed,
to call to them, but now he had fainted, or become
numb with cold ; Jack, with a doom's instinct of calam-
ity, was howlinij^ by the side ot
his two human friends, who
were probably senseless. I
could not briuLf myself to be-
lieve that the mishap was
<rreater than this.
A f(;w steps farther showed
me the utter futility of our try-
SHOEING A SLEDGE WITH ICE.
mi
I
H
f
/,':
i:t
224 Northward over the "(^rcat Ice "
\njji; to <ro up in the darkness without lines or hatchets.
The cold alone, 1 felt sure, would not endanger the hoys,
as the temperature was comparatively mild ( -^^h. ),
and hoth were: clad in complete reindc^er suits.
'I'he proper wa\- was to return to the house with all
possible speed, and come back with the three natives,
Verhoeff, sledi^cs, lines, sleepins^r-bao's, li.L^hts, and
ever)thin!^^ necessary to (^c^t the boys down with-
out delay as soon as wc; reached them. I need not
say that I led the return to the house at a half-run,
and lonn^ before reachinir it, had decided what every
man should do, so that we could start back in less than
ten minutes. I jnished open the door with the first
order on my lips, but the si)ectacle before me left it
unuttered.
There sat the two boys at the table eati-n^r their sup-
per with excellent ajjpe-
tites. The clock over the
table recorded i 1 145 p. m.
No one who has not been
through a similar experi-
ence can understand my
feelinj^ of relief.
The story of the boys
was soon
told. They
had had
much trou-
ble in o;et-
tino^upthe
slope, and
it w^as al-
ready get-
tino- dark
w hen the
old couple SHOEING A SLEDGE WITH ICE
Preparing for the Ice-Cap Campai«;n 225
passed the cape, the boys Ixmiil;- less than half-way to
the summit. The ascent was so steep, howe\er, that
to return was impossil)le, and so, laboriously cuttinj^
steps with the heels of the Doctor's snow-shot;s, the
only implemc;nt they had, they climbed slowly up,
hani^intj^ on by tooth and nail, and tlnally reachtxl the
plateau at the top. Jack, who hatl followed them, had
trone part w^ay up the cliff and thcMi could not i^o far-
ther. TravelliuLi; aloni^ the plateau to Mile \'alley,
they descended there, and returnetl to the house over
the bay ice.
This incident perhaps seems trivial. Possibly with-
out my beini^ aware of it, the L^loom of the Cireat Nijj^^ht
had rendered me abnormally susceptible. Yet the mem-
ory of that time when Jack's mournful howl fell throui^h
the ij^loom of the sombre starless njoht upon my ears,
and I j)ictured my comrades l)'inu' up then; crippled or
dead, and thouoht of the crushing' possibilities of the
catastrophe, always comes back to me as a nii^htmare.
There was reason for my fears. Six months lat(;r,
another of my party, youni^ Verhoeff, passed to the
unknown in the full liLiht of the lon*^- summer dav,
under circumstances which previous to the catastrophe
seemed less fraui^ht with possibilities of dan^^er than
those here described.
The next day, with Mrs. Peary and Astriip, I went
dowm to the cape to rescue Jack, who had not been
able to Li^et down, but before we could t^et steps cut up
the bluff to him, nii^ht compelled me to L^ive up the
attempt.
Sunday niuht, February 21st, all my family, four-
footed as well as bipeti, were aij^ain safe within the
precincts of Red Cliff House. Durinij^ the day Dr.
Cook and I had rescued Jack from his unpleasant
perch up the Cape-Cleveland bluff, in the midst of a
succession of violent snow-squalls w'hich blinded and
•5
m
<-i
i*.
* 1
226 Northward over the "Great Ice"
1 '
k 1
i t
half-suffocatcd us, and almost tore us from our preca-
rious position, where, llattcMied against the hhitf. we
clunij^ witli hands and feet to shallow steps which we
had cut with hatchets in the snow and ice.
It was with a feelinij^ of relief that I finally reached
the foot of the cliff with the whinini^' and tremhlinij^
brute, my face stun*^ almost to hleedinLi^ with the
snow, and arms and lejj^s achini; from the continued
grip upon the ste[)s.
On our return, we met Mrs. Peary, who had started
to bring us somt? lunch, but had Ix'en blinded and
bewildered by the snow, and actually hurled from
her feet by the fury of the wind, which obligcMl her,
bruised and breathless, to creep for shelter among the
blocks of the ice-foot.
It had been a savage wei?k. The wild rush of the
fohn, with its phenomenal high temperatures through
this region, had transformed the atmosph.ere into a
tumultuous cauldron of fit:rce winds which even the
returning cold had not yet fettered.
The week beginning Monday, b'ebruary 2 2(1, in-
troduced a surprising experience in arctic regions.
Some of us were attacked by an ailment that was
unmistakably the grip, and we did not recover from
its effects for several weeks. On Tuesclay, Mrs.
Peary was violently ill, and the ailment soon became
epidemic at Red Cliff. We thought the- outbreak
was traceable to the extraordinary storm of the pre-
vious week. . Mrs. Peary, Gibson, and both of my
I^skimo women, with their babies, were the first vic-
tims, and none of us entirely escaped, thougli my
share of the intliction did not come until March 28th,
when I was confined to the house for several days.
Of course the Red-Cliff colonv celebrated Wash-
ington's birthday. We spread an api)etising banquet,
and our usually simple fare gave way to a bounteous
Prcparin<^r for the Ice-Cap Campaign 22^
suppK' of l)r<)il(.'d, L;uillL'in()t l)r('a.-.ts, venison [)asty.
pcindowch', u;rL'cn peas, corn, liebfrauniilch, and choc-
olate. Ciibson set out witli liis rille to look for the
seals I had seen off Cape Cleveland, and Annowkah
went up the hay to hunt for seal holes. Gibson
returnt.'d without seeinL]^ any seals, hut Annowkah re-
ported a seal hole and saw a deer in the neiohhour-
h )od of Mile Valley. Ravens wen; flyini^ over the
house, and other sio^ns of returninL^ animal life were
increasintr. At noon on March 2d, the thermome-
ter registered —43° F.
MATT AND ANNOWKAH RETURNING FROM THE DEER HONT.
I drilled throuij^h the bay ice east of the tide gaun;-(j
and found its thickness to be three feet eiu^ht inches.
The February thaw, toL^ether with a blankest of snow,
had stopped all increase in the thickness of the ice for
iW
1 •
V I.
r
t\
y
1 1 i
228 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
several weeks. The snow on the \cv. weij^lied it down
till the water rose nearly to its surface. The- low
teinperatures resulted in nunierous mist-wreaths
alouL!^ the shore of the bay and the icebero^s, and our ice
for nu;llinij^ purjjoses, when brought into th(t house
and dropped into the j)ails()f wattT, snai)pc:d, crackled,
and fell to pieces. I'he sound reminded mv. of the crack-
lin_<:f of wood in pleasant fireplaces in the home land.
The low temperatures also led Ikwa to ii^ive his
sledLj^e shoes of ice, a process that interested mc very
much. First, he covered the bottoms of the runners
with a continuous strip of thick walrus hide, 2k inches
wide, with the hair on. This was fastened on by
rawhide lashini^s passed throuj^h slits cut in the
edo^es. When this was frozen hard, a coating- of wiow
dipped in warm urine was applied and shaped and
pressed with the hands, until the entire length of the
runner was covered three-fourths of an inch to
an inch thick. This, in
turn, was allowed to
freeze solid, and then
chip[)ed and smoothed
with a knife, and finally
rubbed down with the
hand dipped in water.
Here is a section of the
finished runner.
On the niixht of March
2d, with the temperature
— 35° F. — Kennan's limit
of comfort in Siberia —
I took my reindeer baj^
and slept outside on the
snow. Leavintr the house, dressed in my complete fur
travellini^- suit, I took a walk on the bay, and then return-
ing, undressed in the open air. to my undershirt and a
'f--\(U^
SECTION OF ICE-SHOE.
Preparing;' for the Ice-Cap Campaign 229
pair of reindeer socks, L^ot into my ba^', arranij^eil it all
without the stimulus of foot! or hot tea, and in a few min-
utes was comfortable, and slept well throuj^h the nielli.
Thursday morninLi^, March ;d, Matt and Annowkah
startetl after deer to the head of the ba)', with the
/^n'uccss sledjj^e, sleepinLj-j^'ear, and five days' i)ro-
visions. Jack, my NewfountUantl doi;, easily drai^i^ed
their sledij^e, weiL^^hinij^ over 150 jjounds, alont^ the ice-
foot. Next day, Ikwa, who had ^one around Caj)e
Cleveland aft r tleer, returned with a fine animal, and
this opened the sprini^ hunting season.
.-- ,». *
•^ '
ESKIMO BITCH AND PUPPIES.
From noon until sunset on March 4th, there was a
parhelion, of which only the upper and rii^dit-hand
images were visible, the rest of the phenomenon be-
ing hidden behind the cliffs, and the sun being too
I
A
\ %
fill
230
Northward over the "(ircat Ice
I
1 •
i
I I
low for tlu' lower imai^c. After the sun i^ot past Cape
Cleveland, tht-re was a hriL^ht jx-ncil of \'\'J,\\i streaming
uj)warcl from the orh antl about eleven decree's loniL^.
The anL,ailar radius of the parhelion circle was 22.V' I'.
I''or the ajjpearance of the parhelion, see ])a!L;'e 24.:;.
After lunch, Sunday, March 6th. Matt antl Annowkah
returned, having' shot four deer. I'hey had slej)t in a
snow ij^loo and suffered no discomfort, thouidi the out-
side temjx'rature had been from 40" V. to -50" V. at
Red Cliff House, and possibly lower where they were.
It should be remembered that one of these me'U was of
African descent, and his only experience of tempera-
ICE-CAP BEYOND FOUR-MILE VALLEY.
tures away from his home had been oained in the tropi-
cal climate of Central America. The season had opened
very auspiciously. Our total record now was thirty-
six deer. The sprins^ deerskins were quite different
from those secured in the fall, beiuL^ much lis^diter and
thinner as to the leather. The fur was as heavy, but
seemed to have no adhesion to the skin, and we were
unable to make any use of them.
About 4:30 r.M., on March 8th, the sun, just before
settino^, shone, for the first time, on the house, and on
the 14th, it shone for the first time on the window of
my room.
r 'i
Preparing;- for the Ice-Cap Campaii^n -\ii
Late on the afternoon of March i 2tli. (iihson and
Annowkali rt-turncd from a hiintini,^ trip to iMxc-Cihi-
cicr X'alU-y with two iK-crskins on the sIciIl^c. (iihson
had k'ft tlu! house with a forniiilahle (•(luipnicnt to
protect him against tlie coKl, l)iit had never openetl
his clothes-l)a.il^, and had left it on the hay ice all the
time he was huntin_L(. He said the t(Mni)erature in
their snow i^rloo was from +40" I\ to +45" 1'".
Saturilay, March 19th,
mv Mskimo bitch <rave
birth to a litter of nine
pups, only one of which
was a male. Later I ob-
served, frequently, this
disproportion of the
sexes amont^ the doi^s,
antl noted the same pe-
culiarity in tlu; propor-
tion of the sext:s amon<r
the natives. The female
children are considerably
in excess of the males.
This seems a wise pro-
vision of nature to con-
tinue the species. I com-
pleted my sledLje the
same day, and was much pleased with it. It weii^hed
twenty pounds, was twelve feet five inches loni(, thir-
teen feet one inch lon^^ from tip to tip of runners, and
sixteen inches wide.
Monday, March 21st, I started (;arly for the ice-cap
east of Four-Mile X'alley, to observe the conditions on
the Inland Ice, which was soon to be my route to the
far North. The morninij^ was cU-ar and calm. I took
\vith me my lunch, a ritle. an aneroid, th(;rmom(;ter,
and snow-shoes. My costume consisted of a very lii^ht
KOKO.
I
i "
(
fi ll
I I
232 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
woollen undcrsliirl.. a pair of li.^lu woollen socks, a
pair of blanket foot-wraps, a li^ht woollen skiill-caj). a
reindeer-skin kooletah, a pair of do^^skin trousers,
a pair of kamiks, and a pair of deerskin and blanket
mittens — a total weight of ahoiit twelve.- pounds — less
than that of a winter costunu; at home.
On leavinj^ i\\v. hay, I jnit on my snow-shoes and
kept them on until I reached the ice-cap. In the nar-
row part of the valU^y,
most of the surface was
covered with ice, form(;d
after th(.' I'ehruary rain-
storm, and in placets the
bed of the valley torrent
showed that there had
been a considerable
stream runnin^,^ there
durinir the storm.
On the ice-cap a fresh
breeze was blowinjj^, and
thou|[^h the sun was shin-
inj^ brii^duly, and there
was blue sky overhead,
all the upper part of McCormick Hay was hiilden by
lead-coloured cumulus clouds, and In_L(lefield Ciulf lay
invisible behind a dazzliuL,^ white mist. I took off my
snow-shoes, the surface beini,^ so hard that my feet
made no impression on it, and walked alonj^ briskly
over the marble pavement. Every inequality had been
formed by south-east winds ; and it seemed to me that
on the ice-cap proper the wind must blow almost in-
variably from a direction between south and east.
On the top of the first swell of the ice-cap, at an
elevation of about 3000 feet, I was surprised to find
coarse, jj^ranular ice similar in appearance to places on
the bay where the wind had scoured the snow away.
THE WIDOW NUIKINGWAH.
I 'i
Preparing foi the Icc-Cap Cainpaij;!! ^^j
Beyond this there was lianl snow ajL^ain. At an eleva-
tion of ;S2^ feet. I surmounted the second swell ami
had before nie. apparently, an extensixc level, allhoui^h
the snow-drift nia\ have l»een dece|)li\e.
Here I took ni)' huuh, seated upon the snow, with
ni)- hack to the wind ; and although it was hlowin^^ a
i^ale, and the air was thick with ilriftinn snow. whiK,-
the swin^iint; thermometer read — ^^2" l'\, 1 ate my lunch
d','lil)eratel\' and in comfort. .So much for reindeer
clothin)^'. Had 1 been clad in woolk-ns 1 could not
have remained ([uic:t an instant.
i'urninn- hack ami scuddiuL;- hefore the i;ale. it
ditl not take Ioiil;- to rt.'ach the head of the vall<\-. I
was fairly hlown down th(; s.,M)r!L,a' and out into the
hav, where I found the faint slechre trail and followed
it through the hlindiuL;- drift l)\' feeling, rather than
I) ,■ siij^ht, till I reached the house. I was much pleaseil
to attain the elevation of 3S00 feet on the Inland \cv.,
so easily and (|uickl\'. I was also interested in these
meteoroloL^ical notes' :.
'I\'mi)t-T;itiirt.' on the li:i\ in tlu' shade ~.ii" ''•
'reniperature on the liay in tlie Min — 29' "
IJaronieter -9-9''^ "
Attached thermometer -\-z,2 "
Temi)erature in the vallev at an elevation of 1400 "
feet ■ -35^ -
Temperatnre in the vallev, thermometer exposed "
to the snn a<;ainst a rock ~ '5 "
I'aronietiT ~^-5o "
Attached thermometer +7-' "
'rem])eratiire at the summit ~ ^-^ "
IJarometer 26 07 "
Attached thermometer +4° "
The temperatures shown hy the attached thermo-
meter of the aneroid are interestino^, as L,nvino- the
'The thermometer was a mercurial suini^ (II, J. (Ireen, Xo. (i()-,i). Tlie
barometer was a Keuffel ami Esser i-*4-iiich aneroiil readint; to Sooo feet.
i
I
V i
\'H
m
234 Northward over the "Great Ice"
tcm|)(;ratiir(;s insicU- my kooh^tah. TIk! l)aromct('r was
carried suspended from a strino- about m)' iH;ck and
lumi; on my cliest het\V(-(;n my kooletali and under-
shirt. Th.e temperature f)f +52" 1*'. was the comfort-
abh; warmth pro(lucc;d hy brisk walking; on the bay ;
tlie hit^h temperature of -I-72" I\ was caus(;d by the
exercise of chmbinir up tlic; steep valley in th(; sun ;
and the low but not uncomfortable; temix-rature of
+40" I\, by my cessation of
(exercise whih' (;atin_L^ lunch in
th(; thirty-two-deL(r(M's-b(;low-
z(.'ro trale on the icocap.
March, on the whoh,-, was a
blusterinij;^ month, with many
snow-s(|ualls and \(.'r\' low tem-
j)eratures during; the first part.
'I'he week following m\' recon-
naissance of the ic<;-cap was
one of continuous blusterintj^
weather. Vhc wind howled
over the cliffs and about the;
house, lik(; a j)ack of woKcs,
and the air was constanlK' full
of a blinding' drift of snow. No
phase of the weather, howexcr,
interrupted our busy j)rej)ara-
tions for tin; coming' campaign.
As soon as we could see to
work out-of-doors, in the latter
part of February, we were busy with sled^t^-makint^'^
and other articles of our outfit, in temperatures of
— ic)" 1\ to —25"!'". In these temperatur(;s I usually
worked in m\' (io^skin trousers, an undershirt, and a
L;uernse\-. Saturday afternoon, March 26th, it cleared,
and Northumberland and llakluyt Islands were visibk;
for the first time in six days.
THK WIDOW'S MITE.
• (,
r.i' \
Preparing for the Ice-Cap Cainpaii^n
1 ■> "
There was, however, no doiil)! in my mind that the
wint(;r, as a whole, liad 1)(hmi mild ; that there had been
an unusual auKnintof o|)(;n water in Smith Sound ; and
that the heavy, and I think exce|)ti()nal, snow-fall
had kept tlu; ice comjjarativc^ly thin, which would facil-
itate its hreakiuL,'' upc-arly in th(; summ(;r. 'Idle month
went out like a lamb, with occasional sunshine and a
little li_L(ht snow. On the side (jf the roof (,'Xj)Ose(l to
the sun, the th(trmonu;ter, laid on t\ui tar red jja|)er, n-ad
-I-32A " 1*'. The snow was disappearint^^ in the form
of vapour, and there were little tricklings of water
down the tarred paper.
EASTERN END OF HERBERT ISLAND.
On Monda)', April 4th, our old friends, Klayu, the
widow, with Ikt two dauL^hters, Tookumin^wah and
Inerh-ah ; Nuikin<4wah, anoth(;r widow, with her child,
whom W'v. had not seen before;, and two men, came in
from a little north of Cajje \'ork. They said then-
had been much wind th(;r(; during the winter. The
pn^vailin^" wind at C"a|)e York had been from the
south, but all alonij; the north coast the wind had
couK; from off the shore, 'ihere had not been mncli
snow, nor had it been \('r\' cold. Off Akjjani (Saun-
ders Island ) then; was open water and th(; ice was thin.
One; of the men put his hands about fifteen inches
fi
* I
n
w
'J^'
*.
1 '-
f
f
i
236
Northwani over the "(ircat Ice"
apart, to show thc^ thickness of the ice. During: the
forenoon a very affectionate couple came in on foot,
the man with an oltl ritle with the stamp, " Tower,
i<S6cS," on it. 1 was up till after midni^dit, taking
photoij^raphs of the new subjects.
OnTuesday, April 5th, I sent Gibson with Kessuh
and his five do<rs, to take Inland-Ice supplies to the
head of the bay, and then l(0 to iMve-Cdacier Valley,
to hunt deer for several days. I hired three fine do<rs
for the Inland-Ice trip, and immediately started with
them for the east end of Herbert Island, partly to get
K ^
' \
H
■*«?-
THE FIRST LOAD FOR THE ICE-CAP.
some blubber cached there, for Megipsu and her fam-
ih', and partly to tr\' the dogs. Astriip and Annowkah
accompanied me, and I took my long sledge. We left
RedClitf Mouseat 10:15 a.m., passed Cape Cleveland at
eleven o'clock, and rt;ached the east end of Herbert Isl-
and at three I'.m. Fhert; we found several ruined stone
igloos, two of which had l)een fixed up and made habit-
able. They were l)uilt of large red, santlstone slabs.
The e\trt;me east end of Herbert Island is a hne bold
cliff of dark red sandstone, with a cap one hundred
t^
N
M
^-r,I.iti.,
'V
Preparing for the Ice-Cap Campaign
to one hundred and fifty feet thick of ho;hter sandstone.
The entire end of the ishmd is unscalable. 1 stopped
lonjj^ enough to make tea and take our lunch in one
of the i|,doos, d'n^ out the blubber from its pile of
stones and iret it down to the sled^re. Then, at ^:^o
P.M., we started on the n'turn. With a L^^ross load of
about three hundred pounds, the dou^s went alono- very
well for some time, but irettinu- tired, and I havino;
broken my whip, they shirked their work, and Astriip
TALAKOTEAH AND HIS FAMILY.
and Annowkah had to take turns pulliuL;" with them.
At 11:15 w(; passed Cape Cleveland a^ain, and at
I loS I entered Red Cliff House, havinQf been al)sent
13I- hours, of which i 1 J| were spent travelling'.
I'Viday, April 8th, (}ibson and Kessuh returned
in the afternoon, havinu' had no luck huntinL--. I
M
1(1^'
^3^
Northward over the "Great Ice"
t .1
( 1^
^f
1
f
l\ i
purchased all five of Kcssuh's doij^s. Next morning,
I started ai^ain with Kcssuh, six doi^s and slcds^c for
the east end of Herbert Island, We reached the
island at three I'.m., ^ot a little do^- meat, travelled
alonsj^the north shore of the island. cIul;' out two cached
seals, and reached home at 11:45 ''•^'- ^ he distance
from Red Cliff House to Kioktoksuami, at the east
end of Herbert Island, antl return, by odometer, is
28.12 miles, so that my new sledge on the two trips
had travelled about sixty miles. Our last trip was
made on a perfect day, thouL;h the thermometer was
below —20° F, Even while riding- on the sledge, I
was comfortable in m\- doL^skin trousers, no drawers,
a Jaros undershirt, and sealskin timiak. Durinu^ the
return journey, Kessuh complained of the cold and
rejjeatedly warmed his hands by jolacino- them under
his foxskin coat upon his bare stomach. The opera-
tion sj^ave me the first shiver I had experienced. He
told me he knew of lar^e iron rocks ( prolxibly the iron
mountains of Sir John Ross) n(;ar Cape York.
Sunday, A[)ril loth. was a Ijeautiful day, which I
eave up entirelv to readinir and baskintr in the sun
on the roof. On Monday, April iith, Astriip, Matt,
Kuku. and Kyo, with one sledge and ei^ht doL^s,
started for the head of the bay with supplies for the
Inland-Ice trip. Matt returned at ei^ht p.m., with the
sledi^e and doj^s. The others were to remain at the
head of the bay for three da\s, carrying- the supplies
up on the Inland-Ice and hunting;- deer. Mrs. Peary
and I were busy preparing- pea soup and bacon-fat bri-
quettes for the ice-cap journey.
Tuesday, April 12th, Kessuh started oh with a
L^un in the forenoon after seals, and while we were at
lunch he returned with a family consisting- of Tala-
koteah — father. Arrotini^wah — mother, Ooblooah —
son, and Nettuh — daughter, frcm Cape York. Return-
kA.
\
Preparing for the Ice-Cap Campaign 239
ing behind their sledge was poor old I-'raiik, one of
niy Xewfoundhmd do^s. Me aKva)s seemed to prefer
native society to ours, and had stra\ed away with
a dei^artini^ company of I'^skimos al)oiit tiiree months
l)efore. He returned poor in llesh, scarred, hmpin^'
from many hatth's with the wolf-fan^j^ed h^skimo
doL^s, and scarcely able to mo\-e, but he showed the
same curled lip !:)y way of a smile; as of old, when I
spoke to him. as he strui^ij^led up the j)ath and threw
himself dowm. The [)oor old veteran had had a hard
winter of it. Some one had tied around his neck a
bearskin collar, whether as charm or token of rever-
ence I do not know.
ywKlii^^w, .r^-,- 0.^:^
■MK^^
i^ .,«■
■ **^;.-
FRANK, THE RETURNING PRODIGAL.
Thursday, April 14th, I sent Matt to the head of
the bay wnth 145 pounds of pemmican. The other
party returned at dinner time from their work at the
head of the bay. Astriip had secured one deer, and
taken six loads up the bluff to the ice, leavinL!^ nine
loads on the shore. Matt returned at eiyfht I'.m., hav-
injr left his load of pemmican at Hanj^in^- Glacier, on
account of the snow. Saturday about midnij^ht, an-
I
'A
1
BBJUi l W'W..
i
i;
\\
240 Northward over the "Great Ice"
other family of I^.skimos, a man, woman, and little hoy,
and, h(;st of all, four do^^s, arrived. The doi^s were
immediately purchased.
In the morninj,^, Talakoteah, his wife, hoy, and ij^irl,
with Kessuh and Kla)u's little i^nrl, left us. Talako-
teah took letters which he promised to i^'ive to any
whalinL^ captain whom he miu^ht see ai Cape York.
It was a novel sensation
to see him leave; us carry-
ino^ a mail. This native
was al)out to return to
his home, over two hun-
dred miles south of us.
It was the hn;t time that
an explorer had confided
toanyof the Arctic High-
landers mail matt(;r in-
tended for civilised lands.
I helieved that the I"!ski-
mo, some time durino-
the season, would have
an opportunity to i^ive
the letters to the captain
of one of the whalers
which every year reach
the nei<4hb{)urh()od of
Cape York and then cross
over to their whalinij^
q-rounds in Lancaster
Sound. If we were not
ahle to communicate
otherwise with civilisa-
MY ESKIMO MAIL CARR-EH. ^\'''' ^^'''^ V^''^''' ^ thoU-ht
there was a stron?^^^ proba-
hility that this mail, in the course of tlie year, would
reach America and inform our fric;nds how thin<rs had
Prcparin*^' for the Ice-Cap Campaign 241
^one with us during ihc loni^ winter ni^ht and up to
the time that we were about to l)eij;-in our sledj^nno-
work. I LTave niv mail carrier a hatche-t by way of
postaj^e. and he faithfully carried out tlie trust. He
L,^ave the packaLj'e of letters to Captain Phillips of one
of the Dundee whalers and in tlue time thi;y reachetl
London. When forwarded to the United States, the
packaj^e bore the date. " London, 1 )ecember 7th, i Sg2."
'1 he letters reached their destination about three
SOME OF MY DOGS.
months after my return home. One of them, addressed
to " The Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences,"
was as fellows :
" Red Ci.iik Hoi'se, Whai.k Sut'nd, April 15, i8(j2.
" I send tills letter by an I'lskinio leturninsj; to his iiome at
Ca])e York, with the exi)ectation that he will hand it to the cap-
242 Northward over the "Great Ice"
^
)
h'
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tain of one of tlie wlialt.TS. Although I expect to l)e home be-
fore this can reach you, 1 send it in view of possible (oiitin-
gencies.
I am very glad to say that the programme of the expedition
has, with one exception, been carried out to the letter up to date.
The one exce|)tion is the failure, after two attempts, to establish
an advance depot at Humboldt (llacier last fall.
" My i)arty has passed through the ordeal of the dark night
without injury and is now in good condition. I have a com-
plete e(piii)ment for the Inland-Ice trip, obtained partly by trade
with the natives, but mostly through our own exertions. My
l)arty has obtained forty-one reindeer, eleven walrus, four seals,
one ()(>x^S(ii>/x\ and some three hundred guillemots and little auks
to date.
" The friendliest relations have been established and main-
tained with tiie natives, and valuable ethnological material ob-
tained.
" A continuous series of tidal and meteorological observations
have been taken.
" I shall start for the south side of the Sound Monday, after
additional dogs, and, if successful in obtaining them and the snow
is not too dee]), sliall make the round of Inglefield (iulf, return-
ing in time to start on tiie Inland Ice May ist.
" \ large jjortion of my su])plies have already been carried up
to the ice-cap at the head of the I>ay.
" 'l"he winter has been a mild one and marked by great snow-
fall.
" In tlie middle of February a furious, two days' rain-storm de-
nuded portions of the country of snow and threatened Red Cliff
House with inundation.'
"(.SVv^//r</), R. R. Pr.AKV, U. S. Navy."
'By fi singular coincidence, this letter anfi a |icrsonal one to Gen. I. J. W'istai-,
the Presiilent of the Academy, tiianking liini for his ])o\verful assistance in ()l)tnin-
ing leave for me to undertake a second expedition, were both read at the same
meeting of the .Academy. In the interim lietwecn the letter leaving me, tucked
in the corner of Taiakoteah's scalskia bag, and its ariival at its destination,
I had made my trail across Cireenlaiid's mighty ice-buss, to witiiin eight de-
grees of the Pole, had returned to Ked Cliff, had steame<l from there south-
ward some three thousand nules, had had a two months' rest, had seen that the
time and the occasion were rijie for another blow at the \\'liite North, had,
through tlie iniluence of (ien. Wistar and powerful friends, obtained the neces-
sary leave, and was already busy with preparations for the next trip.
i
t
t
Preparing for the Ice-Cap Campaign 243
Easter Sunday, April i 7th, was an exquisite day,
but a busy one, for we had many preparations to
make for our start next morninjj;- on the sledt^e jour-
ney around Ini^defield Gulf, which Mrs. Peary and I
were jroinir to make.
I gave Kyo a tj^un and sent him out ifter seal, and
he soon returned, havinLj shot the first seal of the
season.
I now had fourteen serviceable doo^s, not count-
in^r old Frank, and this meant much for the Inland-
Ice trip. Everythinij^ looked brij^^ht for the loni^
journey into the unknown, towards which all these
months of work and waitino^ had constantly tended ;
and I was happy in the thoui^ht that at last we were
on the very threshold of the undertaking that had
brought us to the "White North."
>^^#^^f^''%w/^^
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CHAPTIik IX.
Akorxi) iN(;i.r.iii:i,i) (;ri.i' i!v si.r.ix;!:.
Till-: Stakt— Oi'KN Watkk— A Snow Vii.i.a(;k— Old Fkikm.s and Nkw—
A Rkii IIauvi.st or Skai.— Si.kkpi.kss Nkiiit in a Xativk hii.ou—MKKK-
losiiAK, Till, Oni;.F.viti l!i:AR-IIrNn u o|- NETiin.t'MK—l'iki masks oi-
I)o(,s AND Firs— iTTiiii.oo and us (;i.A(||.k— Mv W'oir ri;AM-FNA( vi-.
1:A( V OK THK ClIAUTS— KKMAKKAIIKK I'ANoRAMA okMoIMAIN am. (;i.\( IKK
AT THK IIkAD ok TlIK (U'l.K— A.N INVOLUNTARY lUllI — IfoMK Ai;aIN.
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CHAI'TI'R IX.
AROUND IN{il,KMi:i,I) (ill.l' \\\ SLKlx;!'.,
A
I'l'l'lR three weeks'
postponement of
my proposed trip
around W'liale Sound and
Inglefield Ciulf, due tu-st
to thick weatlier in tlie
latter part of Marcli. then
to my own inoj)portune
attack of the \^\'\\h the i-f-
fects of wliicli cluuLi' to me
after the original attack
was over, and succumbed
finally only after two vij^^orous tramj)s to llc^rhert
Island antl back to MmX Cliff, I at last L;()t under
way at noon on Monda)' after l^asler, Ajjril iSth. The
purj:)ose of the trip was threefokl ; to complet(,- the
necessar\- complement of doL^s for th(; ice-cap march ;
to purchase furs and materials lor our ecjuipment; and
as far as practicable map the shores of th(? s^reat inlet.
The day was clear and bright, with a mild south-west-
erly wind, the temperature about i i" above zero. The
party consisted of Mrs. Feary, Ciibson. K)-o ( bather
Tom), my driver, and myself. I had two sletl^cs and
ten doLi^s. The supplies for a week's journey about
the Gulf and sleepinu;--2;"ear and miscellaneous equij)-
247
M
♦
'
1 1
l\ i
I
24^ Northward over the "Great Ice"
mcnt were j)ack('(l upon the larger of the two (.\oir
slcdi^cs whicli I had myself built at Red Cliff during-
th(? winter. To this sledge were attached seven dogs,
with Kyo as driv-
er, Mrs. Pear)- and
myself tramping
besick,' or in the
rear of the sletlge,
as fancy or the
condition of the
snow (lic'tated.
Gibson had the
second sledge,
which was like the
large ono, though
lighter and small-
er, and thrc" dogs
for his tt'am. as he
luul i)racticall\' no
loatl. 1 le was not
to make the en-
tire round of the
Gulf with us, but
simpK to acconi-
pan)- us as far as
Keate, where I
expected to j)ur-
chase a load of
walrus meat for
m\- dogs. and have
him take it back to Red Cliff. I'anikpa. with his wife
Irkoliu' I and their dwarf child, with a sledge and four
dogs, started with us, intending to accompany us part
wa)'.
As we passed down over the ice-foot and out ui)on
the surface of the l)a\-, the northern shores of Herbert
PANIKPA AND HIS FAMILY.
A^
/tC-.\
Around Inglcficld Gulf by vSlcd^c 249
anil Northunil)(.'riancl Islands stood out sharp and
clear ai^ainst th<^ blue of \.\\v. south-western sky.
LookiuL!^ south-west to Cai)c^ Robertson and the
distant cliffs of P(;terahwik beyond, 1 was reniindcxl
very strongly of the view northward alonjj^ the west-
ern shore of Disco Island as the A'/'/r l)eLj^an to swinsj^
into a northerly course after leavinj^ Godhavn. Pass-
im;^ rapidly along^ the now well-beaten hicrhway to
AT THE SNOW VILLAGE.
Cape CK;veland, I was a^ain very forcibly impressed
with tlu' _u;reat similarity I)etween the nortlK^rn shore
of Herbert Island and the south-eastern shore of
iMcCormick I^ay, and the sharply marked diflerenci;
of character between Herbert and Xorthumberland
Islands. Northumberland is e\i(l(,'ntly a i)art of the
same dark granite formation that walls Robertson
Bay in tinverino- u-rantleur, while Herbert Island is a
part of the same cruu'.blin^-, disintegrated sandstone
and drift formation which reaches from Cape Clevi;-
land to Howdoin P)ay in Murchison Stnnid.
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Around Inglefield Gulf by Sledge 251
At Cape Cleveland we separated, Panikpa with
his equipage keeping along the beaten path which
wound away through the bergs to the deserted igloos
of Kiaktoksuami, under the vertical walls of the east-
ern end of Herbert island, while 1. with the rest of
the party, branched out on a new road, an air-line
for the channel between Herbert and Nortiiumber-
land Islands. A short distance away from Cai)e
Cleveland we encountered disagreeable going in the
shape of a broad zone of snow with underlying water,
caused, undoubtedlv, bv the overflow from the tidal
crack stretching from Cape Cleveland in the direction
of Cape RoI)ertson. After the first few steps in the
freezing slush, Mrs. Peary, Gibson, and myself slipj^ed
on our snow-shoes, and as the sledges easily kej^t
upon the surface of the snow, this threw the brunt
of the disagreeai)le situation upon K)o and the poor
dogs, who struggled and lloundered through the arctic
morass, until at last we reached dry snow' beyond it.
After this the travelling could Ije called quite fair,
the white expanse of the frozen Sound stretching
smoothly eastward into the recesses of Inglefield Gulf.
Arriving at the western end of Herbert Island, sevcMi
hours from Cape Cleveland, I found a decidedly search-
ing wind drawing through the narrow pass.
Stopping here for a few bearings, I had a good
opportunity to observe the inaccuracies of all the
charts in regard to this region. The charts place
Hakluyt Island to the south of the western point of
Northumberland Island, when, in reality, the island
i:i open past the northern shore of Northumberland
to an observer on the western end of Herbert.
At this point we came upon sledge tracks, and fol-
lowing them they led us across the channel towards
the eastern end of Northumljerland Island. As we
neared the shore of Northumberland, the sledge tracks
{\
252 Northward over the "Great Ice"
became more numerous, and then we came, much to
my surprise, upon an openincr in the ice, perhaps two
hundred yards wide, across which the black water was
boiHnor swiftly, thou_L,di not so swiftly as to prevent
the playful o^ambols of several seals, that kept bobbinjr
their heads up and treadino^ water to have a good
look at us.
The reason for all the sledge tracks was now evi-
I (
il
INHABITANTS OF THE SNOW VILLAGE.
dent. Kvo was at once all excitement, and betrcred
for my rifle to shoot a seal. He crej^t to the ed^e of
the hole and then lay llat upon the ice, but with the
peculiar Eskimo disinclination to waste a priceless
bullet unless absolutely sure of the game, he waited
and waited, throwing awa\' chances that any other
than an Eskimo hunier would take, until at last my
patience was exhausted, and calling him back we re-
sumed our journey. The j)resence of this pool of
water would seem to lend colour to the statement ap-
Around Injj^lcfield Gulf by Sledge
253
pearino^ upon some charts, that tlicre is o])L'n water in
this channel throu;;j^hout the year.
After leavino;^ the o|)en water, we found the surface
very firm, the wind, which is always whistlinij^ tlirouoh
this narrow channel, having- packed the snow or swept
it away. So we were all able to ride upon the sledf^e.
We had been sj^oini^ on merrily in this way for some
time when, as we neared the sharp point of rocks at
NETIULUME.
the south-eastern extremity oi Northumberland Isl-
and, my team suddenly, without a movement of the
whip, i^roke into a wild gallop and chorus of yells, and
before Mrs. Peary and myself could recover from our
astonishment, they had whirled us round tlu; rocks,
and dashed us u]) to the ice-foot in front of an I'^skimo
snow villa e.
By the lime we could step off the sledge we were
>
f a
254 Northward over the "Great Ice
f:^
I:
I fj.i
i i h
surrounded by the inhabitants, amon^rwhom wc found
several of our winter visitors from Cape York, also
Ikwa and his family, and several natives whom we
had not before seen. They had becMi attracted iieie
by the open water and the seals, and the numbers of
frozen seals lyintj^ about the houses -ind on the ice-
foot showed that they were reaping; a {plentiful harvest.
It was ten o'clock when we reached this vilhiire, and
thoujj^h still daylii^ht, a fierce wind was sweepinij;- down
Whale Sound, whistlini; about the cliffs and t^^atherinj^
its forces for the approach inij;- midnight.
Tahtahrah (the kittiwake i^ull), rather a pleasant-
faced young fellow, who had been at Red Cliff dur-
inof the winter, and who was now livinij: here with
his wife, father and mother, brother and brother's
wife, placed his snow i<(loo, th^i larircst one in the
villai^e, at the disposal of the kapitansoak and his
koojiali (wife), and the increasint^ violence of the
wind made us glad to accept the proffered hospitality.
Our rest in this igloo, however, was neither sound
nor refreshing. Mrs. Peary experienced constant and
flagrant offence to every known and unknown sense,
while I was still uncertain and a little distrustful of
the natives in connection with my dogs, remembering
my experience of the previous fall, when after pur-
chasing dogs I loaned them to their original owner
for a day and never saw them again. Consequently
I was keenly alive to every sound from my team teth-
ered out on the ice-foot, and frequently found excuses
to (TO outside and see that the dogs were all right.
When the sun rose above the clifts from his short
midnight dip, Wliale Sound, between us and Netiu-
lume, on the mainland across the Sound, was a whirl-
ing mass of golden spray. The flying snow of the in-
terior ice-cap swept down over the great glaciers at the
head of Inglefield Gulf, then through Whale Sound,
If/
..i&ii
Around Iiv^icnckl Gulf by Slcdj^c 255
and passed us, to be deposited at last out in the open
North Water. Even the Eskimos shook their heads
dubiously about g^oino- out in this blindinjj^ drift, and
as we were not obliij^ed to hurry. I waited at this vilk.<j^e
until ten a.m., when the wind subsided, and we started
westward alonof the south shore of Northumberland
Island, for the permanent settlement of Keate, about
five miles distant. We were accompanied on this
march by every man, woman, and child in the snow
KEATE PEOPLE.
village that was able to walk, and as we moved along
with the men beside or close behind our sledge, the
women behind them, and the old men and children
straggling along in the rear, I could think o' nothing
but "a circus being escorted out of a country town by
its admirers.
At Keate we found Ahngodoblaho, or "the dog
man," as we called him, because we had first known him
as the proud possessor of three magnificent Eskimo
rirnuijii
ll '
256 Northward over the "Great Ice"
(l()L(s, trainctl to flight the polar l)car, ([iiick and power-
ful as wolves, yet ap|)arently williiiij;' to he friendly.
Here also we found Mahotia, or the "Comedian," as
he had been nicknamed. These two men, with their
families, were domiciled in stone and turf igloos,
banked in now with snow, and still further protected
by loni^, narrow, snow entrances, the houses built upon
a little Ljently slopino- plateau, a hundred feet or so
above hiu-h-water line and beside a fair-sized <dacier.
THE POPULATION OF NETIULUME.
Presents of smoked-olass L^os^oles to the men,
needles to the women, and biscuits all round to the
numerous children, put (Jiu" relations with the natives
upon the most amicable basis, and in a very short
time I had purchased the three fine bear-do^s from
Ahui^odoblaho, and a generous load of walrus meat
for my doos from the "Comedian." Within an hour
after we had touched the ice-foot at Keate, Kao's whip
was crackinsjf merrilv as we dashetl raii(H\- southward
across tlu! frozen surface of Whale .^,)und on a bee-
riiUMiii-ilhOiiiritirWiiii nriMiMMiil
Around Iiiglcfickl (iulf by Slctl^c
25/
line for Nctiulunic, faithful Ikwa, with a scrub team
of youiiL,^ closes, followiiiL;- us ; while Ciibson, with his
load of im-at, and the rest of the natives, went back to
the snow villaij^e on his way to Red Cliff. I'\)ur hours
and a half lat(T we tlashecl at the ice-foot in P)arden
Hay, above which are the houses of W^tiulume.
Our cominir had bec-n seen bv the sharp e\('s of the
natives Ioul;- before we arrived, and ever\()ne was out
ready to ^reet us. We founil here some forty-odd
natives, comi)risins^, in addition to the rej^ailar inhabit-
ants of the place, somt; who had come up from Caj)e
York, and were on their way to Rv\\ Cliff Mouse, and
some who had been at Rvx\ Cliff and were now rest-
ini^ here on their way south. Amonj^ these were
Talakoteah, my
mail carrier, Kes-
suh, the Cape-
York dude, the
widow antl her
swain, and Ahhe-
yu with his little
wife. H(.'re, too,
we found quaint
old Arrotoksoah,
or " MoraceCree-
ley," and his wife,
" Saire)' Ganip."
Most interest-
inir to me of all
these natives was
Merktoshar, the
one-eyed bear
hunter, of whose
exploits every
native visitimj^ Red Cliff had had somethino;- to say.
And yet, ihouLdi Merktoshar had an old rith-, for
17
MERKTOSHAR.
i
H
in
M I.
■'I
!ll.
! !
Il
25.S Northward over the "Great Ice"
which, of course!, he must want amniunitioti, and
thouj^h \w. lived but a day's slcd^c ride from Red
Cliff House, he hail never been to our home, and
had never sent an\' messaii^e in rej^ard to tradinjj^
for ammunition. I was curious to see the man and
fmd out whether he considered the white man an
interloi)er, or whether he himself was too inde-
j)endent to call upon him. I found him extremely
inoffensive in aj)i)earance, with his lonL,^ black hair
strat^Lj^linL]^ in disorder over his one eye. I was soon
on the best of terms with him. and had no trouble in
neirotiatini^ for the two best do^rs in his famous bear-
pack. Merktoshar was actually stupid in appearance,
and moved as if half asleep, and I made uj) my mind
that his prowess had been very much overrated by his
comrades in the tribe, and laid the fact of his not hav-
ini^ come to Red Cliff House to inherent laziness.
Later I knew him better, and found that that one eye
of his, behind its veil of black hair, saw as much as
any other two eyes in the tribe ; and when I saw that
same eye snap and Li^litter, and every nerve and fibre
in his frame flash into quivering yet restrained excite-
ment, at the sound of a sinj^inij;- harpoon line, with a
hujL^e walrus strui'^ti^linu;' to i^et free, I easily imagined
him in a hand-to-hand struggle with his favourite
game, the polar bear, the "tiger of the North."
Two hours and a half at Netiulume, only long
enough for supper, and then we swung out upon the
ice of the Sound again, and started on a trot east-
ward for Ittibloo, with Merktoshar's two dogs snarl-
ing and snapping like untamed wolves at one side of
the team, and white Lion taking every opportunity
to attack them and assert his supremacy as king of the
team.
We passed a striking trap monument just east of
Netiulume, and then glacier after glacier, until, at two
' ^^'^
Around Inglcfickl Gulf by Slctlgc 259
o'clock in the morninjjf, we rmcIuicI Ittil)loo, situated
upon a point juttiii|L( out from tlie soutli sliore at the
mouth of the (Jlriks B.-"-. Ittil)loo is confcHiiuled on
some charts, as, for instance, the Arctic cliart of the
United States Hydroi^raphic Office, with NetiuhuiK!,
or NetHk, as it is called on some maps, the Eskimo vil-
lage in Harden Hay. At one time, Ittihloo was quite
a settlement, there being six stone igloos on the
PANIKPA'S IGLOO.
Type of Permanent Winter Habitation.
point, and a very considerable burial-place. At the
time of our visit, however, but one of these igloos
was inhabited, and this afforded shelter to its owner,
Panikpa, and his wife, Irkolinea, with their one
child, and Panikpa'-. father, Komonahpik, with his
third wife, Nooyahleah, and a young son of Tahwa-
na, the Eskimo living at the head of the Gulf. The
last three were visitors. Having been sixteen hours
on the march, and having had no rest to speak of
im
II
f
f.'
260 Nortluvartl over the "CJrcat Ice
t»
(I
if t«
th(; previous nij^ht, we \\cr(% as can casil\ I)(.' im-
aj^ined, l^^ooiI aiul ready for sleep. lint even under
these circumstances the prottered liospitalit\- of Pa-
nikpa's iL;ioo had no charms for us, and with the
assistance; of K\() and old Komonahpik, I half built,
half excavated, a small ii^doo in the deep snow just
above the icofoot.
and we placed our
sleepinL;-baL;s in
it and turned in.
After a t^ood
rest in this ii^doo
we turned out,
and after break-
fast climbed to
higher ground,
which enabled me
to j^et a L^^ood view
into Olriks Hay.
Here I set up my
transit, and to(jk
a round of bear-
iniis and anides.
This work com-
pleted, I made a
brief reconnais-
sance of the
neighbourhood
and of the Itti-
bloo Glacier,
w h i c h CO m e s
down through a
narrow, vertically
walled i^orge in the mountains, just west of the village,
then expands into a broad, fan-shaped extremity con-
fined by a continuous terminal moraine.
KIRSIRVIAUSU.
«>
Arouiul Iiiglctickl Gulf by Slcdj^c 201
My reconnaissance was not an extended one, owinLj
to the extrenielv dithciilt character ol the travelHiii^.
The: furious fohn of the niiihlli- of l'"ehruar\-, with its
burden of sleet and rain, as it descended o\'er the
southern cliffs of Whale Sound, hail fallen with un-
restrained fur\- upon the IttiMoo shore, had scoured
every hit of snow from th.e land, and had left the rocks
coxe-red with a thick coating" of ice, which seemed
almost as if it had been fused to them, so tirml)- was
-i-%::v <*
'ipc^^SSllS^^'^
■ vr * ••-•^f y-siS*':
MY SLEEPING TEAM.
it attached. This fact and the extremely rouirh nature
ot the reirion made travelliuLr a constant menace to
feet and liml)s.
At eii>"ht o'clock in the eveniu''" we were as^ain
under wa\-, liavin^' added to my tc-am four additional
doj^s which I obtained from Panikpa. One of these,
1 soon found, was in the acKanced stai^es of the doL,^
disease, and it was detached from th( sledij^e antl left
behind before we had t/one a hundred yards. This
left me a team of twelve, and it was worth a lon^
«
^
262 Northward over the "Great Ice
t ■■
• i.
h •
journey to sec those twelve maj^niticent beauties, with
heads and tails in the air, dash out upon the wind-
hardened surface of the Sound in their long, woltish
gallop, a veritable pack of wolves in full cry after a
deer.
Rapidly we dashed away across the mouth of Olriks
Bay for the bold bluffs opposite, and I cast frequent
and longing glances up the unknown recesses of that
arctic fjord. Never had old Norse saga greater at-
tractions for me as a boy than have these magnificent
Greenland fjords, winding between black cliffs, re-
ceiving from every side the white tribute of the gla-
ciers, and ending at last against the sapphire wall of
some mighty torrent from the interior ice-cap, a torrent
which no eyes but those of the reindeer and the
arctic falcon have ever seen. Never have I passed
the mouth of one of these fjords but that, without
volition on my part, the determination has been re-
corded to penetrate its farthest recesses. But time
was lacking now, and I was obliged to keep on.
After crossing the mouth of Olriks Bay, we kept
along near the shore, finding very good travelling,
until about three o'clock in the morning, when just
as we rounded the face of the only glacier on the
south side of Inglefield Gulf, between Olr iks and Acad-
emy Bays, we came upon a temporary sno vv igloo, which
we found to be occupied by Tahwana, with his ipiin-
gali (companion) Kudlah and their families. These
Eskimos had left their common igloo at the head of
the Gulf, and were on their way to Red Cliff, and it
beinofnow the season of the year when the seals brino-
forth their young in their snow houses near the ice-
bergs, they were travelling leisurely, and living upon
the fat of the land in the shape of both young and
old seals, w^hich they surprised in their retreats.
Stopping here just long enough to acquaint the two
:n .
,:i,fmA-m«^. **•
Around Inglcficld Gulf by Sledge 263
men with the fact that I wished to purchase from them
such material for clothini; as they mi«^dit have, we kept
on our course to the head of the Gulf, the two men
accompanyini^^ us, runnin^^ alternately behind and
alonirside of the sledi^a;. All the way up to this point
from Ittibloo, I had bee.i able to look directly into a
very considerable bay en the north side of the Gulf, a
bay extending about due north to the ice-cap, where
it ended at two or three great glaciers, separated
»'
LION ISLANDS.
Looking from Nunatoksoah.
by black nunataks. This was evidently the bay
which Astriip, in his ice-cap reconnaissance during
August, had reported as cutting across his path, and
which he and Gibson had reported as having seen,
during their September and October ice-cap journeys,
extending from near the head of Tooktoo Valley
southward to Whale Sound. Now, as we proceeded
up the Sound from Tahwana's temporary igloo, the
panorama of Inglefield Gulf began to open out l^efore
me, and I recognised as a certainty what I had for
some time surmised, that such maps as we have of
264 Northward over the "Great Ice"
I /
1 »
k
t!
hi!:
Ingleficld Oulf and the upper portion of Whale Sound
have been drawn entirely from the reports o{ the
natives, and that no e.\i)lor(;r's eye has seen this
reij;-ion beyond the rani^e of vision from the eastern
end of Herbert Island.
About six o'clock in the morninL,^ we reached
Academy Bay, and startini^^ across it for the point on
the opposite side where we were told Tahwana's
ii^^loo was situated, we reach(;d, a short distance out
in the Bay, a little
(^•neissose island.
As we had been
travelling- now
nearly twelve
hours, I tlecided
to make our next
bivouac liere,
which we pro-
ceeded to do by
spreadintr our
s 1 e e p i n l;" - 1 ) a Li' s
upon a sheltered
letloe at the foot
of a vertical rock
face exposed to
the sun. Awak-
ing;- several liours
later rested and
refreshed, we ate
our breakfast
and then climbed
to the summit of
the island, where
I set up m\- tran-
sit, and took a complete round of anj^des and a continu-
ous series of photographic views. From this little
ROCK STRATIFICATION.
Nortli Side of Little Matterliorn,
ill
■IHIIIIMHMII
i
Around Inglcfield Gulf by Sledge 265
island, which 1 named Ptarmii^^an, from the numerous
tracks upon it, t)ur course lay straiij^ht across the Tnouth
of the Hay to Tahwana's is^loo. Arriving- here, I made
no stop excejjt to unload my sledij^e, and then, with Kutl-
lah for driver, kejjt straii^ht up the Gulf (eastward for the
L,rreat L,daci(T, whose t^deaminij^ face we could distinctK'
see from the ij^doo. It was just after mitlni^ht when we
left Tahwana's. and we found the snow much deei)c.T
and softer beyond here, and the travelling was conse-
* ^- V,M,A
r
FACE OF HEILPRIN GLACIER.
([uently more laborious. Two or three miles before
reaching- the glacier itself, we passed a small island ol
rock, which, seen from the west, is such a perfect coiui-
terpart, on a small scale, of the Matterhorn, that 1
named it at once the Little Matterhorn. M\ objectivt-
point was one of the rocky iskunls, half buri('d in the
face of the glacier, and probably destined soon to be-
come a nunatak. Reaching the shore of this island and
telliu"- Kudlah to look out for the dogs and sledge. Mrs.
w
I I
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1 f * •'-
■\
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266 Northward over the "Great Ice"
Peary and 1 put on our snow-shoes and climbed to the
summit, over the roui^di rocks and across the deep drifts
of snow. I'Vom tliis point we commanded the entire
width of the sT^reat Macier, from the main shore of the
(nilf to the south, and comparatively near us, north-
ward to the distant Smithson Mountains.
An archijjelao'o of small islands here is evidently a
•■^erious obstacle' to the threat sj^lacier, and has resulted
in dellectinir the icc;-stream north-westwartl, so that
practically its entire (nittlow is north of the islands
and between them and the Smithson Mountains. It
is a mi^rhty ice-stream, exceedin^,^ in size the glaciers
of Jacobshavn, Tossukatek, or Great Kariak, and I
christened it the Heilprin Cilacier.
I was anxious to iret northward into the north-east-
ern anjde of the (lulf, and on descending- to the
sledge told Kudlah to drive in that direction. He
said it would be very difficult and slow travelling, as
the snow was alwa\s deep over there, and the sharp
blocks of ice were troublesome. However, as I in-
sisted on going, he cracked his whip and started the
team in the desired direction. It was not long, how-
ever, before I found that Kudlah was right. As we
got away from the south shore of the Ciulf I found
the snow increasing in depth and lightness, and the
sharp fragments of ice from the glacier, which had
been caught in the new ice when it formed, and which
we now found thickly scattered along our course,
their sharp edges completely hidden beneath the soft
snow, threatened almost constantly the destruction
of my sledge runners. Under these circumstances I
was constrained to halt at the most northerly island
of the group, and while Mrs. Peary curled herself on
the sledge in the sun for a nap, Kudlah and myself
climbed to the summit of the island for another
round of bearings.
.•4i.
Around In^lcficld Gulf by Sledge 267
On this island \vc found deer tracks so fresh that I
have no doubt one or two of tlie animals were on the
island at the tini(,' of our visit ; hut 1 had no time to
chase them, and, descendinj^ to the sledi^^e, we startetl
back for Tahwana's isj^loo, and rt-ached it ajj^ain after
an absence of ten hours.
Ai^ain we resisted the seductive lu.xury of a native
i^loo, and spread our bags upon the bay ice on the
TAHWANA AND HIS FAMILY.
sunny side of the ice-foot ; but, as it was our first, I
think it will be our last selection of such a place for a
camp. After sleepin^^ I know not how lonjj;', I was
awakened by unpleasant sensations, and found my
sleeping-bag full of water, and the site of our camp
transformed into a pool of sen^ii-licpiid slush, caused
by the overflow of the risin^r tide throuLfh a crack in
the ice-foot near us. Jumping out of m\- bag with
I?
'■I
11 '
P Mil
': '/
268 Northward over the "Great Ice"
th(; utmost cc-lcrity, I found that Mrs. Pcarx's head
and the mouth, of her baj^ were just on the shore of
the httle pond, and the water had evidcMitly as yet
neither reached the mouth of her l)aL,r nor soaked
throujj^h the ha_L( itself, for she was still calmly sleep-
in^-. Knowinorthat any movement on her part would
be likel)- to let the; water into her ha^-, I seized her,
bai^ and all, and stood her on end, in the same irrever-
FACE OF HURLBUT GLACIER.
ent manner that a miller ends up a hiv^ of meal ;
then, before she was fairly awake, she was carried out
of the water, and tleposited upon the dry snow.
This experience was a \-er\- empliatic illustration
of the serious discomfort and inconxciiience to Arctic
travellers resultinL,^ from o-ettin^^^ thc'ir c'(iuipment wet.
My slc«'pino--l)aj4' and some few articU^s ot clothin;^
that tlid not escape the inundation were not thoroughly
MNMB
I*
i
Around Inglcfickl (iulf by Sledge. 269
dried until ditvv we 'cachctl Rctl Cliff, thrt-t; tlays
later. While Mrs. Peary, now thoroiiLildy awakened,
beat and scraped as much of the fro/en slush from
our furs as she could, antl then spread them out to L^et
all [)ossil)le benefit from the sun's ra\ s, I looked over
the sealskins and other articles that Tahwana was
willino" to let me have, and soon effected a trade, as
the result of which he became the happ\' possessor of
a lonLi-coveted saw, a hunting- knife, a hatchet, and
several minor articles.
After completing; the trade and loading- my pur-
chases ui)on the sletl^i^e, withanumbe-r of young" seals,
we started on our return down the Ciulf.
Crossing the mouth of Academ\- Hay from Tahwa-
na's igloo, we sto[)ped again at Ptarmigan Island
and I climbed once more to the summit to fix pre-
ciseh' the bearing of one or two points across the head
of the Culf. Returning to the sU'dge. I was fortunate
in securing two of the beautiful whiti! birds after
which I had named the island. Perft^ctl)- whiti", cUitl
strutting about the little rock with slow steps cUid
erect heads, the y acted as if the\- were indeed the
Lords of the Isle. From Ptarmigan Island down the
Gulf our progress was rathe-r slower than during our
upward journey, as m\' sledge was piled high with
seals and sealskins obtained from Tahwana.
We did not stop until we reached the temporary
snow igloo at which we had first found Tahwana.
Here the dogs were unfastcMied from the sledge and
we made preparations for our bivouac. The weather
still being perfect, as it had Ix-en throughout our
entire journe\-. I simply excavated a rectangular pit
in a convenient snow-drift with a wall of snow-blocks
ranged across the wintlward end and part way down
two sides as a wind guard. Here, after our evening
cup of tea was made, we turned in in our sleeping-bags
270 Northward over the "Great Ice
f '
and liad the; most c'ni()\al)lc and in fact the onK' iin-
intc-rruptc'd slccj) (Un^inL;" our (-ntirc journey.
Rising- rested antl refrc-shed as tlie sun rolled
round into the west, I started with Mrs. l\ar\ and
the twelve-\('ar-old l^skimo l)o\- Sipsu for an exaniina-
tion of the glacier near us. .ScalinL^- the seaward end
of its eastc;rn lateral moraine, nc reachctd the sharp
ricJL^e of the moraine and then climbed up its rapidly
^
f^^
h:-
•%
GORGE OF HURLBUT GLACIER.
/ I
ascend inLT ofradient towards the narrow Liorw in the
cliffs throuc^h which the glacier forced its wa)' from
the interior ice-cap.
This g-lacier, which I christened Hurlbut Glacier,
though not of the first magnitude, was particularl)- in-
terestino- from the almost liquid manner in which the
ice seemed to hurl itself through the (gateway of the
g'org'e. Several photographs of the glacier did not
'
f
If
I
Around Inglcficld CJulf by Sledge
271
prove as (,'ffcctiv(; as the actual view, owin^- to the
deep covering- of snow, which hid the lines of deinark-
ation between the ice and the rocks.
While we were making this reconnaissance of the
L^lacier, one of the peculiar frost showers of the arctic
spring" came swccpiuL; up the iLji'ulf from llerlx-rt Isl-
and, in the sha|)e of a blinilinn- white wall, which hid
everything- that it passed over. As it reached us,
the sun was surrounck;d by a prismatic halo, aiul the
minutest ncHidledike crystals of frost fell la/il\- through
the air. This shower passed almost as rapidK' as it
had come; uj), only to be followed by others which swi-pt
up the Ciulf, oblitc^ratinu^, as they passed, the northern
shore, even as summer showers alternately hide an-'
reveal the opi)osite shore of a broad river.
In the midst of these showers we i^'ot under way and
continued down the (lulf, sayin^,^ L(ood-bye to Tah-
wana and his famil)-. who, however, were already
breaking' cam}) i\\u\ packin^,^ their sledi^e to follow us.
Without do_L;"s, however, and encumbered by women
and children, their progress would be slow as com-
pared with that of the kapitausoak with his team of
twelve maj^nificent do_L;s. I should be at Red Cliff
in two marches, while they expected to be five or six-
days on the way.
Keepini;- eastward close by the shore for several
miles froni the snow ii^loo, we then left the now
southerly trendini;;^ shore and struck out as the crow
tlies down the centre of the Gulf for the eastern aw^X
of Herbert Island, risinjj^ far westward above the
white expanse, like the bastion of some jj^reat red
fortress. It was a lons^- and tedious pull for my doi^s,
as the snow in many placc-s was (piite deep and had
not been sut'ticienth' wind-beaten to support them.
Still they kept bravely to their work, thouj^di nothini^
is more disaijreeable to the Eskimo do<j^ than a slow,
(
if
«(l
272
Northward over the "(^rcat Ice
\'<
h •
tti
steady dra^j. In the forenoon ol the next chiy, we
reached tlie ice-foot, ni front of thj deserted ii^^loos,
on the easternmost point of Her])ert Islintl. I'n-
fastcmin^r the ch)!:;s and L,n\'ini^^ them their dinner,
\\v. then preparetl and ate: our own ; and then Kyo
crei)t into one of the i^lot'S and riirk\i liimself up for
sleep, while Mrs, Peary and myself spread a few seal-
BACK TO RED CLIFF.
skins upon che snow, crept into oursleepiui^j^-baj^s, and
went to sleep in the sun. Here, after some four hours'
sleep, we were joined by Tahtahrah and Kooloot ng--
wah, two youui^ Eskmios, who had come out from Red
Cliff on one of my sledges, with one of my W'inches-
ten3 and their own dogrs, after seals. They hatl already
obtained two, and loadiuLi^ these upon their sled^^e
they started off over the now well-travelled road
•V'4^
'im-r^-^-'i
mSIm
Around Ins-lcftcid (iulf Ijv Slcdi^c
/J
to Capti Cleveland. We soon followed them, and a
little '"X'fore niidni|^ht on Sunday, April 24th, we came
dashing' over the ice-foot in front of Red Cliff, after a
sledire iournev of some: two hundred and fifty miles,
and an absence of a week from <jur Greenland home.
18
h\
» r
h '
J!
I'
''-' /
.4.^4
CHAPTER X.
i:<,)rFr.MK\ r, roiiixk, and I!K(;i\\i\(; of i-iik wifitk
MAK( II.
Ar Ska as to Ciimiuk.ns in ui: l-lNrorMKKKn— Ivjiipmi-.m — Dues—
Ci.DTMiNc.— Provisions— iNsiKiMiATs— km riNK oi. Makih— I'm: Siakt
—Stormy Weatiikk— In(ukkii;ii:i,k, I)o(;s— Si.i:ki'i,i>s Work — Mv I, i.e.
TroI'III.KS MK._Ki.acH ElKlK OK TrIK lM..\Mi I( K ,\T I.ASl— OVKR HIE
First Dividk—Im,, im.-, Hr.Miioi.iic-Ci.Acn r li.vsix— A Storm— Cami'
SkI'AUAIToN — ClIlSoN .\M) I IR. CodK SlAKI I! \( K.
I
I '
w
!ii
i
DOGS.
^ . -v
■M
.fffa«iital
CHAPTER X.
EyUII'MEXT, ROUTINE, AND BEGIXXING OF THE WHITE
MARCH.
M
Y equipment for the
march across the
Cireat Ice was the
result of continuous study
and experiment on every
detail throutrhout the
wmter.
The art of travelHncr
upon the Inland Ice was
in its infanc_ compared
with travel over the sea
ice along- an arctic shore-
line, and the journey I proposed to take was one which,
in distance traversed without caches or depots of sup-
plies, was unprecedented.
Lightness and strength were the two prime factors
which ruled with iron hand in the working out of
every detail, because for every ounce of weight which
could be saved in equipment, an ounce of food could
be substitiit(;d, and on an arctic sledg j journey pounds
of food and miles of travel are practically synon\-
mous.
As regarded conditions to be encountered, I was
more or less in the dark : it could not be taken for
' '..ill
I
I
27^ Northwcinl over the "Great Ice
It ' .1 '
li
{
If .
I* I
]i
ui' ^ il
i 'I
1 i
jrrantcd that these would be the same from yS" N.
Lat, nortliward, as they had been found from 69° N.
Lat. southward.
As to the probable altitude co l)e reached, there
was nothiiiij;- to ij^uide me. It miL,dit not be over
6000 feet ; it mit^du be 15,000. I could only de-
vise my equipment in such a way that it would
meet, as far as possible, every contin^j^ency and every
extreme.
THE START FROM RED CLIFF.
Both NorweLrian ski and Indian snow-shoes were
included in my equipment, as each has its advanta;^es,
and under the varied conditions of the ice-cap both
are needed. 1 did not take a tent.
As to doLTs. I started from Red Cliff with twentv,
but one was already in the ^rasp of the {^X'A piblockto
and died at the edi^^e of the ice-cap. Two others
died at the first camp on the ice-cap, and two days
later a fourth escaped and returned to the house.
Two others returned with the suj)porting party, leav-
¥
•*«5kk
:\'
The White March
279
ino;^ me with fourteen, one of which was used up and
tHed at the next camp, so that I really left the sup-
portinij;^ party with thirteen, and only eij^du of these
reached Independence Hay.
On the return, three more jj^ave out, so that I reached
McCormick Bay with hve left out of the orii/inal
twenty.
Of this original twenty, twelve were first-class ani-
Heiison. C(jok. Astriip.
f "libson.
-rh.
THE CAMP ON THE BLUFFS.
mals, hardy and powerful, trained sledi^e-dojjjs and
bear hunters, the others hitches and inferior do_L;s.
Our clothing may be said to have been entirely of
fur, a light suit of woollen underclothing, a tlannel
shirt, a jersey, and light woollen socks being the only
articles of civilised make.
The provisions for an arctic sl(;dge journe\- must
possess the important desideratum of a minimum
weiLdit and bulk for a eiven nutritive value.
Ml
(I
It
m
M •
pM
B 111
h
m
I »
; I
i , s
\>
280 Northward over the "Great Ice"
Pemmican ' is the mainstay of a slcd^■c ration.
Next in order of importance come tea, condensed
milk, biscuit, compressed pea soup. Other articles of
which small quantities were carried, simply on trial,
were expc:rime'ntal pemmican put up by Parke, Davis,
& Co., of Detroit, with beef meal as a basis, choco-
late tablets, composed of e(|ual parts of beef meal,
chocolate, and su^ar, also prepared by Parke, Davis,
& Co., and Mos([uera's food.
My do^r food consisted of pcnnmican, eked out by
thos(! of their number that we killed, and a bountiful
feast of musk-ox meat at Independ'-nce Bay.
M) instrumental outfit comprises! a small traveller's
theotlolite by Pauth & Co., of W'ashino^ton, a pocket
sextant, an artificial horizon, three pocket chrono-
meters by the P^. Howard Watch Co., of Hoston,
aneroids, compasses, odometers,' thermometers.
My photoo^ra[)hic outfit consisted of two No. 4
kodaks made exj^ressly for me by the P^astman Co.,
and two rolls of films, one hundred negatives each.
My medical stores were very modest yet sufficient.
The only demands upon them were for an occasional
opium i)ellet for our eyes.
For firearms I carried a Winchester, '73 model, 44-
calibre, carbine with full mai^azine, and one box of
cartridges.
The routine on the march for at least nine-tenths
of the time was as follows : As soon as the sledge was
lashed in the mornino^, the do^s attached to it, our
' I'eiiimicaii is a concentrated meat food, composed of lean beef dried until
friable, then ground tine and mixed with beef suet, a little sugar, and a few
currants.
■ Previous to tliis expedition, tlie odometer iiad never been used in arctic work.
The idea of its use in ice-cap work occurred to nie during my reconnaissance in
1S86, am' during the winter at Red Cliff twn or three liglit, string wheels had
been constructed by Astriip and myself, after my designs. l''or the ice-cap
journev one of these wht^els was littetl in a light frame atid aitached to the rear
of the sledge. It worked well and proved invaluable.
.\^
IS--".
•«N
The White March
:8i
sn()\v-sho(js and ski strapped on, and evcrsLiiin^" in
readiness for a start, I stepped out to the front with
the Httle silken L;uidon my wife made for me in my
hand, and took the proper course, while Astriap
tramped alonij^ beside the sledij^e, keepinj^- each dog
up to his work. In the event of an accident, or
troul^le with the do^s, we both worked to straiirhten
thins^s out.
I'earv.
Cuok. Astriip. (Jibson.
PACKING.
We had to <4et into harness ourselves and help the
doij^s haul almost invariably after a fn;sh fall of snow,
and also durino- the climb up tlui slope of the ice-
cap, both from McCormick Bay and Independence
Bay. At these times, a lon^,^ walrus-hide line was run
out from the front of the sledge over the do^s, so
that I could attach it to my shoulders and pull while
still keepinsj^ in advance of the team. Astriip, with a
short line attached to the side of the sledm-, was able
if
IIM
■ /
282 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
to i>ull and ill tluj same tinic attend to th(,' doit's.
W'c came to the rescue in this way durin^,^ al)out t(;n
days of the entire trip. When camp was pitched, the
sledi^e end of the traces was unfastened from the
sledi^e and then tied u, a steel-pointed alj)enstock,
ch'ix'en deepU' into the snow just hexond reacii of the
canij) and sledges.
The care of the do^s — that is. detacliiuL;- them from
the sledges at nii^ht, making- them fast to their strik(,'S,
UP THE RAVINE.
feeding them once a da\' at the conclusion of the
march, and attaching them to the sledges in the
morning — was my personal charge. When the march
commenced, the dogs were in Astriip's charge as
driver until we camped at night, except on occasions
when, to relieve the wear\ing monotony, we alter-
nated during the march, hrst one and then the other
setting the course and driving the dogs. Astriip always
built the snow shelter, or kitchen, as we called it. The
The White March
-^^3
duties of cook were taken In- each of us on alternate;
da\s, antl these; duties coveretl the entire time at a
camp. The man on ckit\- as cook slept in the kitchen
and was always prepared to turn out at an instant's
notice to capture an\' (Iol;- that had broken loose.
The; one off dut\' slept undtM" the sied^'e cover in the
le" of the sledi^'e. We matle hut littk; use ol our
slei i)inL;-bags, and at the end of three weeks threw
FIRST IGLOO ON THE ICE-CAP.
Sun-Cllacier Gorge in Hackgrouiul.
them away. It is perhaps needless to say we did
not disrobe on retiring-.
Our preparations for sleej) were ver\' simi)le. As
soon as supper was disposed of, we rubbed our faces
with vaseline to ease the intense burninL;- from the-
sun and wind, applied a drop of o|)ium solution to our
eyes to relieve the pain from the.- blinding- snow-^lare,
tied sometliino- over them to exclude the li.^ht, closed
all openings in our fur clothing, and then lay down.
i
f
m
^
284 Northward over the " (ircat Ice"
i i
Invariably in the mornini^ \vc fount! the cIoil^s in a
sorry tantdc, and sonic time would he retjuired to
loosen the Gordian knot in which they had involved
their traces. When the animals set earnestl)' to
work to tanL^h,' these traces into an almost inc-xtri-
cahle knot, they succeeded ; and the work of iindoini^
tht; mischief with hauds bared, the wind blowin^i^ a
i^ale, and the temperature at its lowest was a vcn-
thorouL,di test of patience and oood-humour.
One of the 'ost nclusive |)roofs in my mind that
the ancients r; x; r > ul any actual knowledge of the
Arctic regions h* ; ':i\ the fact that they called their
worst knot the viordi *' knot. Any well-re_L(ulated
Eskimo-dog- team can in one ni^dit discount a dozen
Gordians.
After the experiments of the first few weeks, while
the supportinij;' part\' was with me, the daily workino-
ratlon of Astrtip and myself settletl down to from
three-fourths of a pound to one pound of pemmican,
with biscuit, condensed milk, compressed pea soup,
tea, and alcohol (fuel) to brinL( the ration up to two
and one-half pounds i)er man per da}'.
We had three meals a dav, one before leavinof
camp in the morninsj;-, a lunch at the midday rest, and
the third after reachin;^ camp at nii^ht.
Our only beveraL^es were compressed tea put up
in one-fourth-pound cakes, and Borden's extract of
coffee, which was issued for breakfast on Sunday
morning during the first half of the journey.
On the last day of April, in magnificent bracing
weather, the cliffs at the head of McCormick Hay
clear-cut as cameos through the frost\' air, Dr. Cook,
Gibson, Astriip, Kyoahpahdu, Tahwana. Kookoo,
and two Eskimo boys, opportune arrivals of the
night before, left Red Cliff with two sledges and
twelve do^-s dragiring the last of the Inland-Ice sup-
w ^■t*»<Jb«ta.k,
The White March
2S5
plies. Three days later, when 1 had put my house'
in order and completed the thousand and oik; little
thini4;s which always crowd the last moments of pre-
paration for a lon,!L( journey. I followed, with Matt, my
remaininir fiu-ht doi^s. and the ])h^ eiL,dneen-foot tloo-
sled^e. The start was made at half-jjast ei_o-ht in the
eveninu-, as during,'- the next three months "the usual
order of thini^s was to be rexersed. and we were to
travel by nii^ht and sleep by day. l\nw hours after
the start. m\- do^^^s were scramblino^ over the ice-foot
at the head of the Bay, and a few moments later
i
.1
THE CARAVAN IN LINE.
my Inland-Ice sledi^e, which I had broujj^ht up on
the bii^ dojj^-sledge, was on my back, and with Matt
following at my heels with a couple of 25-lb. tins, I
beg'an climbing- the bluff. Sharp rocks, with the
spaces between them filled wnthsnow, made travelling
laborious and slow', and it w^as about three in the
morning when I rose over the edge of the bluff, and
stumbled upon my boys asleep in the snow with their
dogs picketed near. I did not intend to disturb them,
but as I put dow^n my sledge and turned to descend,
the Doctor awoke w^ith a start and very soon all were
awake. I found all of the supplies had been backed
f
nmmtmm
1 »
286 Northward over the "Great Ice"
to the ravine half a mile ahovc the canii), and cvL-ry-
tliini; was in reathness to start with the cloi^s from
that point. RLturninn- to the ice-foot. Matt and I
l)rouL;ht up another load, and then, leaving' Matt to
^^et a little sU;ep with the other boys. I went down
aj^ain and turned in as I was. in m\ furs, in the re
mains of a snow hut near the Hay.
When I awoke a few hours later, the boys were at
the door of the ii^ioo, and I fountl, on looking;' uj) the
v^alley, that my old friend the Inland Ic(; was evidently
A HALT FOR LUNCH.
preparinjr its usual reception for me ; the leaden-^ij'rey
clouds massincj^ above it jj^ivini^ every indication of an
approaching^ storm. Curiously enough, both in i(S86,
when I went on the Inland Ice, and twice aij^ain this
year, when I climbed the ice-cap, I had been met by
furious storms, but eventualK' evervthinL^ had turned
out well, and so I accepted this as a <j^ood omen.
Again I climbed the bluff, this tim(t with my big dog-
sledge on my shoulders, the other boys bringing the
remainder of the load. Carrying everything to the
ravine, the sledges were loaded there, and we be^ran the
|l ■
^.4^*
The White March
287
traiisixjrtation from ihc ravine to Cache Camp at tiic
celiac of the ice, two and one-half mik:^ from camp anil
2525 feet above sea-level. Several steep slopes in
the ravine and on the plateau above reijuiretl all the
dou's' and our own best efforts on each of the larijcr
sledges. Two days were consumctl in brinL;in!L( every-
thing" up to the Cache Camp, where Matt and Ciibson
had built a snow ii^loo, and where we cooked our
nu'als at a fireplace amonj.^ the rocks of the nuna-
tak close b)-. Durinj;' all this time, there; were si^ns
of comini^ atm()S[)heric disturbances of morc! than
usual intensity : a [)recipitation of tine frost crystals,
with transient snow-sijualls ; excpiisiti- cloud effects
formed and vanished in and over McCormick Bay,
Avhile over the Inland Ice wicked-looking" white cumuli
Lj;-rew aj^ainst a dark lead-coloured sk\-. The nij^ht
temperatures at this time were — i" and — 2" b. At
Cache Camp, our supj)lies and miscellaneous ecjuip-
ment were sorted and distributed to the different
sledges, and here bei(an our serious trouble with our
wild wolves, called by courtesy doers. Restless under
their new masters and fiohtin^- constantl}- amontj;-
themselves, these brutes ijaxe us not a moment's
])eace. Haidly an hour passed when not at work
that one or tw^o did not mana<4;e to break their harness
or eat off their traces and free themselves, and some-
times four or five would be loose at once. lo cap-
ture and re-secur(; one of them was always a work of
time and more or less in^"enuity, and frecjuently re-
sulted in a general muster for the Doctor's services in
l)atchintj^ up the wountls from their wolf-like te(?th.
Here, too, Matt's frozim heel beg^an to trouble him,
and I deemed it best to send him back to Red Clifi
House. This precluded all possibility of my taking
with me more than one companion on the lonj^ journe)-.
On the 8th, I attempted to make the next stag'e from
f
) '
I
(r
I
'I
' 1
I (
It'
288 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
Ciichc Camp up llic lower sloptis of tlu; ice, l)iit a
stron<r wind blowing down from tlu; interior and
driving; the loose snow in the face of my doi^^s, dis-
couraj^ed them so completely that we could do nothin^^
with them, and were ohlijL^cd to await the pleasure of
the weather. I'inalU' we «mt under way and succeeded
in advancinp- a short sta^e round th(^ north side of
the first \)'Ujjr hummock. Here a sc;cond i^loo was
built, but the snow beinj^ unsatisfactory for house
SUPPER IN CAMP.
construction, only a small one was practicable, and,
leaving Astriip and the Doctor to occupy this, Gibson
and I went back down to the iij;-loo at Cache Camp
to sleep. Tired in every muscle and with no sleep
for sixty-four hours, I think I must have fallen asleep
the moment I tumbled into the itrloo. Twelve hours
later I awoke to hear the rush of the wind over our
shelter, and the hiss of the drifting snow against its
side. This continued for twenty-four hours, when I
The White Nhirch
189
could stand it no loiiLicr, and (iil)son and nnsclf
startled for the upper i^loo. I'icrcc as was tht: wind,
which sonietinics nearly upset us, and stinj^injL^' as was
the driving;' snow, we did not feel the cold, as our lur
clothini,^ kept us in nion^ than a _l;1ow ot warmth.
Slowly we struL;L;l<(l up the slope. fre(|uently stopping;
to turn our hacks to the wind and ^ct ourhreath, and
at last came in sis^dit of the u[)per ii^loo. it is impossi-
ble to describe my feelinjj^s of discourai^-ement at the
sioht that met me. The i^loo was almost completely
buried in the snow ; its ()ccui)ants had not becMi able to
expose themselves to the wind. The dogs, restless
GIBSON, TEAM, AND SLEDGE.
as always in wind, had fought with each other and
chewed at their harnesses and traces till half of them
were loose and runnin<j;^at will about the sledges, with
their stores of provisions, while the rest wx*re nearly
buried in a hui^^e drift which had formed about them,
and as I <>ot nearer I saw that three out of th(? twentv
were victims of the dreaded do^r disease, and were
almost dead. As the wind was still blowinj^ with
such force that it was impossible to do anythinLi;-,
( libson and mvself crouched in the lee of the i^loo,
and while waitinjr for the storm to cease, learned from
the Doctor that they had been unable to o^et out of the
19
*
.'I
290 Northward over the "Great Ice"
U^lon ; in fact, hatl all they could do to save it from
destruction by the resistless sand blast of the drivin:^-
snow ; that several tins of provisions, set in motion by
the doos tearing- at them, had been driven down the
steep slope into the L(lacier below ; and that th(; dous
had eaten or destroved evervthiuL!' that thev could
iji'et at. Fortunateh' this latter item was not lar^e, as
all ot my stores were in substantial tins. As soon
as the wliid ceased, 1 had the doj^s that were fast to
dio- out, the frozen taiii^le of their traces to unloosen,
and then the other do^^^, to catch and re-harness. As
Gibson said, you ma\' talk about lassoinL!^ wild steers
in Texas, but it does not compare with r "utlinm' up
Eskimo dojji's. The usual modeot procedure was to
entice a doL^' b)" judiciouslx' thrown morsels of UK'at to
within reach, antl then make a rapid Lii'rab for him.
throwinL;;- our fur-clad bodies upon him and forcin*;- his
head into the snow as quickly as possible. This, if
skilfully done, — and constant |)ractice rapidly taught
us, — could usually be accomplished without n.-ceixiuLi;
more than two or three bites. With one or two of
the doL^s, however, it w^as different : these it was neces-
sary to double lasso and choke into insensibilit\\ be-
fore the harness could be replaced, brom this ii^ioo
we proceeded by double banking' about three miles
farther, before we were oblii^ed to camp. Here we
dispensed with an i^-loo, as it took too much tinK- to
construct, and we were so tired that we could sleep
anywhere that we could lie down.
So the work went on, under man\- discoura^'ements,
until the 15th. I had been led to believe, as the result
of the reconnaissance made the previous fall, that
after the first slope had been accomplished a nearly
level route would be found. It seems that the de-
ceptive light of the autumn twilight had misled Astriij)
and Gibson, and I found that I must drag my sledges
mmatm
m
The White March
291
and their loads up one snow slope antl down another
for a distance of about fifteen miles, before reaching
the eas)', gradual slope of the true! Inland Ice.
Durinsj^ the first ten days, my l)rok(.m lej^ gave me
some trouble, and rendered the scant hours of rest
which the exigencies of the work permitted, less
refreshing than they might have been.
The excessi\(^ and incessant d(;mands upon it from
snow-shoeing, lifting on the sletlges, running after
loose dogs, etc., would have taxetl it under the best
of circumstances. :iP'l now with the muscles still
slightly atroph'jd from disuse, and the ligaments
DR. COOK, TEAM, AND SLEDGE.
Stiffened from the healing process, the result was a
constant dull pain which I was only too glad to have
reach at times the stage of numbness.
This wore off gradually, and the ultimate result
was undoubtedly advantageous, as the exercise do
manded and obtained from ligaments and joints tlui
full range of flexure they had ever had before the
accident, perhaps more.
The fact that within less than ten months after the
fracture of both bones in my leg, I was able to undertake
and go through with a 1200-mile tramp on snow-shoes
without more serious results than a few sleepless
^\
i
i I
■ n
\\
m, Vf
292 Northward over the "Great Ice"
hours, is an ('inj)liatic proof of the healthiness of the
chmate, tlie professional skill of Dr. Cook, antl the
tender care of Mrs. Pear)'. At last, on tlie 15th, I
found myself looking,'- up that lon^-, easy, white slope
which I knew so well, and in reL!;ard to which there
could be no mistake, and the next day our n-al journey
upon the ice-cap may l)e said to have commenced.
M] course was north-east true, which, assumino- the
charts to be correct, should enable me to clear the
heads of the Humboldt, Pc;termann, and Sherard-Os-
born indentations.
At this time, I had but sixteen dogs out of my
ASTRUP, TEAM, AND SLEDGE,
twenty, another one having succumbed to the dog
disease. As a result, we all of us settled into the
traces and did our share of the hauling. Two short
marches of five and seven miles brought us to an eleva-
tion 01 five thousand feet, and early in the third march
the highest summits of the Whale-Sound land disap-
peared, and I found to my surprise that we were
descending, having already passed over the divide
between Whale Sound and Kane Basin, and being on
the descent towards the basin of the 1 1 umboldt Cjlacier.
By this time, both the dogs and ourselves had gotten
more used to the work, our sledges had been better
Hi
The WHiitc March
293
adjnstL'd, and this witli the- down j^^radf enabled us to
make better time. Our third march havinL,^ l)een
twelve miles, our fourth was twent)', antl before we
went into camp the misty mountain-tops of the land
between Rensselaer Harl30ur and the south-eastern
anole of Humboldt Glacier rose into vi(;w in the dis-
tant north-west. The next day we tallied twent}' miles
o\er a i^ently undulatinir and jji'raduall)' descending-
surface, but on the followin^r day the surface became;
much more hummocky, and just about midniorht we
-1!^
**«■•
Lift
SNOW IGLOO AT HUMBOLDT GLACIER.
IJuried Sledges 111 HackgrDund.
came out upon the ice-bluffs markino- the boundary
of the glacier basin openinj^ down towards Mary Min-
turn River. My north-east course just cleared these
l)luffs, but fearing others ahead I tlellectetl about
five miles to the (eastward, and then resumed my
course. The rough nature of the ice made this day's
march comparatively short, and the atmosplieric indic-
ations being those of a coming storm, I halted early
to permit the construction of an igloo to shelter us.
The blue-black sk\- with ani^n- lead-coloured clouds
•i"
294 Northward over the "(ircat Ice
•
niassini; In-ncath it, tlic _L,^l"iastly whiteness of the ice-
hhnk, and the raw, ciittin*^^ south-east wind could not
be misunderstood, and before our i^loo wr-^ comj)l('te
ever\lhinL,^ was blottc^d out by tli(; (h'ivintj^ snow.
Poor (iibson, I pitied liini that ni^dit, for it was his
turn to do the " costume act," as we called it , in other
words, it was his turn to sk^ep fully dressed outside,
so that he could attend instantU' to a loose doij;' before
he had done any clamai>(.'. Hur do^s were always
bad enouLj;"h in wind and storm, but this tiuK;, as the
storm continued, they seemed as if possessed of devils,
howlin^r, hi^htinL^, and tearing themselves loose from
li.
i •• I
ON THE MARCH.
the Stakes to which the;- ."ere fastened, and when
finally Cjibson, weary with !::s f f^forts at re-capturing,
fell asleep for d few momerus nc 'ining against the
entrance of the igloo, one oi Hidii ate the bottom off
his sleeping-bag, while another bolted about six pounds
of cranberry jam, nearly half my entire stock for the
long journey. Fort)--eight hours of incessant wind
and snow, and then the storm passed over north-west
into Kane Basin, and left us in peace. As we crawled
out of our igloo into the brilliant sunshine and looked
over that unbroken expanse of snow, stretching to
the horizon in every direction, carved and scoured l)y
The White March
2^5
the w'nd into marble \va\cs, there was one of the
party who could hardly realise that the church bells
were rinu^in^- thr()u_L,di th(; scented atmosphere of June
fields and forests in thousands of far-distant home
towns and villages. Our sled^'es were invisible, com-
pletely l)urietl in the drifts which in storms on the
Inland Ice Lirow around and over the slightest ob-
struction. Several hours were occupied in the work
of excaxatiuL^r our sledges and reloading;- them, of
catching- and harnessinj^ the? tloj^s, antl straightenino-
out the tanLj;;les of the traces and hcU'nesses.
l)Ut once under way, we found that th(; storm had
in one sense been our friend, and had proved a i_;lori-
ous road-maker for us. Sledges and do^s slipped
merrily over the firm sas/n!Q7\ ani". with comparatively
little difficulty we made another tw(.'nt\-mile niarch.
This time we slept behind our sledges, and .mother
twent\-mile march the followinLT day l)rous'ht us to
the camp at which I had determined the su]>ju)rtin_<^^
party should leave me. We were now one huiidn-d
and thirt\- mik^s from the shore of McCormick F);;v.
and though the road back was perfectly strai^iu: and
free of obstacles, yet the descent from the Inland Ice
miL^ht be dan^^erous if those returninL( did not make
the land at just the ri<^ht point, and so I did not fe^l
that I could take the supportint:^ party an)- farri-i( r.
W hen we camped, I told the boys that this was our
last camp together, that after w^e h;' ' slept two would
return and two oo on. Then aft' linner, as we sat
about our little kitchen before tur ,ig in. I reminded
them of what I had said early in t; • sprinjj^, that wh(;n
we reached Humboldt (ilacier I )uld call for volun-
teers for the lono^ trip, and fr^ -n these volimteers
should make my selection. I t< d them they liad now
been on the ice-cap lon^,^ enouirh to know what it
was like, and to understand that it was no child's play.
296 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
I told them that once slcirlcd there could Ix- 110 tiirii-
\n'^ hack. I also told them that to inaii\- it would
seem a dangerous, perhaps foolhar'ly thing for two
men to strike out into these unknown regions, depend-
ent only upon their own resources and health for
a safe return ; that for nnself I did not consider
it tiani^rcTous. hut that each man must decide for
himself. 'Idu; Doctor was the tirst to xolunteer. ])ut
Ciihson and Astriii) were close hehind him. I then
made my detail as follows : xAstriip to 00 with me,
f lil)--()n.
Dr. (\>c<l
't !
GIBSON AND DR. COOK STARTING BACK,
Gibson to retur:i in conuuaiul
and when he had reached Rt
his entire time to obtaining
and supplying- the part\- with
his arrival at Red Cliff, was to
remain in that capacity unti
land ^ce. In a few momen
mates of Camp .Separation w
the tired antl healthw The
relashin*'- of the sledges was
1 of the sup|)ortino' party.
;d Cliff Idouse to devote
ornitholoLii'ical specimens
oame. Dr. Cook, upon
assume change there, and
ni\- return from the In-
Its. all but one of the in-
■ere sU^'pinq; the sleep of
next mornino- early, the
undertaken and soon ac-
.~^i-Si^
The White March
2():
coinplishcd, tlic loads carcfulK rc-siowtjcl aiul secured,
so that the work which had hitherto been done hy
four, and which would now (le\()l\(' ui)on two. niii^ht
be as easy as possible, (jii)son and the 1 )octor took
their personal e([uipnients. with one of the lighter
sledges, two do_L,^s. and rations for tweKc da\s ; then
I i^^ave ("libson an extra coni])ass. one of my chrono-
meters, a chart, and careful instructions as to makini^
the land at McCormick I)a\'. and we W( re read\' to
separate. Little was said, but I think we all lelt
much as we (|ui(^tly shook hands, and then Astrup
and myself started out. lea\in^' the I )oct()r and (iibson
looking' after us. In a little while we saw them under
wa\'. and in a lew minutes more thi.; ine(|ualities of
the "Great Ice" hid them from view.
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(AKK IIIK "(iRK.Vr ice" TO 11 IK XoRrilKRX KM) OK
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Con ITNKNl AI. DlVIDK — I.ANIi— XoK 111 KRN IC I M ;K oK 1 ll K " (IrKAI Ick" — TMK
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CHAPTI':R XI.
(ikKAi ici;" in rm: xoriiikrx kxi) of
(ikr.r.xi.AM).
AS I had already found
that it was inipos-
"^ sihlc to drive and
i^uidc: our tloj^s over the
unbroken ice-l)hnk with-
out a pilot ahead, the
pi'ohh.'ni of how tin;
sledi^es and doj^s could
be so arran^etl as to \)v.
managed 1)\- one man, had
i^dven nie considt-rahle
food for thou.L;"ht, I tinally
decided to try the following;;- tentative method : three
of my best doj^s, Nale^aksoah, Pau, and Tahwana,
who had become attached to me and were always
eaij^er to keep close to me, were harnessed to the li^ht
sledij^e built by Astrlip, carrying- a load of about
two hundred pounds. These closes were to follow
me, and behind them would come Astriip with the
other ten do^-s attached to the bij^- doL^-sledij'e, with
the second doi^'-sled^e in tow, the total load on both
amounting- to about one thousand poimds. This
method worked fairly well durinjj^ our first march,
which was but a short one, made simply w^ith the
301
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IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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Photographic
Sdences
Corporation
23 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716) 872-4503
Ks
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302
Northward over the "(ircat Ice
ohjccl of •^ctliiiL; the separation o\<'r with, antl i!;ct-
tiiv' strai!jlU(.'iic(l out on tlu- lono; loiirncw 'l"h(; next
(lay I found it nccissar)' to make a chani^L', and trans-
ferred all the doL^s to the ])'\[^ sledi^^e. puttinL,^ the
little one ai^ain in tow of tlu; other two.
\\v. had L^'one hut a short distance, however, when
the larger do^-sledi^'c, as the result of the scxcre
hlows it was ^cttiuL;" when travelling" o\-er the niarhle-
lik(; S(rs/r/f<^''/\ l)rok(." do
and br(,"akini> all standards on that side. Ihe wreck
wn. one Side heiidui''' inwaril
l:.
:) n
!V,
*-
md.r ■.
WITH THE GUIDON.
of this side was so coniplet'j that for a little while I
was at a loss what to do, hut hnall\- the idea su^'L;ested
itself of lashino" the remains of the sledge alont^side
the other, makitiL;" one hroad, four-foot-wide sledge
with three runnirs. This idea was quickly carri(;d
out, the sled^'es lashed to^'ether and reloaded, the
result proving" very satisfactory-. The three runners
seemed to make tlu; sledge much more steady, pre-
ventiuLiit from slattino-, and seemed to ver\- materiallv
ease the l)l()ws in passing' over the sds/r/zi;/. The
delay incident to the accident, however, shortened our
!
I* '
To the Northern End of (ireenhmd
303
march, and this, with the j^rathialK cK-cn-asiiiL; firm-
ness of tli(; snow surface, left us with only ten miles
to our credit. On our next march, the snow rapidly
])ecame softer and tieeper, making \ery heav\- tra\-el-
lini;", but as we m('t with no accident we were ahh,'
to cover fifteen miles. In tliis march we hi-^an climh-
Iul;- a^ain, haviuL;' kept a nearl\- constant elevation
of ;soo feet across the I luml)oldt-( dacier Uasin.
The next day the snow was even worse than before,
the sKnl^es sinking' in it nearly to the cross-hars.
and this, toiji'ether with an up L^raile. made the haul-
ing- so hea\\', that after a few hours m\' doL^s refused
absolutely to work any more, anil I was oblioc-d to
i^c) into camj). As the weather seemed rather threat-
ening' here, we made our third i^loo, and while Astri'ip
was en^a^ed in this, I tried to stucK' out some ])lan
for making- our load dra^' more easily. 'I'he result
of this was the construction ef an impromptu sledge
from an extra pair of ski, and the transfer to it of
al)Out one hundred and twent\" pounds from the bi;^'
sletl^e. At this camp, we commenced our regular
siediie ration with a daily allowance of butter and
Liebii^' extract. At this camp also, one of m\- doj^s
down with the dou" disi
v.as killed and led to th(
otiiers, clisnrovmir conclusiveh' the old sa\in'' '• that
doL!' will not eat dosj'." I had now tweKc fme dous.
dmost
cnerv on
e of whom had tasted in savaijc con-
flict the hot red ])l()od of their natural e
nenu'
tl
le
polar bear, the " ti^'er of the Xorth." TlKM'e W(;re
Lion, Castor and I'ol-
n L'',
au.
Xalei^aksoah the ki
lux, M(;rktoshar ist and 2i\. Miss Tahwana, the Pan-
ikpas, brother and sister. The following- da\-, the
Dth
contmuance of the uj) ^raile and the mcreasuiL;' ue]
of tile snow compelled us to resort to double-bankini^,
and the end of the da}- found us but three miles
ahead of our last camj).
3^4 Xurtlnvard over the "(ircat Ice"'
%
Ourselves tiretl and our tloos out of sorts, Astriip
and myself rite our dinner in silence, and were L;lad
to los(; ourseK'cs in sleep. Ihv, niorniuL,^ found us
refreshc^l and with a new stock of courage, hut still
I felt that if hy hard work and no end of trouble I
could L^ain ten miles I should he satisfied. To my
agreeable surprise, the next camp found us fifteen
mil(,'s farther on our way, and this too without a
%
I'l, 7>
^tl
,',
ASTRUP AND MY DOGS.
mishap or hitch throu<rhout the march. We were
now evidently at the top of the jj^rade, and could soon
expect a slii;ht descent on the northern sitle of the
divide toward the basin of the Petermann I^jord.
The next day proved the trutli of these conclusions.
The snow surface became harder and harder, the
aneroid and the sledges both indicated a gradual
descent, and after six hours' marching we came upon
.( /'
I-
To the Northern luid of Circcnland 305
a tinn, inarhlc-likc surfaci-. showiiiL;- cxiclciicc of most
violent wiiul forcL-s. and scored and car\('d until it
looked like a i^reat hed of white la\a. Two hours
later, hunl was sii^hted to the north-west, and yet two
hours later 1 called a halt, with a record of twenty
miles for the day.
On the last da\' of Ma\-, we had advanced hut
fiv'j miles, when, as we rose on to the crest of a Ioiil,^
"LIKE A GREAT BED OF WHITE LAVA."
Sds/r/i:^'-/ (if till- " I ifLUl Ice."
hummock. th(? head of I'etermann l'"jord. with its
i^uardin^ mountains, and the i^reat hasin ol the gla-
cier dischar:_;"inL;' into it, Hashed into si^ht Ix'low us.
1 lere we were on the ice-l)lutfs forming;' the limit of the
oreat ^lacier basin, just as we had been at llumholdt,
but. a trilh; less fortunate here than at Humboldt, I
ft)und it necessary to dellect some ten miles to the east-
ward, to avoid the ine(|ualities of the i^iacier basin, and
the i^reat crevasses which cut the ice-blutts encircliniL;" it.
'.
I
Itfl
\h
306 Northward over the "Great Ice"
'I'h()iiL,f^h it liad Ix-cii my i^ood fortune to look down
from the hcijL^ht of the Inlantl Ice into four of the i^rcat-
est j^dacicrs in the world, Jacol)sha\n,rossukatek.( ireat
Kariak, and Humboldt, it was with strani^e feelini^s of
imcertainty that I looke-d ujjon this \iew. I could
hardl)- divest m\self of tlu; fc-eliiiL;- that the ra^L^cd. shin-
iuL,^ ice-field before me, the i^listenin;^- ice-caps stretch-
ing u|) into Washington Land, and the dark mountains
L^uardiiii^- the distant shores, mi^ht vanish and leave
me with only tlu; luihroken ice-horizon of previous
clays. \hv. weather heinsj;' so clear and our location
so favourable for observation, 1 made no attempt to
advance farther, but camped at once and be^an
obstM'vations for determining [)ositions and the bear-
ings of the land. In this camp, 4200 feet above the
sea, we remained thirty-six hours, wit!i a continuance of
th(; most jxM'fect weather, — warm, clear, and, wliat was
most unusual, c.dm. b'or two or three hours at midda\'
ni)- thermometer in th<* sun registered jy" 1\, iuul ad-
vantaijj'e was taken of this to thoroui^dily dr\' and air
all our clothin;^, and bv nnself to enjov tlic luxurv of a
snow bath. Lt^avin^" Camp I'etermann, I kej)t awa\'
due east, parallel with a seric^s of s^i^antic cre\asses,
most of which were covered with snow, thou'^h in
places the drifts had fallen in, exposing' the blue-black
tlepths of the chasms. I tricnl repeatedly to L;et an
idea, from the walls of tlu'se clefts in the ice, of the
srradual chauLre from the surface snow to neve, and
thence to true homoi^enc^ous ice, but m\' ellorts were
thwarted by the; incrustations of fme snow upon the
sides of the crevasses. On the leeward side of one
of th(,' largest of these openinL,''s. was an enormous
mound of compacted snow, not less than ei^ht}- feet
in height, the formation of which puzzled me for a
lono; time, though I finally saw a reason for Ix'liev-
ing- that it was caused by the deposition of snow in
To the Northern liiul of (irccnlaiul 307
the i:<.U\y causixl h\- the hrcak in tlu- crcxassc. The
ten miles' detour to thi- eastward enaMed nie to tlaiik
all the crevasses, and a<;ain 1 took ii|» ni\- course no; di-
east. hopinu: to clear the hasin of Sherard-( )sl)orne
I'jord as fortun-
atel\' as 1 had
weathered those
of i I u ni l)o 1 d t
and Peterniann.
1'' r o 111 C a 111 \)
Pet(;rmann the
surface was coni-
parativel)- le\-el,
and we kejjt the
hi^rhest summits
of the l\,'termann
M o u n t a i n s in
si(j:ht for fort\-
miles, then the
aneroid he^an to
show a gradual
rise, the snow he-
came softer and
deeper, and I
knew that we
were; hes^innino'
the ascent of the
divide between
the Petermann
and Sherard-( )s-
borne Basins.
CREVASSE OF THE "GREAT ICE."
Still we W(.'re able to make fairly i^ood proL,'"ress,
and three and a half marches brouL;ht us. June
5th, to the summit of the di\ide. 5700 feet aboxc sea-
level. From this divide summit, as in e\-ery pre-
vious instance, we found the travelling' ver\' l;(>o(1,
n
Mi]
f
I
'.
%
3o^ Northw'iird over the "(ircat Ice"
and wilh the wind Ixhiiul us were al)l(' to make ninc-
tctMi and onohalf and iwciUy-onc niili-s, rcspcxlivcl)',
in two succ(.'ssi\c marches, camping in view of Shc-
rard-()sI)orne I''jord. as I at first suj)i)os('d. on tlic
Sth of June. I had not expected to siL;ht land aiL^^ain
so soon, and if the maps were correct, it should have
tak(Mi about two marches more to ha\(' hroui^ht
me within si^ht of this inlet, but I assumeil that
naturally the delineation of the inner portion of th<;
ICE MOUND, PETERMANN BASIN.
threat fjord mi^ht be considerabls out in latitude,
and that what I saw before me must be Slierard Os-
borne. I'uture de\-elopnients showed mv. that I was
wrono', and that St. Cieor^e's I'jord penetrates far-
ther inland than had been supposed, and that this
was what I saw before me. The latter part of the
march of June Sth had been throuL,di threatenini^
weather, the sky overcast, the distant land dark and
indistinct, and that jjeculiar lii^ht ox'T the Inland Ice
IS
i
■aimw-i*— -i.jw ^
■-••' "'^■'1' ' '< ■
^
To the Northern lind of (irccnland 300
which makes it impossihU- to cHstiiii^aiish its rcHcf. I
knew, liowt-vcr, not onl\- from my aneroids. l)iit from
tliL' way the sUxlij^cs travelled, that we were descend-
im^Mjuite rapidly, and this, with the occurrence of se\--
cral patches oi bare \)\vnt ice. caused me to hesitate,
and finally call a halt on the c(jm[)lction of the twt:nty-
iS<?''
./'
^#-v:fV
,Jil^-
4
■•*
0^
4
iL
.1
H.
•'JWv
•
1
1, , ^^■
%-^
A TYPICAL CAMP.
«S
first mile. thouL,di we could easil\- have accomplished
four or U\v. mih-s more.
The e'xperiences of the next two weeks showed
the wisdom oi my cautiousnc'ss. and that it would
have been much better if I had had a premonition
of trouble still earlier in the day. We had hardl\-
made camp and finished our dinner, when tlu,- ^ather-
inij;" storm broke upon us. and once more we had to
put up with beinij^ inijjrisoned — Astriip under the
•i
3IO Northward oxer the "(ircat Ice"
li
i'.n
! *
sl('(l!^(.' tar|)aiilin. nusclf in tht; litlK- excavation half
coviTcd with a sail which wv. called our kitchen—
for two da\s, with the wind howlini^ j)ast us down
the sloj)e towards the distant land, and the jjlindinj^^
drifts of snow hissiuL^" and whirlini^ ov(;r our little
shelters. When the storm ceased and we crawled
out of the drifts in which we had been buried. I saw,
at a glance, that we wen; ri-du on the southern edLTc
of the central trough of tlu- ^lacier basin. The de-
scent to this, consistinL,^ almost entirel)- of hard blue
ice. swept clean 1)\ the furious wind, was so stee|) that
our sledges would ha\'e been unmanaL^'eable, and the
()l)|)Osite side rose, as far as the jj^lass could rt:ach. in
ste(,'|), crevasse-intersected terraces, unscalable for our
heavily loac'ed sledges. Across the i^dacier basin to
thcr north-east, the crevasses and patches of blue ice
continued ; east anil south, stee|) icy slopes, but for-
tunat<'ly free of crevasses, rose above; us. It was evi-
dent our onl)' exit was I)\- clind)in!4- those slop'-s to
the south-east, beatini;' to windward, as it were, out of
the reefs and off the lee shore on which we found our-
selves.
It took two entire days of the hardest and most
discoura^iuL'' work of tlu; whole; journey to extricate
ours(;lv(;s from the trap into which we had fallen, and
at the end of the two da\s we had lost fifteen miles
of our hard-earned northiuL^-. St(;ei) icy slopes, which
hatl to be; scaled 1)\' zi^/aij'.ui'in.i,'^ against a strong-
head-wind, strained the sled!L;(;s and the do^s, iu;c(;ssi-
tated the; utmost care' to prevent the sledges from
be in^- swejit into the- Li'hicier be'low, anel bruiseel and
wre-nched Astriij) anel myse;lf with ce)nstant falls. At
last, he^wever, we; rei^aineel the unbreiken sne)w-clael
he-i^ht of the Inlanel Ice, and never elid I appreciate
more full\- the' olel (ierman se)n!4-. " Auf elen Hohen
isl breiheit." Once more \vece)ulel set our course and
"^■'"CL
To the Northern Hiul of (ireenlaiul ;>ii
kei;p it. In tliis clinil). Nalci^aksoah, ni\' l)cst cl()_L,^
and kinL;()f tlic team. rec(Mvr(l a s|)rain whicli rt'siilti'tl
in niv losini^ him four ila\s later. Xnkisjjiksoali was
a lon^-limheil hriite, (jiiick as a tlash ot li,!.^du, with
jaws like- tlic j^aij) of fate .\ horn tighter, he had
sunk his i^deaminL,^ white teeth into the Hanks and
throat of more than one; pohir hear, aiul in the- tirst
struL^i^le for su-
premacy, w h e n
the do_L;s wliich I
had j>urchased
came toL^c^tlier,
had unai(U:d near-
ly killed hoth of
the ()ne-e)-ed hun-
ter's fierce hear
thji^s. Yet he was
one of the most
affectionate doj^s
in the team, and
a n encoura^inL;'
word or touch of
my hand was suf-
ficient to hrini;-
his L^reat paws
thrusting' against
my chest antl his
fierce yet intelli-
i^-ent face on a
level with ni)-
own. Poor fel-
low, I mourned
the loss of a friend
when, after limp-
iuLX alouL,^ behind the sledi^es for two or three,- days
with his sprained le^r, he la_L,^_L;-ed behind and was lost
NALEGAKSOAH.
I ; I
)\ \
M 7
1 I
1^'
312 Noilhwaid oNur tin- "(iixat Ice"
in one of the ice-cap storms. I Icrc too I lost my spy-
j^lass in a crevasse, and narrowly escaped the loss of
Lion and I'aii. two of m\ hest do^s. also in a cre\asse.
l)olh fell till their traces stopped tlKin. and then hnnL,''
suspendeil until hoisted out. ( )ucc hack on the upper
level of the Inland Ice. and with clear weather to hel|)
me, I could make out the oroL^raplu" of the surface,
anil could sei- the depression ot the JL^Iacier l)asin still
sweepin!^- awa\' to the eastward.
H(;arinL; away to the eastward until I could round
this de|)ression. we once more started north-east. W'r
were soon brought up. however, hy another L^rou]) of
enormous crevassi-s, tift\- to a hundred feet in width,
extendiuL,^ across our course, and, as luck would ha\e
it, almost as we reached these, ;i dense fo^- swept up
th" elacier hasin from ihe coast, shrouding" the cre-
vasses and ourselves in a L;rey opacity which constricted
our ran^c of \ ision to an arm-stretch and made it
(lanei-rous to move. W';' could onl\ wait until this
cleared awa\'. which was not until eighteen hours later.
Then a hall-hour's reconnaissance enahled us to llaiik
the crevassv's and proceed 011 our course ai^ain. 1)\-
this time Astri'ip and mysell h;id named the j^lacier
hasin which had ca.used us so much trouble, the bot-
tomless pit, and had j^rown to hate tlv.- si^ht of the
land. 1 made upm\- mini now, in order to axoid fur-
ther delay and annoxance from these j^reat eiacier
basins, to strike still farther into the interior, so as to
avoid them completelw In attempting- to carr\' out
this j)lan, howexcr, I found the snow increasing" so
rapitlly and the surface of the Inland Ice risine^ at such
a steep e'raile as I adxancetl into the interior, that I
finally steered a more northerly course. We had
hardly made four miles in this diri-ction, when once
more the bi^' sledge, strained and weakened b\- the
rouL^h work of the last ei^ht days, broke down aij^ain,
■.f^^itm^fm^f
To the Xorthcni lind of ( irccnlaiul ^\^
ami we lost an ciuirc (la\ in rrpairin^ aiul rclashinj^
it. and rt'-stowiii!^ its load. 1 hf next day we were aMc
to ad\ aiici- six iiiiK-s, and then wcr*- ircalcd to a source
of aiinoyanci' and d(la\- which we had not loiiiUcd
upon. A few hours of snow-storm, followed l)\ dark
ami clomi\' wcatlu-r atul a rapid rise of tcnipcralurc
ncarl\- to the frcc/ini^r.pniin. rcsultcil in that worst ol
all possible conditions of the snow, \i/. : a certain stick-
iness which mad*.,- the sledges drai,^ as if loaded with
l(;ad. The doi^^s, which at other times could take
both sletli^res aloiiL;' at a l,^ooi1 pace, were now unahle
to move one, and recpiircd the assistance of Astriip
A BREAK-DOWN.
and myself, the one pulliuLj^, and the othcT pushing" at
the upstanders. Under these circumstanct;s, nothini;-
could be done except wait for a fall of temperature,
and this did not occur for two days. Ihe time, how-
ever, was utilised in overiiaulin^- the sled_L,a'S ami loads,
and throwing; away articles and material which our
experience now showetl us coukl be si)ared. 'Ihe total
weiiji'ht thus left amounted to some seventy-five pounds.
The hrst drop in temperature was eagerly seized
upon to advance aL,^ain, and with Astriij) and myself
assisting-, and with all the do^s at one sledge, we suc-
ceeded with double-bankinLT in advanciuLT six and one-
\
314 Northward over the "Great Ice"
c[iiartcr miles. I lu; foUowin^^^ day the i^oinij^ was much
better, but hardly had we j^^ot well straii^htened out, be-
fore the land, this time in reality the shores of Sherard
Osborne, ros(; into \i(nv ahead of us, and once more
I fountl myself comiielled to tlellect, first to the north-
east and then to the east. Xii^dit found us with six-
teen and one-half miles to our credit, and another
HARD TIMES.
g'reat oj-lacier basin }et to be weathered. An idea of
the next day can perhaps be obtained from an extract
from m\- journal. " Another discoura_n"ino- day within
sijj^'ht of the baleful shores of this arctic Sahara, but
we are on the heii(hts once more, for o'ood, I hope,
and, I also trust, free from further obstacles. If there
is any truth in the superstition of the evil eye, the
coast of this Inland Ice surely has evil eyes. Just as
^mmmmimmmm:
To the Northern End of Grccnhmd
o'D
lori!^ as the black cHffs peer up at us over the round
of the ice-cap, just so loni; are we beset with crevasses,
slippery ice, hummocks, howlin_L( wind-storms, furious
drifts, and foirs. The cloo;s s(.'em possessed with
devils, the sledge and odometer break, some item or
other of our equipment is sure to be lost, and every-
thiui^- seems to i^^o wron_ij^. Once out of its si^ht, we rind
summer weather, 'ii^ht winds, little drift— in a word,
peace and comfort. The intolerabh.' drift last nioht
gave us no chance to sleep comfortably, beating- under
^#. Jk^
IN THE DEEP-SNOW REGION.
and through every minute aperture of the tarpaulin,
and melting as it fell on our faces and clothing. 'Idiis
morning one of my best dogs. Castor, was dead lame
in one leg, and unable to pull, and the traces were
fearfully tangled and frozen into the drift at the
hitching-post."
We had advanced but eight miles, when we found
ourselves hemmed in by a series of huge concentric
crevasses. The remainder of the day was spent in
reconnoitring for safe snowbridges, by which they
could be crossed. This could "be done only in a
'i
■/'■\
16 Northward over the "Great Ice
soutli-castcrly direction, and ni|u;ht found us farther
south than we were in the morninij;'. Once \vc luid two
of our doL^s down in a crevasse, and once the sledju^e,
with all our biscuits and one hundred pounds of peni-
mican, broke through, and b' t for a projectin^r led^e
of ice: on the edi^'e of the crevasse, which temi)orarily
su])ported it till Astriip anil nnself coukl ])ull it out
of dauL^er, we should have lost all. At nij^ht, a feel-
hv^ of relief at beinij;' a^^ain out of the woods, as it
were, sent mi; to even soundtM" sleep than usual, if
such a thinL( were possible, and five and one-half
hours of refreshing; slumber put sleep-huui^ry brain
and body in better trim, and i^ave everythiuL,^ a very
different aspect. DurinLj; this march, we co\"ercd
eighteen and one-half miles ovvv a snow surface
which, as we marched alou''", everv now and then
would settle slis^htl)' beneath our weight, with a sound
remindiuL,^ me of the swash of the L^round-swell break-
ing- in calm summer da\s on the beach at Sea-
brii^ht or Loni;' Branch, or on lon^; white Caribbean
beaches, backed by palms wavering- under a verti-
cal sun. The next tla\', althouL,di we covered nearly
ei_L,dUeen miles, both Astriip and myself had a mild
attack v.: the blues, partly because we were tired out
with helping- the tloL;s all tlay, but principally, i think,
because our utmost exertions were unsuccessful in
reachinijf the limit of twenty miles. The next day,
however, we once more jj^ot in the swim, and closed
our record, that nis^ht, with twenty miles and a half,
land beiuL]^ visible to the north-west, north, and north-
east all day. The moral effect of our better i^oint;
and better speed was very percei)til)le both on our-
selves and our doj^s ; at times the latter would, of
themselvt^s, break into a trot ; and we had been
marchiuL^ l)ut a short time, when I heard Astriip sinjj^-
in<]^ merrily as he kept alonj^ beside the sledi;e. Dur-
I
^i^ti'^mmim^Mm^'^" ^:-
•
;i
To the Northern lind of Grecnhmd 317
iiii^ this march, the sun seemed iiiuisi illy warm, and
tcAvards morninj^ even sultry, compelling- us to throw
off all outer i^^arments.
The followinn- da\' was hut a repetition of tlu; last,
and we skip[)ed merrily alon^,^ on our wa\" at a con-
stant elevation of about six thousand feet, the land
mountains visible to the north-west nearl\- all the time,
antl towards the end ot the march a fjord with hi^h
sharp i)eaks on its northern side comiiiL;' out clearly
in the north-west. At the close of this march, we
turned in in the best of s))irits. We had aj^^'ain made
over twenty miles, and there was every intlication
SWfeT" '^^
.•»»wi rpmyfjf
f
BETTER GOING.
that we now had surmounted all obstacles and would
have plain sailiuL; for the rest of our journey. I^oth
ourseb'es and our doos were in the best of comlition,
and our supplies were ample for a L,rood lon^" advance
\et. The Lem[)erature had become so hii;'!"! that at
this camp I seized the opportunity to take another
refreshiuL;- snow bath and discard m\' doj^skip and
tleerskin suit for my rest;rve s..it of sealskin.
(>n the 26th of June we were descending- slii^htly.
In the mornino", as we started, heavy white clouds
covered the entire; sky, excejjt a narrow ribbon of blue
south and soutli-west. ( )ur course was north-east true,
</
1
h.
!. I
iH
i
318 Northward over the " (ireat Ice"
but, land appcarinir to the north-west, north, and north-
east soon after startin^j^, I chanjj^ed the course to east
true. The entrance to a fjord with precipitous black
shores lay north north-west
1 true from us. As we advanced
I to the east, the clouds increased
in density and a liuht driviuLj
snow came up from the south-
west, shroudiuL^ the ice with
that shadowless lij^dit which
makes even the snow beneath
one's feet invisible. I kept
on, however, still keepini^
my course by the wind, until
the very piM"ce|)tible descent
warned me from past experi-
ences to iKvlt and wait for
clearer weather. This I did
after a march of ten miles.
When the snow ceased several
hours later, the land loomed up
close ahead of us, with the de-
pression of the fjord beyond,
and had I continued blintUy
throu^rh the fo<'- 1 should have
brouo^ht up rioht in the head
of another ^rreat Macier. Our
next march to the south-east
was a short one, only ten miles,
and nearly parallel with the
land. Dark-brown and red cliffs looked down into a
<i^rand vertical-walled caiion reach ino^ up towards our
camp and everywhere north-west, north, and east, black
and dark-red precipices, deep valleys, mountains capped
with cloud-shadowed domes of ice, stretched away
in a wild jxinorama, upon which no human eyes had
SETTING THE COURSE.
^m^mmmtpmi
To the Northern Hnd of Greenland 319
ever looked before. The u;lorious summer calm and
warmth of the last three days were now accounted for
by the presence of so much surroundiuL,^ land.
Assuming- the fjord ahead of me to be Mctoria
Inlet, and thinkinL^ that I could round it, as I had
already rounded Petermann. St. Georo-e's, and Shc-
rard-Osborne P'jords. I kept away to tlu; south-east.
j)arallel with the edg-e of the Inland Ice and the shore.
THE NORTHERN LAND.
Nunataks of tlic Academy Cilacier to the Kiglit.
But always as I advanced, the mountains of the shore
s^rew into view before me, keepin*; me constantly to
the south-east, till the ist of Juh'. On that day a
wide openino^, boundetl on either side by hii^h vertical
cliffs, showed up in the north-east over the summits
immediately adjacent to the Inland Ice.
ThrouLj^h this opening- could be seen neither the re-
flected ice-l)link of distant ice-cap, nor the cloud-loom
of land. I had no further time to waste in travelling
! (■
Northward over the ••Great Ice"
I v
'f
to the south-Ccist, in wliich direction tlic coast land-
ril^lion still strL-tchcd awav as far as the c\c could
reach. I must reach this openiiiL;- at once and dis-
cover if it looked out into the Mast-(ireenlantl Arctic
Ocean, or whether there was distant ice-covered land
to the north-east, which niij^dit still he reached hy
roundinir the head of the fjord far to the south-east.
Chan^inir my course to north-east true, ni)' elevation
at the time heinjj^ some five thousand feet al)ov(; sea-
level, ski and sled^c^s antl do^s spetl merrih' down
the constantly increasint^ gradient of the ice-cap,
straiijht for the red-hrown mountains of the strange
land. After several hours, the <;radi(Mit l^tcw so steep
that it became necessarv to descend diai/onallv alonsjf
the slope. The land, though yet some miles away,
seemed as if at our very feet, and as if we mi^^ht easily
throw a stone upon it.
We could plainly see the L!^reen rivers and lakes
alontr the margin of the ice, and the murmur of roar-
inur cataracts came softlv to our ears.
I selected the hii^hest convex of a crescent moraine,
which climbed well up into the ice-cap, as my landini^
point, and after wadin_L,^ innumerable streams, and
flounderin*! through a mile of slush, which covered
the lower portion of the landward slope of the ice, w^e
clambered u[)on the confused rocks of the moraine,
4000 feet above the sea, and dra_Li^^ed the sledi^e
up high and dry. Stoppimj;- only loni;;- enous^h to
open a tin of pemmican and change my ski for
snow-shoes, I left Astriip to look after the doa^s
and turn in, and hastened down to the land for the
purpose of climl)ino" a summit some hve miles from
the ed^e of the ice, which apparently commanded a
full view of the ijfreat break in the coast ribbon, A
mile or more of slush, a two-hundred-foot slide down
the nearly forty-five-dei^ree slope of the extreme edge
\ii
'■'■-h^-f'^'^'"'''»Mtixri1k'i'''^fnr-'--'--*'r'* " f*^;: ^. - 2 .
To the Northern ILnd of (irccnhuul 321
of the ice, and my fret were on tlic sliarj). chaos-strt'wn
stones which coxcr the iceward borders of this hmd
of rock.
The tierce July sun. though l)Ul a httle past the
northern nieri(Han, heat down uj)on nie witli o|)|)res-
siv(! warmth. Hefore nic. the warm retl-hrown land-
scape waver ul and tremhlinl in thi; \-ellow li.i^ht ; hehiiul
me, towered the blinding- white slopt; of the ice l)e-
neath my feet, the stones were bare even of lichens.
J ^^__
* " - : '' •'•'5:? ~'
B"'
m-^^Q
w-\*-
PR4*""" -"^^^^
-J "- "^1*""
\
THE NORTHERN MORAINE.
and had a dry, i^rey look, as if the\' were the bones of
a deatl world.
And yet I felt that with so much of warmth and
richness of colourinj^ there must be lifi-. and sure
enou!>h, hardlv had I irone a huntlred vards from the
edjL^^e of the ice when a beautiful little black-and-white;
sonjL^ster tUittered uj) from behind a rock, hovert.'d
sini^inLi^ almost within reach al)ove m)- head, and then
settled ujjon a bleak stone but a few feet distant to
hnish his merry sonL,f.
As I went on, numbers of these snow-buntini^^s
flitted about me, and hardly had I gone a mile before
Ml
I;
1 ji
ib
I I'
r V'
It '
322 Northward over the "Great Ice"
my heart hc-at ([iiickcr at the sin^^ht of traces of musk-
oxen. As I sji^ot farther awa)' from the ice antl in the
lee of tile L^i^antic moraiiK's and tumuli of |L,dacial de-
bris, flowers l)eL;an to appear, purple and white and
yellow. amouL^ them my eve-r-present brilliant yellow
friend, the arctic pop|)\-.
Still travttllinj^- alonij^ towards my mountain, with
eyes constantly alert for musk-oxen. 1 rec(;i\ed a shock
like that of Crusoe when he spied the foe tprints on
MUSK-OX RENDEZVOUS.
the; beach. In a little level space, sheltered on all
sides, was a lar^e an^i^ular boultler of trap, with one ver-
tical face, and before this face were a number of ir-
rej^'ularly arranj^ed stones in a rank i^rowth of \ ivid
irreen irrass. Throuirhout all the inhabited shores of
Greenlantl, a patch of luxuriant L^rass is always the
sign of a sometime igloo, and it was with peculiar
feelings that I hastened to the spot.
A closer examination showed the place to be a musk-
1.1
.^m»*wmitmi tmatUi
•tea
To the Northern llnd of Grccnhuul
1 o ->
0-J
ox rcndc/vous. Hits of their hair and wool were stick-
inj4' to the rock and scattered on the L^round, a weather-
worn skull lay a few yartls away, and the unusual
Ljrowth of i^^rass was due to the presence of the musk-
oxen.
I'rom this point on, the musk-ox trails were as thick
as sheep paths in a New I'ln^land pastun.' ; and know-
nv^ the sai^Mcit)' of these animals in tlu; selection of
a favo' ral)k" route, I was j^lad to make use of their
paths. Hut my mountain seemed to recetle as I ad-
v^anced, and it was ei^ht hours before- I reachetl its
summit, only to tintl that two or three other summits
intervened between me antl the full \iew out, through
the fault in the coast line.
The five miles of apparent distance hatl leULithened
out to at k;ast twelvi; miles of actual distance, and
most men, less accustomc;tl to estimating" distance than
I had been, would have called it considerably more.
I was stron^K' tf-mpted to ^o on still farther, but
the condition of my foot-jj^ear preclutled it. The soles
of both kamiks were already cut through, and one or
two edo;es of sharp rocks had ev(.:n reached and cut
my feet. It was even (juestionable wlu.-ther I could
tix up my foot-ijear to enable me to j^et back without
more or less serious injury to my feet.
With the assistance of a pair of sealskin mittens
and a knit skull-cap, I patched up my foot-i^ear, and
after an hour's rest, started on my return to the camp
on the moraine.
Loni^ before I reached the ed<j;^e of the ice, I was
oblij^ed to add to the protection of my feet such por-
tions of my <rarments as I could spare, and it was with
the feeliuiTs of one who is suddenly relieved from an
excruciatincj^ toothache, that I stepped from the ra_L(L,^ed
rocks upon the Inland Ice and strapped on my snow-
shoes.
/
It
f
324 Northw.'ird over the "(ircat Ice"
As 1 nrarcd.thc inoraiiK,-, I saw Asiriip pcM-chcd on
its siiniinii looking- anxiousl)- for inc. for 1 had hccn
.^onc lificcn hours instead of four or five, as intended
wlien I started.
I found my dinner, lunch, breakfast, wliatever it
mi.i^ln i)e called, of tea. ix-nimican. ami hiscuit. ready
for me, and when 1 had satisfied my hunger and
MY PADDED KAMIKS.
Stretched myself out on the rocks to sleep, it seemed
as if never before had 1 been so sore and tired. I
had been travelling- and climbiuL;- for twenty-three
hours, and I felt, to a marked deirree, the chanu'e from
the dry, cold atmosphere of the Inland Ice to the
moister and almost torrid atmosphere of the land.
More than this, my reconnaissance had failed of its
object, and it would now be necessary for Astriip and
/I
a.
- ^,i^*i'f^|,kfr:jlm~s^-•^^^■ r.^^^tj-. .
To the Xorthcrn Iinil of (;rccnlan(l ;,25
myself to take tlic doL^^s and thrc<' or four (la\s' sii|)-
plics and inarch overland to whatexcr distance nii-ht
be necessary to <rive pie the unohstriicted. defimte
outlook which I must have.
After a few hours' sleej). we made u|) our packs, and
myself in the lead. Aslriii) followin-" with the do^s. I
started once more to wrest its secret from this tanta-
lising land.
k
CHAPTI-R XII.
N ( t k I 1 1 1 : K N M ( )S I ( , K K !•: N i,a N I ).
\\K Sir our I-..R iMK Kii. Hill., am. Vai.i.kys- Oir lh,r.s (Ji.ad to
kKA. II TiKKA llKMA-VKkY k..l(;il TkA\ KI.I.IM; oVI K Till SlIARI' STCMS
-SM;iiTrN(; Misk-Oxin at L\si-I K,,... Two nv ,iik Animals am,
( Alirui ()M.; AL1V|;-A FkAST ..K MlsK-OX StIAKS-Tim: I.A.ST S.MMIT
HLTWIKN IS AM, Tll|.; SEA -A (;U,RI(,1S PANORAMA AS WK I-MFk.;!-. IIM.N
A (Want (Liir-Av Ick-Cvirki. Hay 3S00 Kkkt hki.ow rs-KASTWARi,
riiK AKcnc Ska Kxi'am.s to tiii. IIori/.,n_\Vk hai, Traci i, tiif NN.ktm
Coast or imk M aini ani— Tii,.; Hniis am. Cuannkls Karthkr North
—A XkYKR-TO-BK-FoRGOITI \ FnlKTII OK Jl I.V.
^!<
^.
J>"
J
u
>
>
Z
ri
?ft; .
:?^
CHAPTKR XII.
.\( )Kin i: K \ M( »sr ( . k k k \ i,a .\ i >.
IT was a l)rioht. l)cau-
tifiil ilay wluMi we
arose on tlu- morniiio-
of July ;v iSg2. Though
on the [)rc-\'i()iis (la\- I had
not cauoht a glimpse of
the sea. and the niyster\- of
dark-red hind before' us
was a mystery stiH, I felt
that the next tW(,'nt\--four.
or fortN-eii^ht hours at
most, would mak( all
clear to us, and that we should stand on the- horelers
of the Arctic Ocean, and, from some vantaux'-oround
on the north-east coast of Cireenland, look northward
over the broad expanse of sea. .Still I mi-ht b(; mis-
taken, and the coast miwht be much farther north
too far away for us to attain it carrNini^-, as we were
comi)elled to, every ounce of our provisions and
equipment on our backs.
I was too anxious to enjoy the ^lorx- of tlie morn-
incr fully. If, as I had for's(')me davs siisp<'cted, this
channel actually stretched from Li'ncoln Se;i to' th(!
Arctic Ocean on the north-east coast of (ireenland.
was I to fail now to fathom its secret and take home
329
33^ Northward over the "Circat Ice"
tlu* news that the northern extension of ih(- mainland
had at last L(,'en found ? It was c(M"tain that we had
no reserve of provisions that would warrant us in
makini; any consitlerahle sojourn in the region to
which we had attained; nor if a half-ton of su])j)lies
had been packed on our sled^^e could we carry more
than a V(Ty few days' rations on our backs over the
boulder-strewn waste bc.'fore us.
DAWN OVER THE ROCKS.
The sun was shiniuLi; brilliantly upon the dazzling-
white of the ire cap behind us. Its genial rays were
searching vjut and lighting up the hilltops and the
deepest valleys of the land towards which our faces
were turned, and which we were al)out to traverse.
The temperature was that of a balmy day in early
April in lands far south of the Arctic circle. I knew
it would i)e very warm below. Innumerable patches
of snow dotted the landscape north of us, but they did
Northernmost Greenland
33 '
not cover a hundrctlth part of the great area we saw
stretcliiiiir away hefore us.
Our tlous were wild with dehi^ht and expressed their
einotions most vociferous!)-. They saw the hind
before them and were eai^cr to reach it. I" , y were
to accompany us in our tramp, for of course we could
not \vdvc them hehind. So we i^ave the-m a rather
meai^re breakfast and at seven o'clock in the morning;
we started. If the tlonrs had b^cn L;iftetl with sufflcimt
sense I think they would keenly have appreciated the
EXHAUSTED WITH THE HEAT.
chanLi'ed conditions that had suddenly occurred. We
were now the beasts of burden antl they were com-
paratively free. Our equipment and su|)plies for four
da\s, with instrumcmts, ritle, camera, and a ver\- few
extras intended to _L;ive sj)ecial distinction to our
h'ourth-of-Juh- dinner, mack.- a load of about forty
pounds each for Astriij) antl myself.
vStartinij;- out from Moraine Camp, we had to walk
and slip about four hundred feet down the landward
slope of the ice, which str(;tched away for upward of
a mile before its foot rested on terra hrma. We
i! y
T 1 ')
Northward over the "Great Ice"
found tlic travellini,^ even more difficult than it had
hcH-n the day before^ partly hc.'cause wc. were hea\y-
laden, and also because the sun had still further soft-
enetl the snow. Azure-hhu.- streams rushed through
the semi-li([uid slush, as we made our wa)' towards the
land, till we came to th(; crest of the immediate ed^'x;
of the ice. I)()wn this w(; slipped and scrambled as
best we could, trippiuL^ and tan^iini,^ in the traces of
our don^s, which wt-re wild to reach the land. I was
surprised to see th(! effect of this constant July sun.
Close to tlK; land, where; a f(;w hours previous I had
travelled without difficulty on my snow-shoes, tluire
was now a rushinsj^ river which we were obli^c^d to
ford. Some glacial lake, far uj) the ice, dammed in
by the deep snow, had burst its banks, and, rushing'
down to the canon between the rocks and the eds^e of
the ice, had swej)t ever)thino' clear, down to the h.ard,
blue crystal ice. The rushing- water, mid-thiL,di deep,
thtt slipj)ery ice in th(; bottom of the stream, and the
antics of our do^rs, which, hesitating!;' at first to enter the
water, would, when urcred, make a rush for the opj)()sit(i
side, made the; crossinL^ of the stream precarious. We
succeeded, however, in jj^-ettini^ over without a thorough
wettiuL^, and scrambled u\) on the rocks.
My i)ath of the day before was followed alonjj; the
summits and through the little valle\-s, and after a
march of five hours we stopped b(;sidf' a l)eautiful shal-
low stream, starting' from a oreat snow-bank far up the
ravine, and empt)ino' below us into a mirror-like lake,
from which a foaminj^ cataract dashed to the crevasses
of the jjj^lacier below. After lunrh, r.s we advanc(;d,
we saw sev(;ral musk-ox skeletons. ()n every hill and
in every valley we were hndinL^ traces of musk-oxen,
but as yet we had seen no livinsj^ specimens. With
the utmost ea^rerness we scanned every new prospect
for the coveted animals ; for we knew that musk-oxen
AL. ati*]i«s»a.i tiw**
^m
mm
^
' I
r
Northernmost Greenland
-1 •» 1
mt*ant fresh meat for ourseh-cs, and an abuiulanl
supi^lyof food for our dojji's.
\V(j foUowctl the niiisk-o.\ trails as far as they went
in the direction in which we wishetl to j^o. riien. to
reach the summit where I had been the day Ix^fore. 1
decided to try a different route, and one that was a])-
parc-nth' easier. As luck would have it. it was in-
finitely worse, and. hurch^ned with our j)acks and the
do*^s, it seemed as if we never should reach the to[).
SOURCE OF THE ACADEMY GLACIER.
From this summit we kei)t aloni:^ the crest of the ran^^e
of rock-strewn mountains, parallel with the great
sjflacier east of us.
A rcL^ion of such utter barrenness I never saw he-
fore. The arctic poi)py was th(; only llower that
could find a footin;^. Uj)on a surface of small, anij^u-
lar stones, compressed and half cement<'d toL^ether by
the enormous pressure of superincuml)ent ice-fields
ages ago, were strev/n larger loose fragments, singly,
n.
.1
334 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
in piles, and in loni;' moraines ; and \'et, even here,
traces of nuisk-oxen \ver(; abundant, as if it were one
(jf their favourite haunts. After t(tn hours' marchin|^,
rentlered douhl)' se\'ere h\' the enervatini,^ etlect of
tlu; hiL,di t(Mii|)erature. we hahtnl for rest l)etwec;n a
mound of l)oulders and a snow-drift, anel, throwing; up
a wind-^uard of stones, turneii in to sh-ep. The con-
stant scramhhni,^ over sharp rocks of all sizes had been
extremely trying- to Astriip and myself. The fatit^ue
NUNATAKS OF THE ACADEMY GLACIER.
of climbini^ with our heavy packs and hampered by
the do^s was u^reatly increased 1)\- the debilitatintj^ in-
diience of what seemed to us an almost tropical tem-
perature, accustomed as we hail become to the clear,
cold, searching- atmosphere of the Inland Ice; and the
terrible travellinLi" over the L;laci;d tumuli and nior-
aines had been exceetlin^i)- severe upon our fo()t-!j;-ear
and our muscles.
We had now advanced far enough on our uay down
v«K%»->« -. ti£*»niFaf -rf
mim
Northernmost Greenland
1 ■» r
the valleys ami oxer the moiiiUains tu (Kscr\- \cry
distant land beyond what appeared to hi- the lu-ad-
lands of a fjord. Rut we were too far away to see all
this clearly. The mystery of ihe region still remained
a mystery ; and we were to sleep a.L;ain before we dis-
covertxl that the distant laml we saw was islands be-
yond the; mainland of (ireenland. We wen; very
footsore as we threw ourselves on the ijround behind
WAVE-MARKED SANDSTONE.
l'"()un(l 3000 FcL't aliDve Sca-I.tVL-l.
our shelter of stonc^s ; but we were not too tired to
sleep the sleej) of the; just, during- tlie fixe hours we;
allotted to rest be-fore- we shoulde'red our packs and
set out ai^ain, loe^kin^" as e-a^'erly tor uuisk-oxeMi as for
discoveries of oeo^raphical inte.-rest.
I was some'what we)rried about my do,L;s. They
had felt the he-at eve-n more than Astri'ip and nnself ;
and one of them. Pau, m\' leader and bra\cst doo-
since the loss e)f XaleL;aksoah, was e[uite ill. Pau
3:/^
Northward over the " Circat Ice"
ir
was a littU; smaller than XaUiL^aksoah, his l)roth('r,
aiul like him a horn fi^htcM-. in all his combats, thi!
latter stood hy, and if (as rarcl)' hapjx'nrd) the oilds
were against Pan, one shake of Xale^aksoah's massive
jaws would turn tlu,- tahU.s in his faxour. Pau was an
ex|)c;rt at slii)i)inL;' his harness, ami more than once I
have seen him, when he thoui^ht no om; was watching',
H'o throuLih the operation as nu,'th(Klically as one
would tak(; off a coat. TIk n for a forai^e, — for some-
thin^' to c;at. Nc.-ver would Pau i^ct many xarils away,
however, before; Xales^aksoah's jjowerful deep voice
would L(ive notice of the fact, antl with two or three
l)owerful efforts he would break his harness or trace
and be at the side of his comrade. I had now ei^hl
do^s, and felt sure of obtainini^'- musk-oxen lor
them whih; we were down in the valley. \vt 1
had laid m\' j)lans, in the e\-ent of not L^-ettin*^- musk-
oxen, to sacrifice one of the doi^s for the subsist-
enct; of the rest. It troubletl me seriously to think
that Pau, if he; should continue to be sick, would, of
necessity, be the victim. W hen w(; resumed our i)acks
and started on ai^ain, the dot^s were evidently much
exhausted, and I hatl an acklitional source," of worr)- in
the fear that some of thc;m wouUl break their k^ij^s in
clamberinL]^ over the angular blocks ot stone. Every
do!^' was to us more precious far than the most valued
pieces of horse-tlesh in the land we had come from.
As we atlvanct;d, summit after summit rose tanta-
lisiuij^ly Ix^fore us, still masking- from our \iew the
cov(,'ted siuht of the ^-reat l)av which I now had no
doubt lay before us, hidden perhaps between tower-
in<^ cliffs that walled it round. Still with every step
as we went on we eai^erly examined all the slojjes
and ravines for musk-oxen. Aj^ain and ai^ain, some
larijj'e black boulder would ii^ive us a thrill of excite-
ment, only to pass away a^ain. At last, however, as
^-^^
Northernmost (irccnlantl
we were slowly and painfully crtepini^ down the sloj)e
of an ancient moraine, two black ohjccts were sjjied
across the valley. As we looked, the space between
them narrowed. There could be no doubt this time.
They were musk-oxen, and I stoojx-d to pat Pau's
head and speak a word of enc( ura^^ement to the noble
MY FIRST MUSK-OXEN.
doo;', for I knew fresh meat would restore the brilliancy
to his dull eyes and savc^ his life.
As ([uickly as possible, we crept behind the crest of
a hill, restrainiuL,^ ever\' s)-nip>t()ni of a howl or cry
from an\' of the doi^s, and then worked alon^" towards
the feedino;' animals. lust this side of them was a
deep ravine, traversed by a glacial stream, one arm
of which branched up near where we were. ( )nce
between the high banks of this, we hurried rapidly
II
I
(
33^ Northward over the "Great Ice"
alonor till within less than half a mile of the oxen.
Ihtre 1 divested myself of m\' pack, and left Astriip
and tlu; d()L,^s, while 1 crept on down the ravine to a
point close to the L,^amc. Re.ichin^- this, 1 ciimhed
can^fulK' u|) the hank, and looked cautiously over.
1 here; tlu;y were l)inL;; down, less than a hundred
yards awa\-. One was entirely (juiet, but the oth(;r
turned his head in my direction as I couched in my
excitement. My crippletl Ica^ hatl thrown me out of
all the d(;er hunts about Retl Cliff, anil lack of prac-
tice and the nature oi the L^anK; iK^forc.- me _i;av(.' me
th(i severest kind of buck fttver. As I raised my
Winchester, it was with th(; utmost difficulty that I
could k(,'ep the sioht on that ijreat shanLTV head. I
pulled the trii^rircr, and h(Mrd tlu* bullet reach the
mark somewhere. Then I rose and ran forward, to
be as near as possible for a sna|) shot should the
animal run. Much to ni)* sur|)rise, as I api)earetl on
t\\v scene, he rose knsurely and advanced towards me,
as if to si;e what mi^ht b(; the trouble. A second shot
poi it-blank sta_i;_L^ere'd and discoura_L,''e'tl him, and he
turned away, i^iviuL; me the cU-sired shot back of the
fore shoulders. As he fell, the otluM' rose leisurely,
cxposinij", as Ik; did so, the same fatal spot. I could
hardly credit my ^ootl luck as I rushed forward to
examine more closely the i^reat masses of loni( black
hair and soft brown wool lyini;' there uj)on the rocks.
Pamiliar with descriptions and j)ictur(;s of the musk-
ox, I had )et obtained no true conception of the ap-
pearance of these stran^^e denizens of th(; farthest
north. The ones before me were plunij) and rotund
with the luxuriant veiji'etation of the little; meadow
spot in which I had found them ; they were just
sheddin_o" their hc;avy winter coats of wool, and this,
as it worked out throuL^di the lonjj;' coarse black hair
of the summer coat, fell to the unround on either side,
Northcniniost (irccnlaml
?>^9
jriviiiL^ the animal an ai)|)(ar.uicc of si/.c jj^rcath' in ex-
cess of the reality. This, with their slow, sedate
movements, made an impression which 1 shall never
forL^et. As I started hack to hrini^- np Astriip and
the do^s. m\' eye was attracted hy a small hlack oh-
ject a lumdred yards or more to one side. llasteiiini^
to it, I fonnd the strangest, (|ui;erest little object. —
MUSK-OX SHEDDING WINTER COAT.
a vounLT musk-calf. Poor little thinir, it had Ixnm
taking; a promenade while its j)arents enjoy(;d th(.'ir
afternoon siesta, and was all unconscious of the mis-
fortune that had befallen them. 1 jjicked it up, car-
ried it Ijack to the others, and tethered its feet with
the slino- of my carbine. Then I went back to .Astrujx
I found him (as well as tlie doi^s) nearly wild with
excitement. At my first shot, h(; had climbed out of
i. M
34^ Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
his |)l;ic(' of conccahncnt to watcli ther affair, and al-
ready knew of mv L^ood fortune. Childish as it may
Sfeni. I went to my doi^s, |)aited each on the head,
and told them of the feast in store for them.
Siiarj) stones and weary shoulders were now for-
j^^otten as we hastened to where the fallen musk-oxen
lay. The doi^s were fastened just Ih:1ow the bank
and out of si^^ht of the carcasses, in order to keep
th
lem trom Inrcomin*-- unnianaiicahU
l)l(
m
Then I took
y camera and |)hotoL,n"ai)hed the new specimens.
'Ihis done, we immediatel)' hei^an skinnini^ one. It
was hut a short time before we had a huL;c hind (piarter
skinned and cut off, anil 1 was hurr)inj^r down to my
dops with it. When I first saw them tliev were all
asleep, e\haust(;d with the lu^at and ditTicult travellinj^.
Miss Tahwana, always on the alert, was the first to
se(r nw. and jj^ri.-et ni}' approach with a joyful )'elp.
This brouj^ht Lion to his feet and wakened all the
rest. For a moment they did not understand, then
as it dawned upon them that 1 was brini^int;- them
meat — raw, fresh, warm, i)lo()d\' meat, which they
had not tasttnl for many a wear)- day, — the air was
filled with their jo)ful crit's of anticipation. K\'en
Pau resumed his wonted position, and crowded to the
front for th(; first and choicest pit .... A few moments
later only tlu; bones were left, one in the possession
of Pan, tlu; other i^^aiarded by Lion.
Then I went back to help Astriip finisli the work.
An hour or two lat(,'r, having' skinnt-d both carcasses
and removed the hind (piarters and sirloins for our
own use, Astriip and nnself took one of the car-
casses, and, carr\'inn' it between us, tf)ok it down to
the dou^s. Ai^ain the saim,' wild excitement as we ap-
proached. Stopi)in_!Lj;' just outsidf; tlu; limit of their
traces, we ijave the bodv a swinLi' 'I'ld tossed it in
amono- the pack. The next instant it was covered from
Northern most Circcnhuul
;>4i
view 1)) the sliaL^jujy forms ami tciisc, straining;; linihs of
a pack of ravenous woUcs. The cai^cr \rl|)s and howls
were silenced, and only the crunching' of hones and an
occasional low L^rowl could l)c heard. Savaji^e; as was
th(; sij^ht. 1 sal down on a stone near hy to watch
the feast of my faithful c()mi)anions. Wild and eaL^^T
as they were, they were still amenaMc to my voice,
^^-
"^^^^^^^fttfgrtttKT*"^
tiii,.i.-.aJi*^|
SfliiiP'^''' .;^
'■HIS,..,' ■'. '.'„,■
ii^^p
"^
ih
«
^
>
%
mi-'
4J -=« V
>
^l^^'^^W ^__ .jbRAQK* .ji^^k
■IP
-f *^
*,
^
?''?!
« -*"^ "
P^^B^Rjf*!* t^^^^^T" '"^i fc^^^^^^^^B
ROYAL BANQUET OF MY DOGS.
for when Lion frc'ed himself from his harness in his
violent exertions, I pulled him away from his hanfiuet.
and at a word he. crouched ohtxlienl at m\' feet, till
I replacc;d his harness. Lion, ihe thick-furred, loni;-
maned, white leader of the Cai)e-'\'ork team, had been
my favourite; until \aleL,faksoah aj)peared on the scene,
and he was always tlu; veteran sled^c-do^ and team-
leader on the march. He was the most ex[jerience(l
t
'.■*
.)! -I'
i;i
342 Northward over the " Great Ice "
and th(j toiiiilu-st of m\' tloLis. Never ditl he Lj-et
tangled in his traces. Never did he attem])! to eat
his harness. Nevc;r, except in this sinL;le instance
chirinL,^ his gastronomic ecstasies over the carcass of
the musk-ox, had 1 known him to s^et out of liis
hci''ness. I)Ut, as Astnjp said, l.ion was no enthusiast
and his hump of affection was not kirL^ely deveh^ped.
When my ea^-er woh'es liad thiished, only the; white
and broken bones of the musk-ox were left. Hvery-
thins^ eatal)le had disa|)pearc:d, and the doL(s were
filled almost to burstin^^.
In the meantime, Astriij). boy-like and Crusoe-like,
with his ever-present artistic sense of the fitness of
thintrs, had found near by a ^rass-covered, Hower-be-
sprinkled bit of soil, close to a little stream, and there
had spread the musk-ox skins, and ri^^cHl up a lijL^dit
cotton sail which we carried, into a kitch(;n, or sh(;lter
for the alcohol stove. Here he invited me to come
and stretch myself on the luxurious fur couch while
he proceeded to broil some musk-ox steaks. How^
delicious they were ! xAstriip could hardly broil them
fast enoui^h to sui)pl\- the demand. .Sweet and tender
and juicy, they far exc(.'lled anytliin^- of the kind that
it was ever my j^ood fortunt; to taste. Wearmess and
foot-soreness, all vanished for the time under the
maij^ic of an abundant supply of fresh meat for my
doo^s and a fine dinner for ourselves.
It would have been suicitlal to have attempted to
make our doos travel immediately after their recent
feast, and as I did not wish to leave them here, it was
necessary that we should wait several hours until they
were in condition to move. \\v improved the oppor-
tunity to snatch a little sleep, and both men and beasts
were wonderfully refreshed by the time we started
ao;^ain on our tramix A few more summits rose before
us, but at last there could be no further qut^stion.
i;
Northernmost Grccnhind
The next one would surcl)' give us the long-desired
view,
Eagerly we climbed thv. ragged sl()i)e, over ragged
rocks and through tlrifts of heavy, wet snow. The
summit was reached. A few steps more, and the rocky
plateau on which we stood drop|)e(' in a giant iron
wall, that would grace the Inferno. 3S00 feet to the
level of the bay below us. We stood upon the north-
east coast of Greenland ; and, looking far ofl over
CAMP MUSK-OX.
the surface of a mighty glacit:r on our right and
through the broatl mouth of the bay, we saw stretchiuLT
awa\' to the horizon the great ice-fields of the Arctic
Ocean. We had travelletl twent\-six miles in a north-
easterly direction from Moraine Camp, where we had
left our sledge.
Prom the edge (.f the towering cliff on which we
stood, and in the clear light of the brilliant summer
day, the view that spread away before us was magniti-
It
344 Northward over the "Great Ice"
cent licyoiul description. Silently Astrui) and myself
took off our packs and seated ourselves upon them to
fix in mcmiory every detail of die never-to-be-forL,^otten
scene before us. All our fatii^aies of six weeks' struj^jj^le
over the ice-cap were forLi^otten in the L,^randeur of that
view.
Our observation point was a inant cliff, almost
-'•■'Si
•*S^'>^
r^y:»0^^'^
K— • ■«■■
m
VIEW FROM NAVY CLIFF.
vertical, overlooking^ the bay and a oreat orlacier that
entered the bay on our right. We thoui^ht we had
left the Inland Ice behind us, but here was a miohty
ice-stream, one of the largest we had seen in Greenland,
that had pushed out from the ice-caj) to find the sea.
Looking- ()\er our right, shoukler to the south-east, we
could see, beyond the thousand red boulders in the
foreground, and through a depression in the hills,
Northernmost (irccnland
;45
the middle course of the broad ice-river glistening in
the sun.
Across the giacii;r, hounding the fjord on the east,
rose a long line of jji'ecipitous, bronzed cliffs, higher
even than the one on which we stood, and j)rojecting
several miles farther out into the bay. The)- rosv.
four thousand or more feet in sheer height above the
glacier, and terminated in a grim promontory sloping
steopK^ to the water. On their huge; shoulders these
wild cliffs supported a great projecting tongue of the
Inland Ice. Some fifteen miles north-(,'ast of where we
stood, these cliffs ended in a hv)ld cajje which 1 named
Glacier Cape. Dark clouds seen over and l)e)()nd the
ice-cap on these cliffs seemed to indicate that the shore-
line trended rapidly away to the east or south-east.
Stretching out beyond that cape, and more than
fifteen miles north of Observation Point, as I named
the spot where we stood, we could trace the periphery
of the big glacier, whose fan-shaped face rested at one
end on Glacier Cape, and at the other on a promon-
tory several miles north-west of us. I estimated that
the periphery of this fan-shap('d face of the glacier
was fully twenty miles (/i more in length. The glacier
seemed to have little or no xcn'tical face, but almost
to blend with the bay ice. This appearance may,
however, have been due to our elevation and distance.
Looking to the west, we saw the opening of the
fjord that had barred our northern advance, ^t was
this fjord whose western entrance we hatl descried
afar oft days before. Now w^e knew that we had
paralleled its course across the northern end of the
mainland from Robes )n Channel clear to th(^ Arctic
Ocean oft" the shores of north-east Gre(;nland. h'or
days we had kept constantly in view the mountain
masses forming the southern boundary of this channel,
and throuofh rifts in the mountains we had from time
'H
346 Northward over the "Great Ice"
to tiiiKj S(::l'11 this depres-
sion, antl had now and
then caiiirht irhmj)ses of
the frozen channel oc-
ciip\inj^ it; and we had
seen be\ond it mount-
ains and fjords stretch-
ino; i)etween them. It
was evident that this
channel marked the
northern boimdary of
the mainland of Green-
land.
To the north-west,
north, and north-east
stretched steep red-
brown bluffs on the
other side of the bay,
with a tlat fore-shore
reaching- to the water's
clU^h ; and we could
make out to the north-
ward the entrance of a
second fjord or channel
extendi ntr apparently to
the north-westward.
The resemblance of
these bluffs to that shore
of McCormick Bay
which formed our head-
quarters was very strik-
in<r. Close at hand a
sint^le isolat(?d ice-cap
crested these bluffs, but
disapj:)eared in the mid-
dle distance ; and, be-
ACADEMY GLACIER AND INDE-
PENDENCE BAY.
Northernmost Greenland
34
OH-/
yond that, the shores which stretched far a\va\' to the
north-east wen; free of snow, and the summits free of
ice-caps. On the west side of the fjord openinj^ were
numerous httle ishuids. There is c^very reason to
beheve that to the north-west, north, and north-east
we w^ere j^azimj;' upon an arcliii)ehiJL;() wliose western
Hmits Lockwood had discovered in 1882.
At our feet, beyond the ij^'reat fan-shap(.'d perij)lu'ry
of our biijf i^hicier, were scattered man)- icebt'rLis
prisoned in the still unbroken surface of the ba\ ice.
Beyond this, the bay ice seemed perfectly smooth and
unbroken, and stretched away uninterrui)ted to the
distant white horizon of the north-eastern Arctic
Ocean. We could distinctly discern the broad exjjanse'
of the ice-covered sea, but the distance was too i^reat
for us to make out any details of the surface. The
most distant land we could make out, far to the north-
east, lookincr ()\(,'r the point of Glacier Cape, must
have been sixty miles away. It seemed to be ilat-
topped and there was no ice-cap on it.
Far out in the centre of the ba)', we could make
out a clouded appearance, undoubtedly due to the
formation of water i)0()ls upon the surface of the ice,
the first si^ns of approachinj^^ disintei^^ration. lUit
we could see no si^ns of cracks in the distant l)a\'
ice ; and we looked in vain for an)- sij^ns of ice-cap
on the lands west and north-west of our point of view.
I could now understand the feelings of Halboa as
he climbed the last jealous summit which hid from
his eaLTer eves th(? \)\uv. wa\-es ot the miLfhtv Pacihc.
As w^e took in this wide-s]jr(?adinu^ panorama from
our point of vantao^e over tliree-fifths of a mile abovi;
the bay ice, the sound of a cataract came up to us
from far below, and I v, as surpris(!d to hear the
familiar drone of a bumble-bee. We soon cauL^ht
sight of the insect, which lingered in our neighbour-
1 !1
348 Northward over the *• Great Ice
hood for some time. The tlics tliat l)iizzcd arouiul
us were ciltoLiX'thcr too numerous to count. The da\
was (U^liirhtfull)' warm and calm.
Our silent contemplation of the sublime; view at
an end, 1 opened tlur box coiUaininL;' m\- transit and
set it hrmly amon<j^ the rock..-, to make m\' ob.-, -rva-
tions for position. The interims between these obser-
vations ( e q u a 1
altitudes from
thre(; hours be-
fore local noon to
three hours after-
wards) Ll^av(.' time
for a round of
pho t o ora j)h ic
views and notes
upon our sur-
roundiuL^^s, and to
be^in the con-
struction of the
cairn, w h i c h
should be in th(.'
coming' \ears the
silent record of
our visit there.
'Idle result of the
observations was
the fixing- of the
position of Ob-
servation Point
as 8i° 37' 5" north
atitude and 34" 5'
west longitude.
The observa-
tions finished, I
brought out the little silver flask of brand)- which
THE STARS AND STRIPES AT NAVY CLIFF.
July 4, 1S92.
350 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
time and plact- at wliich it was found ; or, if more convenit'nt,
to deliver it, for that purpose, to tlie United States Consul at the
nearest pori."
(This was repeated in French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, and
derman.]
A duplicate of this saniL* record, rolled closely and
inserted in a twelve-inch brass tluM'nionK'ter case, was
also deposited in tlu- cairn, and then, luider one of
the llat stones, an entire; copy of the New York Sun
of Sunday, June 7, 1S91, and JIarpcrs Weekly of
May 23, 1891. AftcT tht; capstone was put on. the
tlaL^s of the Philadeli)hia AcadcMny of Natural Sci-
ences and the National ( ie()L;ra|)hic Society of W'ash-
insj^ton, prestMited by Miss l)ahlL,n-en, were attached
to th(.' bamboo staff of the little silken ouidon (which
Mrs. Peary hatl made at Red Cliff House and pro
sented to me as a Christmas present), and the staff
was fixed in the cairn. How JL^loriously the l)rilliant
colours sparkled, as the wind from the mighty ice-cap
spread them to the; vi\id sunlight antl tilled the air
about the sinnmit of the L;reat bronze clift with their
laui^hinjj^ rustle I
Photographs of the cairn and of the ilai^s w(;re
taken, a handful of (lowers j^athered from the rocks,
and with a parting;- look at the scene which lunnan
eyes mi^ht not see a^ain for years, perhaps never,
we turned back towards the orcat ice-cap. Half a
day's march brouL;ht us back to the camp in Musk-
Ox Valley.
Tyino- our doo^s so that they could feast upon the
body of the second musk-ox, we thmi;- oiu'selves upon
otu' couch of musk-ox fur Ijeside the babblino' l)rook,
and with the; sky of Itah' ibovc; us. bright yellow
dowers peering" at us from amono- the forbitldini^
rocks, and soft misty wreath^, creeping" iij) the i;'orL;es
from the basin of the ^iant <rlaciei", we L;ave ourselves
W.
Northernmost ( irccnlaiul
j:)
up to tho luxury of perfect rest ami itllc tancies. All
care and responsibility and weariness of hotly, worry
as to the doiL^s, and disappointUK-nt. were thrown to
the winds. On this da\' 1 would he a hoy with As-
triip, and we would celehratt? the !;j^lf)rious old I^'ourth
in a royal dinner. It was rathe-r late to eat our
I'\>urth-of-July dinner, for the fifth of the month was
full j^rown ; but we had been too busy at Observa-
" BESIDE THE BABBLING BROOK."
A Perfect Summer Day in Musk-Ox \'alley.
tion Point to think of spreadinsj^ a bancjuet there, and
anyway our anniversar\' spn-ad was only a little be-
lated. This was our menu :
Brandy Cocktail, (/ la F.jurtli of July.
I'ca Soup.
Sauterne.
Sirloin of Musk-Ox Broiled, uitli I'.iscuits.
Veal Cutlets, with Biscuits.
Bartlett Pears anil Cream, a la Tin Can.
Tea and Biscuits.
352 Northward over the "(ircat Ice
/ 1'
1 1
^«
Never was a dinner more tlioroui/liK' cnioved. and
never, thou_L,dit we, was sound sleep afterwards more
deserved. Xothini; could l)e simpler than our prepa-
rations for the ni,L;ht's rest. W'e simpl\- rolled over,
with our hacks to th(.' kitchen.
nurin^' our travers(^ of this northern land. I found
(lowers of numerous varic.'ties bloomiriL^- in abundance;
conspicuous amon^^ the-ni, the ever-present arctic poj)-
j)y. Snow-l)untiniL(s, two or thret; sandpipers, a siuL^le
CirecMiland falcon, and a pair of ravens were ohser\ cd.
Two l)und)l(;-l)ees, several hutterllies, and innumerable
flies were also noted. Without makiuL,'' an\' search
what(;ver, we saw about twent\- musk-oxen alouL,*^ our
route. W'e could haxc obtainetl all of them without
the least difficulty, and as it was \\(\ killed two fine
cows, a bull, and a calf. '\\\v. musk-oxen were shed-
dinjj;- their Ioul^ fine wocd, and the lonjj^ hair on their
hind (juarters. W'cr found the stomachs of \\\(\ cows
we killed full of L(rass.
Our return to Moraine Camj), at the edi^e of the
Inland Ic(;, was but a repc.'tition of our journey down,
except that Astriij) antl nnself each had an addition
of some twent)-fivc: or thirtx' pounds of musk-ox
tonij^ues, hearts, and sirloin, and four of my best and
stront^^est doL(s carried upon their backs some twenty
pounds apiece. Under ordinary circumstances this
experiment would have been absolute-l\- impossible ;
but now my do^s were so completely surfeited with
food, having" eaten all of two musk-ox(Mi, except what
they were now carr\-in!Lj;, that the meat on their backs
had no attraction for them. If I could have fc^x-se^n
this, my anxiet\' for some time i)revious woukl have,'
been Ll^reatly relieved. Now, howexer, I had ei^iit
well-fed doL^s with which to start back to McCormick
Hay. As for ourselves, we had been feasting' on
musk-ox veal, sirloin, and tenderloin ; and, stran^;e as
U
K
/ NDEPENDENCE 8AY
— "ZS^^
^
^
M A P O F
INDEPENDENCE BAY
\ EAST COAST OF GREENLAND
, July V" i8^l
/ R.E.Peary. U.S Navy
OBSERVATION SPOT ON NAvt Cliff
lat. er 31 5" N
LONG ?>M*5' W.
MAP OF INDEPENDENCE BAY.
(Used through the courtesy of the American Geographical Society, New York.^
I
iA
%
*5
354 Northward over the "(ircat Ice
it may appear, we liail had a surfeit of our fresh food ;
and as we picked our way o\(r the tiresome boulder
frajj^nu,'nts, on our journey hack to Moraine Camp,
Astriij) reiterated that he wished we were hack to tlie
camp, for he wanted a |>iece of pemmican.
1 liat route of ours, from Moraine Camp to Xavy
Chtf and hack ai^^'iin. was a httU* the worst traveUin^L^
we found in (ireenhmd. W'e were two days jL^t'ttinn
back to tlie camp, and when we rt.'ached it, ever\- doir
in the team, except old veteran Lion and mv favour-
ite l^iu (now c;ntirely recovereil ), had cut and worn
his feet on the sharjj rocks until they were bleedinj^.
33
■jI'
' -LTJ g l - nr:^^ :
CHAPTI-R XIII.
KKJiiT riior.sAM) ii;i;i aiiom; hik ska.
•J
Gf.ttinc Rkady k.k tmk Hcmkuaki) March— a Sti adv Ciimi; to tiik
Top OK cJkkkm.and — I'KisoM 1) in a S.\u\\ I)( ,..Oit Sixty IIolks by tiik
HrcdKsT Storm ok tiik Skkiks— ciKoi'ivt; oir Way kor Two Wkkks
TiiRoi (ill Dk.nsk Fo(;s that Crown tiik Summit I'iatkai — \Vk Find it
VKRY Hard TO Kkkp tiik Cocrsk— Iiik Wind oir Soi.k Rii.ianck— I.an-
srn-DK vNP Dksponokncy Di-k to tiik Dripi-ini; Mist--\Vk Ahandon a
Si.kdck AM) Throw away Evkrythinc, wk can Spark— Onck mork in
•IIIK Rl AI.M OK SfNSIIINK -MaKINi. TlllRj V To KoRTV Mll.KS A DaV on IIIK
HoMK-SlRKlCH — MkKIIN(; OCR KrIKNDS ON I HE InI.AM) IcK — WkIaOMKI)
BACK TO RkD Ci.HK.
•II
f'
o
<
O
X
H
2
O
O
2
01
T
CHAPTER XIII.
KICHT TIIOLSA.M) !• KK'l' AHOXK 'lllK SKA.
'il ^ T 7 H had looked o
\/\/ iijx)!! the Arct
i ^ ^ ( ) c (' a n f r o
H had looked out
:tic
in
land never seen before by
the ey(;s of man. We
had seen the islands ris-
ing" in b.illsand mountains
be)()nd the; channel that
marks th(; northern edo'c
of llu; mainland. Wc.
had done all ve could,
and wcA'v now cont(,;nt to
set our faces homeward. Hut hrst of all a halt was
necessary at Moraine Camp, for both man and beast
were sadh' in neetl of rest. biu'thermore, all our
equipment needed overhauling, and we must make
careful [)rei)arations for our return trip; and so, while
the doL^s curletl themselves up in the spaces betwettn
the rocks, to nurse their wounded feet, and sleep,
Astriij) and I beij^an overhauling- our impedimenta.
We threw away (;vt;r\'thinL;' we did not absolutel\' need.
We reduced our bii^' three-runner sledi^^c to its oriL;inal
dimensions. All the sledij^e lashini^s were inspect(."d,
and renewed where ne'cessarw W hip and snow-sho(;s
and ski were carefully examined and put in order, and
357
( •
35^ Northward over the "Great Ice"
many a rip and tear in our costumes were repaired.
All our foot-L,^ear had been damaged and some of it
completely worn out durintj^ our fifty miles of over-
land travellinj^, and it required our best attention to
fit it for service. When all the work of preparation
was complete, I climbed to the top of the m(;raine to
look once more upon the wild northern land below
me. In the opposite direction, our route across the
frozen Sahara was nearly twice as loni^ as the dis-
PACKING FOR THE RETURN.
tance traversed by Nansen, with a fresh party, in his
crossiuL!^ of Greenland. There miirht l)e furious and
lono-continued storms, common to the southern por-
tions of this orrcat ice-ca[), which would hold us pris-
oners for days and days. There miij^ht be sickness ;
there miL,dit be mishap. A thousand and one similar
niohtmares should have troubled me. Yet, such was
the power of perfect health and conscious strenj^th,
such the mao'ic of that summer sunlioht, that not a
1
Eight Thousand Foct above the Sea 359
shadow would stay with mc. I felt unbounded con-
fidence in our ability and the efficiency of our ecjuip-
ment. The idea of sickness seemed out of the
question. If my do^^s oave out, we had with us the
winired ski ; and with these I knew we had it in our
power to cover fifty miles pv.r day, for three or per-
haps four days. Then, too, this i^lorious sunlio-fit was
not intended for men to die in, but to live in ; and the
j^reat Sahara itself, terrible as miu-ht be its moods at
times, desolate and full of unima^nnable horrors as it
STORM CAMP.
was to the poor natives and to those who kn(;w it not,
was it not our friend, had we not travelled tlay after
day upon it, slept nij^ht after nioht upon its bosom,
and sheltered ourselves beneath its ^listenin^- surface ?
We had conquered it as we had concputreci tlic do^s
which drao^o-ed our sledo-e, and, like them, it was now
our friend.
At last all was ready. On the eve of [ul\' 7th,
while the sun was shining; l)riiL;htK-, w(; turnc'd our
backs on the land and startc-d up the slope to reach
the icy heights above us. In order to avoid the ere-
m
N 11
.'f
360 Northward over the "Great Ice"
vasses and o^lacier basins which had so hampered us
on the upward march, I [)roposed, in returnin^^, to
keep well to the east and south of my outward course.
The first mih; or two from Moraine Cam]> was hard
climhiuLi;-, and w(; had to i^v.t \nU> the traces ourselves
and help the d(jos haul. I was not surpriiied that our
first day's record was only t(;n miles ; but in this dis-
tance we had climbed a thousand feet into the air.
Best of all, we were favoured with i^ood .^oin^'. A
firm, granular crust t^ave easy slij)pinL;- for the sledij^es,
and the best of footinjj;- for AstrCip and myself. Dis-
cardimj^ ski and snow-shoes, we trudi^c^d aloni,^ in our
k.imiks. \\\'. were terribly sleeivhunL^ry when we
camped, but were still abU* to enjo)- the reoulation
Inland-Ice tlinner, Pemmican with cranl)erry sauce,
pea soup with musk-ox cut uj) in it, milk, tea, and bis-
cuit, all tasted more than i^ootl ; and Astrup had been
livinjj;- in anticipation of this bill of fare all day.
July 9th, we climbed thirteen hundred feet into the
air in a distance of twenty-one and a half miles. Still
the same perft'ct snow surface was spread around us.
The day and the goinij^ had been perfection. When
we camped I felt as if I had taken my ship safely out
of port, and, free at last from all rocks and shoals, had
no land in si^ht and only tleej) water all about me.
We were climbinL^;- to the cloud-shrouded plateau of
the continental divide, and the ascent to the misty
frozen heights was exhilaratim^-. Whih* the' ice sloped
to the north, it also had a ver\' sensible slope to the
true east. All the sasfj'?iQi' j^ointed east, and the wind,
constantly from the west, was pourins^ down the
slope.
At three a.m., the wind died down and off came our
kooletahs. We had had the sun at our backs all the
way, and it was a comfort to g'et into camp with eyes
in a usable condition. We went to sleep at seven a.m.,
Eight Thousand Feet above the Sea 3^1
nearly a half-inik; higher in the air than at Moraine
Camp. Hut sucli was tin; lu-at of the sun that, lyinji^
under a tarpaulin, I was awakened at midday in a pro-
fuse perspiration. I f(dt thankful for the L!^ood effect
of the musk-ox l)an{|uet upon our doi^s, which was still
apparent. I hatl tMi^ht well-fed doL(s to helj) me climh
the grade. In this day's marcli, we had travelled
PANIKPA.
nearly all dav without ski or snow-shoes, but we put
them on towards the end.
On Jul}- loth, in a little over tw(."nt\' miles, we rose
nearly a thousand feet higher. It was aj)i)arent that
the continental di\ide runs north and south, and was
still ahead (^f us. It was a hard da\' for me. I at-
tributed my relaxetl energies and mental heaviness to
the beverage I drank at breakfast. I wrote in my
> 1
362 Northward over the "Great ice
>>
diary that 1 was L;lail \\v. had rcachctl the last of our
coffee. I wore niv snow-shoes all tlav, thoiiuh the
surface wms firm enoui^h to supj)ort sletl^es and do<^s,
and best of all there was no drift.
One of our doi^^s, black i^inikj)a, loosened his
niuzzk;, chewed off his harness, and L;ot at our musk-
ox meat. A timely alarm from the other do<'s brous/ht
me upon him before he had eaten a half-pound, and
he was soundh' thrashed before beini;- titxl ujj ai^^'ain.
This d()L,r. Panikjja, 1 called the ' L^ootl little boy."
from th(; briL,du, expectant, " ^ood-little-box-and-just-
had-your-face-washed " expression with which he usetl
to sit uj) and wait ior his lunij) of jx-mmican.
On Jul)' I ith, we added six hundred feet to our al-
titude in a distance of twenty miles. W'e were near-
in!4' the region of clouds, and our corrected eh^yation
now was about 7300 feet above sea-leyel. The air
was balmy and inviLj'oratinL;- for half the day. I
wondered if the last few perfect da)s were a fair
sample of July weathc.'r on the east-coast slope. ()ur
picnic was about oyer, howeyer, and this was our last
march for two days, for we were stopj^ed and driven
to our burrow in the snow by the severest storm we
had experienced since we left the basin of Humboldt
(dacicM".
When we had completed about half of this march.
Pollux, one of the doi^s I had purchased of Ahn_n(v
doblaho, fell tlown exhausted and could haul n^* more.
The lantl trip hail c;\idently been too much fo. him.
We tietl him bc^hind tlu; sletlj^e, and he walked for a
time and then la\' down, and wt; put him on the sledge
till wv. reached camp, where \\v. killed the poor felh^w
and added him to our doi4-commissar\- stores. Mean-
time the; barometer indications [)()inted to a storm
brewing'. In the last few hours ot our march, a heavy
frost-bank enveloped us, and 1 found it altected my
1
vi^
Itiirht Thousand I'cct above the Sea
■.•^
eyes more unfavourably than the hri^htest sunlight.
We had no more tlian huill our siiow slielter, when
the storm l)urst upon us in all its fury.
At an clcxation nearly two thousand feet higher tiian
the summit of Mt. WashiuLiton, \v(; were i)rison('rs on
the Inland Ice, hor fort}-eii4ht hours, until three
^^
A
'^^^'Jmt^^ ^
^
IsKmvik. ^
m
^i^i
/%
^■'M
■ I
^A
i
W '- '
s
r*
',.#■'
/^
# C,„... ■
1
r
Ml
■■• ^^'\%.''' ■■ :-^
i
1
\
^
F
-«f
~
,4i^"«
r
THE KITCHEN.
o'clock on the morniuLj- of July 14th, there was not a
moment's cessation in the howling" storm that swejjt
with resistless fur\- down the slope towards the wild
east coast. Tlu- trench in which we lav in the snow
was two feet hii^di, three feet wide, and sc-xcn feet lon^;",
and was covered with a cotton roof for half its lenL''th.
i
364 Northwartl o\cr the "Great Ice
\Vc spcMit si.\t\- hours in tliis snu^- ahoik-. and I was
mon,' coniforlahlc throiu'liout the storm thaii in an\'
I liacl niL'l since; coming' u])()n the Inland Ice. W c
were; warm and dry tlirou^ii it all, and, in si)itt; of the
drift that had piled up oxer us, we were able to
chan^(M)ur position v\hciic\er we desired. 1 emeri^cd
from our dritt-covcrcd refusj'e onl\' once in the si\l\'
hours. \\\; s!e|)t a i^reat deal of the lime. If we
could not travel, we \\v\'v. at least resting; in anticipa-
tion of renewed and more \. porous eltorts. If any
one coulil have seen our ramp, h*- \\v uld have thought
we were buried alive. Sleil^cs. men, and doL];-s had
disapi)ear(Ml from view, and onl\' snow mounds marked
their rc;stinL;-i)lac('s. No sound could we hear from
the do_ns. hut only the incessant roar ot the storm
and the swish of the snow . it drove oxer and past
us. down the; slope; towards the (;ast coast.
When at last the storm abated iuitl the sun tried
feebly to stru_L;_L!,le' into \iev, I fi)und the drift was
still so I'lerce that the do^s would not face it, and so
I made no attempt to start. The last twelve hours
of our enforced idleness dra^^'cd very slowh', but
finally we made preparations to start, a more formid-
able task than mi^ht be supposed.
It took Astriij) fortN-hve minutes of continuous
labour to straighten out th(; frozen tan^k; of the traces,
tied by the incessant restlessness of the doi^s into a
knot that would have put a dozen Gordians to shame
I
out the sledj^es
I found, to my dismay, while looking' over the
stores, that two cans of pemmican had been spoiled.
This doubtless was the result of exposure to the heat
of the sun durin^^ the few days that the sledges lay
on the rocks at Moraine Camp. With much anxiety,
I carefully examined the other tins, and I thought I
was eULraired the same lenL>"th of time in diooinLr
~l1
Hight Thousand l-cct above the Sea 305
had reason to believe that still other cans had be-
come unfit for food.
It was with no j)leasiiral)le feclinL;-, therefore that
we resumed the march. 'Vhv, loss of one of mv best
POLLUX.
do.LTs and the spoihn.or of some of my pemmican
loomed up before me as suu;o-estive of mountains of
trouble to come. The lono- inactivity in our snow
burrow for sixty hours had sli.crhtly impaired my
digestion, and the prospect of beino- reduced to eat
;66
Northward over the "(^rcat Ice
:'V
cl()L,^-ni(Mt, and of having- to haul a sIccIl^c for some
liiiiulrftls of aiilcs, witli no tloij^s to help us in the
traces, SL'cmcMl to stare; nic in the face. To crown
all, the clou(h: en A'rappcd "s ;'.s we- startctl, and the
dismal, hopeh-ss \v(;aliier ,L;a\e poi^iianc)' to m\' de-
spondc u:y. After lunch, I sent Astriip aheail to set
tile course, and I dnnc- the do^s myself in order to
di .-erl my thoughts,
I wonder if any of m\' readers have experienced
the seiisation of tram|)in<>- steadil\- for da\s and weeks
ai)parentl\- towards nothing? Is there a spot m the
Sahara so utterly desolate, s.) xoid of c;ver\' (.-lement
of hopefulness in its surrounding's, as that ^reat pla-
teau over which wc; were now to drai^ our wearied
steps for a fortnight, with damp and clin^iuL,^ snow^
under our feet, and a thick, frozen fo*;' choking' us
and han^ini;- to our L^arments in milk-white fr()st-cr\s-
t:ils''' 'I'hert; was no oasis to which we could bend
uir stej)s, and there recruit our courai^e and streni^th
lor lurther toil over the arctic w.iste. Our only
oases were in the skies ; for now and then we could
dimly see the sun shininLT throuLfh momentarv rifts
in tlu; mist, and far off alono- the south and south-
west horizon, e could discern just a line of ex(}uisite
pale !4Tt;enish-l)lue sky.
The only consoling- thouLii'ht when we pitched camp
on th(j first march after the storm, was that we were
twentv miles nearer home. We were tired enou^j:h
to sleep well, for the last hours had leen very hard.
We were no lonj^^er climbini^r a slope, but were on a
jrreat level plateau at the top, or very near the top, of
Greenland. The wind blew strainht from west to
east. The sledjj^e hauled through the new^ snow^ as
thouL^h on cloth. The doo^s pulled w(dl, but without
spirit. Every tail drooped in the most disconsolate
fashion.
Might Thousand Feet ahoxc tbj Sea ;,0 7
The t.'iil of an li^sHino A<)>^ is his moral haronu-tcr.
It is the uncrrinj^; L;aiiL,M' to thi' slate of his feehiii^s.
One irlancc at it tells vohiincs. A well-tilieci stomach
and an eas\--nmninL; sleiloe may lift him to the height
of canine felicity ; hut heavy sl<•tlL;inlL^^ the hilini,^ whip,
or an inglorious ri.i^ht with a iKM^hhour in the traces
may plun^^e him to the depths c*" Jespair. His tail
SAILING.
tells the whole story. Now every tail was hanirinjr
low.
At midniu^ht, on July 15th, we were one hundred
miles on our way south. That morniiiL;" the weather
was colder. It had stiffened the snow that was drift-
injr heavily when we went to bed. Astriip was (|uite
frozen in under his snow blanket, and 1 had to diLj'
him out. The low ti-mp(,M*atur(; hei-^htened our spir-
its, and we set out in fme fc^ather in si)ite of the; mist
that huni;' all about us. At an\' rate, W(,' thou^^hf our
fog \vas doubtless an improvement upon the London
•!:
f
<|l
68
Northwunl over the "(ircat kc
t
I
y
article ; hut cxcii an expansive snowscape would
have been a welcome relief to the monotony of our
march. 'I'he do^- driver could barely sv.v the ,L;ui(k;,
who was settinL;- the course thre(; rods ahead. We
had one blessiii:^-, for we were faxoured with the bttst
of snow-shoeing- all (la\-. So w<' made a fair day's
march, and. to introduce as much variety as possible,
Astri'ij) and I chauL^cd wcM'k now and ih-'ii as do*^
driver and pihjt. Late in the day. our thoui^hts were
FORE AND AFTERS.
suddenly centred on Miss 'I'ahwana. who \vas taken
violently ill.
The next day Tahwana died, and we carried her
body on the sled^i^e till we were ready to feed it to
the doL]^s. Miss d'ahwana was my canine mascot.
Early in the winter, I had purchased her of a ^ood-
natured, pigeon-toed Eskimo, who livtxl far up the
li^ulf, and when, after he had _L,^one, I went to examine
my |>urchase w^ith the aid of a bull's-eye lantern, I
found that she had but one i^^ood eye. At first, she
was wild as a hunted fox, antl whenevc;r I went near
her would disappear in the burrow in the snow which
r'Tsn
\i'\'^h\. riioLisaiul I'cct al)ovc the Sea 369
formed lu-r shclt(!r from the \)\U\vjr winds. After a
time, she Ix'came less timid, would take food from my
hand, and when, early in the spring, she i^^ave hirth to
a tamil\- of nine puppies, and was hrouL^ht with her
little ones into the eiielosure ahout the house, when;
tin;)- would he better shelleri'd, she became as tract-
SOLITUDE.
able as any houseliold \)vi. Her affection for me
seemed unbounded. Day after da)' upon the Inland
Ice no niotion of mine? escai)(;d that one; (■)(- of hers,
and when, after a halt, I jjicked up the littk? j^uidon
and started forward ai^ain, her sharp \'elp and xii^or-
ous strus.;y-lcs to follow me were the signal that brou^^dit
«Y
J/
70 Northward over the "Great Ice"
h'
«.
every other dojj^ into iiis harness and down to his work.
Poor Tahwana I It was one of the hhiest days of
the white journe)' when slie sickened, her bright eye
no loni^-er recognised me, and her tonj^f^ue no Ioniser
had strenj^th to reach my liand.
Day after ckiy, rare hits of bhie sk)' wert; alt(;rnat-
inj^ with lonij--c()ntinuetl hanks of ck-nse fo^", wliich
coated us and the do^s and sUxl^es and loads with
the minutest, opaque, white frost-crystals. Parhelia,
fo^-hows, and sun-pillars on the foL;-, of L^reat inten-
sity, foruK^d and vanished around us in countless
varic^ties ; but all this oor^-eous j)a_<^(uant could not
recomp(;nse us for the blanket shroutl of dark, cold
fo<r. We were now bearing- ra|)idly away to the west,
and I hoped soon to be at a lower level and out of the
clouds.
I was considerably worried as^ain about my doo^s.
Their tails were ^eneralK' drooj^jin^-. riu; loss of
Tahwana was ominous, antl it seemed to me the ani-
mals were almost com|)letely played out. My (;yes,
too, sufftned in the foi;- nearly as much as in the daz-
zling- sunlioht.
On July I 8th, 1 was awakentxl by a scMise of cold,
and found the wind blowino- directly into my kitchen,
which had been built the previous evening;' with the
closed end to the wind. This c()mi)letc reversal of
the air-currcnit soon had its (.-ffect upon the clouds,
which beoan to break away, ^ivino" us oiinij>ses of the
sun and bits of sky. When we made our midday
halt, blue sky was all about us, and though the last
snow had been cU!posited in drifts, the surface was
fairly firm, and. most of the time, su]^ported the doij^s
and sledoes. We liad now been travellin;^- seventy
miles amon<^ the clouds, and the temporar\- chani^e
revived our spirits, and the do^s were brisker in
movement. W^e were across the divide, and were
Eight Thousand Feet aboxc the Sea 371
bt'crinnini^r to dcsccntl the: west slope. Takinu- ad-
vantage of the easterly breeze. 1 rignrtnj a " mast
and sail on my sledge, and the dogs were greatly
helped. We were at last south and east of the
dreaded Sherard-Osborne Fjord -egion. which had
given us so much hard work on our wa\' north ; and I
intended now to bear more to the westward, to reach
a better road at a lower level parallel with our out-
ward course. We were destined, however, to travel
CROSSING PRUDHOE LAND.
many more miles down the long gentle slope before
the clouds were above instead of around us.
The night of July i 8th was the coldest ( - 5'^ V. ) we
had experienced since early in Ma\-. When we arose
on July 19th, there was a'thick frost-fog, and every-
thing was covered with milk-white crvstals. It was
snowing and blowing dead ahead, and we delayed the
start two hours until the wind went down a little.
Snow-shoeing was excellent, but without our snow-
I
if
J/
Northward over the "Great Ice"
k^
shoes or ski \\v, sank vAi^ht or t(Mi inches at every step.
It seemed almost impossible to keep a course, and we
went >^ii;>^a_L^;_L,nnL;" alono-.
All throuL,di our lonjj;- marches in the foi]^, we 'bund
the work of k(?ei)inij;' to tlu! course very arduous. The
comi)ass was \vholl\- una\ailal)le to a man walkin^r.
He could not see the snow ahead, and there was al>
solutc;l\- nothiiiLr xisible to ti\ tlu; v.yc uijon. The
only resource was the wind, and this was now and
A HEAD-WIND.
then so li^ht that I was ohli^ed to devise and use a
special wind-vane. I^y takiuLj;" the compass direction
of the wind ever\- lifteen to thirt\- minutes, and then
keeping' the pennant at the proper an^le, with the
bamboo pcjle held projectini;- strai^^ht ahead, 1 was able
appr()ximat(d)' to keej) the course through the utter
blankness of our surroundings.
July 20th was a reddetter occasion because it was a
twenty-mile day. The sun i)aid us a brief visit at
V ■
Eight Thousand Feet abo\c the Sea 373
one A.M. The day bcfoi-c, in thick weather, I thoiiolu I
was aware of a slo^je towards the W(.'st, but now there
was no mistaking- it. \\'(j could distincth- see the
lonL( slopes towards the west and south-wist. I'he
result of niy anxiety in behalf of the do^s was a slight
increase in their rations, and although the .L^oin^L;- was
still hea\y they were in better spirits.
July 2 1st, however, was a disaj)|)()intin^- day. We
had counted on fifteen miles at least, and made onlv
nine. An inch of snow fell after lunch, making- the
sled<^e so heavy that the do^i^s could hardly move it,
and Astriip said
" . his ski felt as if
\ sanded on the
\^ bottom.
On this
I
\
found I had only
ninety pounds of
pemmican on which
to feed two men and
six do_os till our journey
was ended, and at the rate
we were travelling- it would take
over twenty days. The numer-
ous snow-s(jualls and the inter-
minable foos had <^n-eatly delayed us. I decided that
we must abandon one sh'doe and throw awa)- every
ON THE HOME STRETCH.
1/
374 Northward over the "(ircat Ice
j^l
pound of ljaL;na_L;c wc could spare. W'c rc-packed
our l(iad on llui little sledge, and threw away a pair of
ski, a pair of sncnv-shoes, and other articles, altOLj"ether
weiij;-hinL( ahout fifty pounds. I took the biL,*" sledt^e
in tow until I saw that the small one carried its load
well tlirouL;h the heavy snow, and then I cast old T'aith-
ful adrift. We made over sixtetMi miles, though the
snow was vc;ry deep and hard to i)ull through. As
we camped at six a.m. on Juh' 2 2d, a skua or jaej^er
i^ull, ll)inL;- from east to west, passed about fifty feet
above mv head. A frost-fou^ descended on us, cover-
ino' (^verythino- with its crystals.
Next day the fo<^ kept with us as usual, but the an-
eroid showed a desc(Mit of four hundred feet. We
wx-re leavinj^^ tile drear\- desert of the summit plateau
very u^radualh', and were headiuL^ for Camp Separa-
tion, in the basin of Humboldt Glacier.
Another skua oiill hovc;red over our camj) when I
awoke at ei^ht I'.m. on July 2^1- ^^'e started in a
snow-storm, but soon the weather b(,;came so thick
and calm that 1 could not keep the course, and so we
lay down untler a tarpaulin anil i^ot seven hours'
sleep. Then, strippinij;- in the midst of the snow-
storm, I indulged in the luxurv of a snow rub-down
at a temperature of +25" I\, and then lay down under
a tarpaulin for three hours Ioniser. I can heartily
recommend this ren^imc; to any pt'rson of i^ood phy-
sique as a very invi^^oratiui^ process. As we
started on atj^ain, the storm ceascxl. The fo^^-banks
and clouds swept over and huUL]^ ahead of us till mid-
day, and then they melted away.
The realm of mists was at last above and behind
us. Once more we saw all around us the illimitable
snow plain. There hatl been times when we were
weary of the si^ht of it ; but how beautiful it looked
to us now in all its sparklino^ purity and ij^lory ! Once
..^:^.»^Jk.-*<:istsammabimumt!i:
Iii<'"ht Thousand Feet above the Sea
.•>/ D
more \vc saw the cx(iuisitc azure of the sk\-. How
glad it made us, and h(jw heartily we welcomed the
breath ^f the hitinL(, \et still beloved, south-easter !
There coald be but one happier moment for me ;
and that wculd be when I st(jod a^ain in her pres-
ence who had so bravely bade me ( iotl-speed as 1
left her on the beach of McCormick Ha\-.
We wer(; now below 1^'termann I'jord, and ap-
proximately five thousand feet abcnn; the sea. The
ON THE SUMMIT OF DOME MOUNTAIN.
most tryincj;' experiences I had on the Inland Ice
were thos(; lon^' days and nii^'hts whercnn 1 could see
scarcely the len-jfth of our sledsjfes, The incessant
endeavour to keep a course on the march impos(;d
upon me a strain that was not easil\- endured. Add
to this the constant feeliuLj;' of heaviness and lassitude
due to the thick fo^s, and perhap-. in some measure
to our lofty elevation, and 1 must pronounce the; two
weeks I spent on the ice-cap, at an ele-vation of eight
3/6 Northward over the "Great Ice"
thousand feet much of tlu; time, the most unpleasant
of my Grecnhuid cxpi-ricnccs.
There:: is a irolden mean between the broken ice of
the u^lacier bcisin,: and the cloud-capj)ed summits of
the ice plateau, where the ills and obstacles 1 met on
both m)' routes may be avoidetl.
Now we trudged alon^j^ in th(; sharp, pure air. Hare-
headed and in my undershirt I read J:xi7cs oj Siberia
as
I drc
ove tile closes ; hut hv luncli-tuue 1 was LiiacI to
I
put on my kooletah and pull the draw-strinij-s tii;ht.
X
low came the lialcyon ciays ot our Inland-lce trip.
'rh(^ niLjht of hilv 2<Sth wr.s a glorious march iuij-ti me,
and we had a hne run. lust before lunch, we reached
a very thin vitreous crust, which would support the
sledi^e, ski, and snow-shoes, but not the clo^s. The
next day we were still traxcllint;" over this crust, and
its stiff and burnished surface and down ^rade helped
us to put many a mile behind us. Another of my
clod's had L>iven out, and been fetl to its more fortun-
ate comrades ; but xXu- remaining- five, Pau, Lion,
Merktoshar, Castor, and Panikpa. were powerful,
brawny brutes, thin, <^^aunt, tou^h as steel, and
entirely recovered from their depression of spirits.
They were sure to return to their home once more,
unless some utterly unforeseen mishap should com-
pel Astriip and myself to eat them.' It was with an
' These five dogs lelurned to the United States with me in iS()2, accompanied
me on my lecture tour (hirint^ the w inter, and started I'.ortli witii ine again on
the Fa/con in 1S93. Castor fell overboard in heavy weather off St. John's and
was lost, l.ion, Pau, Merktoshar, an.l l'aiiik])a did their share of the ice-caji
work in the fall of 1S93. I'au died at the lodge in tiie early -spring of iS()4.
Lion, Merktoshar, and I'anikjia went tlirough the ice-ca]) work of i?(_)4. Alter
the return from the ice-cap, I'anikpa was lost by one of my hunting parties and
dragged liiniself back 10 the lodge two weeks later comiiletely exhausted, lie
never recovered entirelv from the strain of this experience, and remained
with me at the lodge until I came home in 1S95, when 1 gave him to Nuktah.
He was still alive in the summer of iS()() and remembered nie with every mark
of affection. Merktoshar was also alive in the summer of iSc/). Cion died at
Karnah in December, 1S95, in the heart of the " great night" which he knew
so well.
^^JTT^ - -' - :
nieht Thousand Feet abo\e the Sea
'.--.
."•/ /
indescriljablc thrill of pleasure, at the end of our first
march after reachiiiL;" the fix c-thousand-foot level, a
march during" which we covered twent\-two miles,
that I found m\- tlo^s still comi)arati\-el\- fresh, 'Idle
next day we cove-retl a little more : the next, more
still ; and yet each nii^ht it seemed as if we were as
fresh as in the morniiiL;. riu; weather during- this
time was perfection, and never have I experienct-d
iikm&
PROF. HEILPRIN AND HIS PARTY.
more fulK' the moral effect resultinLT from the; nhvsi-
cal exhilaration of rapid travelling'. \hc do^s felt it
as much as, perhaps more than, Astrtij) and I ; and
thouL''h their natural lone, wolfish sjallop had been
trained out of them hy the h(.'avy, laborious pulling-
of the last three months, still the old Hash and fire
were there. They had not been worked beyond
their elastic limit, their tails were raised and tightly
I
tj
i
f
h
fi-<Sv
37^ Northward over the "Great Ice"
curled, and I km-w that I was hriii^iiiL;- hack from
one of the loiiLTest of slcch'c journcNs, with the lieavi-
est of loads and a minimum of food, a team of dojj^s
actually in ^ood condition. Oncct mon; we liiL,dUened
our load to the lowest
limit, looked carefulK'
to the lashings of the
sk^doe, and put in ord(T
our equipment. We
were now east of the
basin of Humboldt
Glacier. Nearly two
hundred miles away was
our <^oal, and this whole
stretch must be covered
rapidly. We were still
out of sii^ht of land, but
a few da)'s more would
brino- us within view
of the familiar land-
scape border! n<^ Whale
Sound.
On July 31st and
August I St, we travelled
over the rou^h, frozen
surface without aid of
snow-shoes or ski. We
passed man)' snow hum-
mocks, some of them
fifty feet hij^di, where
the drift had settled
around some protrudin^!^ bit of ice and built snow-
hills on the plain. Sasirj/oi were also numerous.
The surface was slopini^ perceptibly towards the
western sea. Then we travelled for miles without
seeing a single hummock or sash-itj^i.
ii\!%iti
A BEACON.
n
,-?fak-
■■«■
liieht ThoLisaiul l-'cct above the Sea
M
We were iiiakiiiL^ cxj)rcss sj)cl'cI to Red Cliff when,
on Aui^ust 2d, we neared tlie divide between the I'ane
Basin and the Whale-Sound region. I'or five ' >urs
on that day we climbed diaj^'onally a very 1 '-^iilar
but ^rradual ascent ; and at seven o'ch)ck on the ii.orn-
inci^ of AuL^ust 3d we reached the summit. trutlL,''ed on
some miles, and camped in sij^ht of familiar land, the
first we had seen since we k^ft tlie rej^ion of In-
dependence Bay. rh(j wind bk.'w fresh from the
south-east, and all that forenoon and the previous
afternoon my doi^s had been continualh' snitfinL;- the
air, their keen nc^ses evident^" detecting- the presence
of land. We closed the da\ w« ,; a talh' of thirty-hve
miles as the reward of our 'ay' 'ork. We hatl worn
our snow-travelling^ i^ear a:, dd)-, making our way
throui^h lij^ht but not deep -ow.
The next mornini^, \\'e advanced about five miles
nearer to the land, and tk 'Idlected to the westward,
in order to o^et into our outward track and come
down over the Ioulj- tongue of ice stretchint;- down to
McCormick Ba\' between the Sun and Tuktoo (da-
ciers. I had intenlionally kept to the eastward of my
outward course all the way hack from Humboldt
Glacier, in order to have the advantages of a more
level road.
Merrily we dashed along the gradually descending
surface into the? depression north of Dome Mountain,
the name which I had given to the most northerly of
the giant ice hummocks which (,'xt('nd from the vi\(j^(\
of the Inland Ice to the h(?ad of McC'oiniick P)ay.
Here the heat t)f the meridian sun was softcining the
surface of the deep, sludge-like snow, till m)' dogs
were unable to tnivel through it. I made everv ef-
fort to get across upon the slope of Dome Mountain,
the higher elevation and northerly exposure of which
I knew would enable us to acKance ; but in this I was
;4r^
380 Northward over the " Circat Ice"
unsuccessful, and was oljlij-cd to halt and wait for the
surface of the snow to harden ai^ain. As soon as this
was the case we irot under wa\' and ziLrzajji/ed u\) the
sl()|)(; of Dome Mountain for some hours.
As I came over the crest and looked forward to the
next rountled summit, some two miles distant, I saw
movini; l)lack objects upon it. The LCroupinj^' of the
objects reseml>k:d at that distance.' a coupk; of slediL,''es,
with an accompanying' party, and I turned and shouted
DOWN THE LAST SLOPE.
to Astrup, " The boys are out lookin^,^ for us." At
that moment, however, the members of the other
party evidently saw us, and a faint cheer came across
the white waste to our ears. The objects separated,
and I could see there were seven or eight in all.
Then I knew there was a ship in the bay. We hur-
ried rapidly down the slope, eager once more for the
sight of familiar faces. The other party at the same
time descended from the eminence on which they had
Iii*;ht Thousaiul l*cct above the Sea 38 1
bt.'cn, and in a very short tii . • I Lj^raspt-il Professor
Hcilprin's liaiul, aiul i^^r(M;t(,'cl tlu: other nieinhers of
his party, who were striiL'L'nii<'' eaijerK' throiu'h the
deep, hi;avy snow.
Never was nieetiniL^ more effective or uni(iiie. One
month to a thiy before, the I\ih\ with Professor Heil-
prin on l)oard. turnt'd her j)row northward from the
harbour of St. John's, and ever since had Ix^en steaminij^
northward throuL^h the bhie waves. One month to a
f:
:«iilSa.a
THE "KITE" FLOATING SNUGLY AT ANCHOR.
day before, Astriip and myself turned our faces south-
ward Trom Musk-Ox Valley on the strani^e northern
shore, and ever since had been marchins^ southwartl
over the frozen waves of the ice-cap. Now we had
met on this L,^reat ice desert, almost out of sij^dit of
land, in the brilliant lit^ht of the midnight sun, and
the courses that each party was takimr were such that
had we been blindfolded we should have run into each
other's arms.
Professor Heilprin and his party turned back im-
mediately, and, chattiuij;^ with various members of the
party, the time Hew^ rapidly as we covered the ten
mi^es between us and the bay. About two o'clock
in the morning, I stood again on the crest of the bluff
up which I had backed my sledges more than three
I
-,S2
Northward over the " (jrcat Ice"
nioiulis Ix'forc, and looked down ii|)oii the i^rccn. ice-
l)('rL(-d()ttcd waters of McC(jrniick I>a)-. with the little
Kite tloatinjj^ snuL;ly at anchor at my hu't. Never did
fairer summer vision Li^reet human eyes. An hour
later and I stepped on l)oard the Kite. My wife's
^;lad cry of welcome sounded in my ears. The lonstj
White March was ended.
' I
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CHAPTI'K Xl\'
I'.dAi' \(>v.\(,i; INK) i.\(,i.i;i ii:i,i) (iiij..
MKCTI.NC. with MV i;,ivs Al RM) Ci.III— DisIUK IM KwMIMv XuKIII
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— i!n\VlM)IN 1!.\V- I'lNuKMnl sCl ,\,|i,KS — A M .\( ;NII 1( !■ M l'ANul<AM.\— M KS.
Pkary's A'.//// //a, ///.///-An .-/.\(),////./a-.s,/.///— 1! \( k to Ukd c'mit.
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CHAPTER XIV.
ji
BOA'
vovAfiK IX TO i\(;i.i;iii:r,i) (;l'lf.
TWO days after my
return from the
ice-cai), the Kifc
steamed down the I)a\-.
and we hmded tiirouifh
the surf in a sheltered
cove about a mihi helow^
RedChff. As Mrs. Peary,
Astriip, and myself came
up the heacli. we met first,
my hoys, X'erhoeff, Dr.
Cook. Ciihson,
riio"Hed
bare-headed, sun-burned; then, a h'ttle farther'"the
native continoent of Red Chff stanch'uM- in wide-c\ctl
wonder to see the kapitansoak return frcun tlic " ( ireat
Ice." Never ch'tl the costhest and most hixurious home
appear more deh--htful to the eves of a returning-
traveller th ui the little ; bv 1 2 state-room at R<-d
C-hft. to which Mrs. Pcarv had -ivcn the imposing-
name of " the south parlor."
My sledoe j,,urne>- round In-lcridd C.ulf just 1,,..
fore starting- upon the ice-cap had ac(|uaini(-d me onlv
with the southern shores. Rou-h icr antl dccplv
drifted snow had rendered the: northern shore im-
practical)le.
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Boat Voyage into Inglcfickl Gulf 3^7
It was now cdrl)' in the season, there was no special
haste forlhe/vV/t' to turn her how southward, anil the
opportunity to examine the unknown antl attractive
shores seemed a fax'ourahle one. Then. too. a summer
boat vova^'e offered sonK'thiu''- in the nature of a picnic
for Mrs. Pear\- and m\seH' after our lon^;- separation,
an outing- which should he free of the rush and hurry
of preparation, as of responsibihty or anxiety in rei^ard
\'erli()flf.
Dr. Cook.
(iilison.
"WE MET MY BOYS.'
to the future. It was therefore with much of the
feehin^- of a school-boy starting' for a week's picnic
in the woods, that I startt.'d from Red Cliff at noon
on Au_ij;"ust Qth in my lightest whale-boat, the J/ciry
Pcarw manned by five of my faithbd I^skimos, Ko-
monahpik, Merktoshar, In^'Topahdu or " bVeckles,"
his son Pooadloonah, and I\ooiof>LinLj;-wah, with Matt
as coxswain, and Mrs. Peary beside me in the stern-
sheets.
h
>
1
\
;88
Northward over the "Great Ice"
'r,
(1 I
I , .1
?«
[he. \v(!ath(jr was not particularly auspicious ; it had
b(jc;n blowinLT with a ijfreat deal of freshness ever since
my return from the ice-cap the nii^ht of the 6th. and
now ominously heavy storm clouds hun<^ over the
entire region ; yet this was too slii^ht a thini^- to in-
terf(^re with our proj^osed journey. Rounding- the
massive reddish-^j^rey bastion of Cape Cleveland, the
bow of the Mary Peary was headed eastward up
CAPE CLliVELAND.
'lypical r.i.->ti'>!' ll.ulland.
the i;'ulf, and sw(;pt rai)idl\' past the sliores of the
south side of Iveil-Cliff Peninsula. A {v\\ miU^s above
Cape CU'veland, we passed the dazzling- mass of the
Vixn Cilacier, with its almost malhcmaticalU' perfect
semicircular face, and e(|ual]y mathematically pv-r-
fect semicircular delta in Iront, brom here on to
Karnah — Cape Ackland. as well as it is j)()ssible to
identif)- it on the charts. — tlu' south coast of Retl-Cliff
Peninsula is made ii|) ot a succession of semicircular
I'll*
Boat Voyage into In^lcficld (iulf 389
deltas, pushed out from the shore in front of a series
of han_L,nnL; i;laciers. and fornied by the tlebris brought
down by the rushing' currents frori tliese L^hiciers in
FAN GLACIER.
early summer. So strikingly regular is the conLour
of these deltas, that the Eskimos have gi\(;n to the-m
a name which means eyebrow.
KARNAH ^1 ACIER.
Typical Cilacicr ami Delta, Smuluii! >lii.i-c <<i Rcd-t li!f iViiin-ula,
Back of these deltas ancl a low fore-shore which
connects them, rises a series of ratiier roiling summits,
«
1
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':4
f ' !i
■■I
r
ft,
390 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
down the ra\incs hL'twccn which protrutlc hanging
glaciers, toiiL^iK^s of iIk.- ciMitral ice-cap of the i)eninsuhi.
The (hiy, in spile: of the portent of the thirk ch)uds
overhead, was not disa^reeahU; ; L;'ulf and sound were
free of sheet-ice, only occasional herd's antl frai^ments
of heri^s hrcakinL;' the evenness of th(.' waves which
ruffled the surface of the waiter, and to me, who had
seen little of the countrv duriuLT tiic; i)re\-i()us sum-
mer, and who for the immediately precediuL; three
KARNAH.
months had se(;n nothin*/ but the blindino- ijlart; of
the " Great Ice," the weather, the water, the warmth of
colourins^ of the shores, barren as th(.'y were, seemed
almost tropical. Numerous frai^nients of disrupted
berLi's, Lirounded alon^- the beach 1)\- the fallinLT tide,
looked from the boat almost like tlocks of jj^razins^^
sheep.
At Karnah, the shore forms an an^ie, a noisy gla-
cial river comes bountlino- down from the rocks, and
Boat Voyai^c into Ini^lcficld dulf 391
east of it the character of the shore cliani^es com-
pletrly. The deltas, the low fore-shore, and the roll-
ing mountains L^ive place to a line of majestic santl-
stone cliffs which rise sheer from the water.
It was now late in the evening', and landinL^' at the
point we pitched
our tent within
the clamour of
the glacial ri\ er,
and prepared for
our first night's
outiui^. I'rom
this K a r n a h
point, the pro-
file of the cliffs
aire a d y men-
tioniM.1, with the
distant u p p (,- r
shores of the
Lj;ulf app(;arin_t^
just ))ast their
base, is one of
strikini;' hold-
n(;ss. Lulled hy
the rusliiuL;" .gla-
cial strc^am. we
slept soundly,
waklui^- several
hours later to
find our wcndd
covt;red with a
lii^ht mantle of newly fallen snow. This snow
appeared as the sun swuul; upward from the cast, and
launchinij^ the .Mary /Vary, we |)ullcd out under the
L^reat cliffs, amoni;' a lal)\i'inlh ol her^s and her^- fra_n"-
ments. All the forenoon we crept aloni; und('r the
A TITAN WATCH-TOWER.
(US-
t
III
! '
392 Northward o\'cr the "Great Ice"
iniL;lu\- raniparls, in one place a 1 ilaii walch-toufr, in
another a L;iant amphitheatre;, licrc a niche, there a
l)asti()n, and hetween and over them L^roiiped rows
of pinnacles which re(|iiired hut little imaL^ination to
transform into statues. So striking' is the resem-
blance of thes(.' pinnacles to the human form, that it
has appealed e\en to the rather unimaL;inativ(i sense
of th(; Eskimos, and the cliffs ar(; known to th(.'m as
the Statue Cliffs. In numerous places, silver threads
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SOUTH GLACIER.
Bowdoin l!ay.
of cascades flow down the cliffs from the edjj^e of the
ice-cap far above.
Much of this time it was raininjj^, and as we rounded
the point that ends this striking- feature, which I called
the Sculpturetl Cliffs of Karnah, and entered a little
cove curxino- in to the face of a olacier, we were only
too delighted to see several deer crossing' the slope.
and have an excuse to land and stretch our stiff limbs
in an effort to bai; some of them. Our efforts, how-
ever, were unsuccessful, and re-enterins^ the boat, we
left this little bay. the water of which is red almost as
1-1 -■
Boat Voyage into lni;lcficld Gult" 393
freshly spilled hlood, from the tine red sandstone silt
brought down I)\- the sul)-L;lacial streams of the two
_L,daciers which enter it, and pulled steadily alon^' close
to the foot of the hhiffs which form the western shore
of the northward-stretchiiiL;" fjord which Ikwa had
drawn for mv. tlurinLT the winter, and into which I
had looked down from tlu: ice-cap a week before.
]Y*n(;tratiniX into the farthest luvAc of the head of
WEST OR GNOME GLACIER.
Bowdoin Bay.
this fjord, the boat was beachetl on the shore of a
cove, the shallow water in which was a deep red.
The head of this cove was walled by a hu^e moraine
thrown up by a glacier, just the cxh^c of which ap-
peared over the top of the moraine. He)ond that,
an isolated mountain of strikinL,^ boldness and sharp-
ness of outline jutted into the air apj)arently some
two thousand feet, and then, from its base, the crys-
tal wall of a great glacier stretched clear across the
/
)
394 Northward over the "Great lee
opijositc si(l<' of tile l)ii\- head. 'Ihis glacier I named,
in lioiioiir of in\- Alma Mater, l^owdoiii ( dacicr, and
the hay I called i^)()\vdoin I)a\'. I he coxe was evi-
denlK" tile favourite rench^zNous, or f(;edinL;-,nroiind,
of the kalikokiiih, or white whales, which abound in
this rcL^ion. All the time during;' our stay at this
camp their pultuiL,^ could i)e heard, and. in conse-
quence, I named the cove Kahkoktah Cove. While
VIEW AT HEAD OF BOWDOIN BAY.
liowiloin tUacicr iu 1 )i>t,incc.
at this camp, one of m\- hunters went u[) the bluffs
and obtain(.;d two hne deer, and from this camp, also,
X'crhoeff left us on his proposed trip across the gla-
cier, and so on around to Red Clili. It was \w\ last
si^ht of the unfortunate man.
Next noon, in a continuance of rainy weather, I
pushed throuL;-h th(^ area of L^iacier tlebris which filled
the centre of the l)a\-. into its extreuK' north-eastern
corner, to a little cove from which a tin\- valle}' ran
Boat \'()va''c luto IiV'lcticKl (iulf 395
.>'
iij) iiiulcr the shculow of ;i Ncrtical-faccd mountain.
Il was the vci')' place down into which I had looked,
EAST GLACIER.
l?o\V(li)iu l!ay.
about one week previous, while sweeping" down the ic)-
slopes of the "(ireat Ice" to the head of McCormick
CASTLE CLIFFS.
Wc^lL'rn I'ciint uf Umvilnin I'.av.
l)ay, and had thought, at that time, what an ideal
sit(' for an arctic house, so accessiiilc and sheltered.
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(716) 872-4503
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39^ Northward over the "Great Ice
In this instance.-, distance did not lend enchantment
to the view, and I found the i)hice equally as attractive
close to, as my fanc\- had pictured it. It seemed, in
every respect, an ideal sit(.' for an arctic house. Mow-
ers and i^rass were in ahuntlanct,', a stream close by
offered an ampU; suppl\- of water, and th(,' mountains
about c^ave promise of complete' protection from furi-
ous winter winds. While here, Mrs. Peary was for
FACE OF HUBBARD GLACIER.
tunate in shootinj^ two more deer, and then, after
another rainy night, we pulled out alonL( the eastern
shore of the bay, past the East Glacier, as I called
it, to the portal of the ba)'. a mass of warm, red-brown
cliffs, eroded by the arctic sculptors, in which bastions,
towers, and ramparts were so strikino^ly like some medi-
aeval stronorholds that I called the rocks Castle Cliffs.
Rounding these, we resumed our course eastward
Boat \'oyagc into Inglcficld Gulf 307
up the gulf. A few miles abovi; the cliffs, wv. passed
alonij; the face of the Hubljard Glacier, which readies
the waters of the Sound m a line of cr\stalline blue
ice-cliffs, a mile or more in length, and from one hun-
dred to one hundred and tift)- feet in height. Hex ond
the glaci(.'r gneissose precii)ices form the shore, and,
rounding another l)old point, we looked northwanl
into an expansion of the gulf, rimmed by glistening
glaciers, separated b\' wild and towering mountains.
i
MOUNT ADAMS.
Here, for the first time, I obtained a view of those
striking peaks to which I applied the names of Mounts
Adams, Daly, and Putnam. Still eastward of us was
a striking precipitous island, and I headed the boat
for it. Arriving at its southern point, I scaled the
nearly vertical cliffs to an elevation of some fifteen
hundred feet, from which point of vantage I could
sweep the entire circuit of Inglefield (iulf. Th(.' out-
look was a striking one ; from north-west (true), clear
I .
39^ Northward over the " (jreat Ice"
around to south-cast (true), the circuit of the ^^uU is
an ahnost continuous ^disteniu!:; _L;;lacier face. Just at
the water's edsje, this' *dacier face is interrupted by
several precipitous-walled, tlat-topped. isolated mount-
ains, or nunataks, as the natives call them, hut he-
hind and climbini^^ far above them can be see-n the
mii^dity slope of the "Great Ice," risinu; to the infinite
steel bhu! of the horizon which separates sky from
snow throui^diout more than iSo". North and west
of me lay the indcMitation which I afterwards called
Navy Bay ; its head surrounded by several small
MOUNT PUTNAM.
thoui^h strlkino- crlaciers. North-east, east, and south-
east, the oiants of the North-Greenland ice-streams,
the Tracy, Mehille, and Heilprin Cdaciers, swept
down in frozen rapids and cataracts from the heart of
th(! " Great Ice" to the sea. The three Arctic oiants,
I )aly, Adams, and Putnam, with the astonishing;' i^lacier
panorama extending- from them entireh' round the head
of the i^'ulf, and the oreat saucer-shaped depression in
the ice-cap, distinctly perceptible above L^laciers and
nunataks, till it reaches the steely line of the distant
ice-cap horizon, jjresent a scene which in i^randeur
and peculiarity of detail can be duplicated, I believe,
nowhere else upon the _L;lobe.
Boat Voyai;c into Inglctickl Gulf 399
I
The sik-nl sweep ol that enornious ainpliitheatre
in the ice-cap, as it curves down to the miL;ht\' portals
of the n'R^at ic(^-streanis, is something- that neither
pen, nor brusli. nor music could ever hope to express.
The wate-rs of the L^'ulf were e\-er)-where dotted with
the countless output Iroiii tiiese enornious glacier
faces, an innumerable tleet of iceberg's.
Descen Hng
to the; boat,
we pulled up
along the west-
ern shore of
this island,
a n d a s \v e
a d v a n c e d I
was startled to
see the perfect
profile of a
Ufiant stone
face carved on
the western
bluff of the
island. To
this striking-
profile, though
bearded, I gave the name of the Bronze .Sphinx, feeling
that perhaps in the arctic regions it would be permis-
sible for even a sphinx to indulge in a beard. Directly
in front of this profile, carved in the everlasting arctic
rock, is one of the most picturesque of the glaciers of this
region, a glacier whose picturesqueness was double'd by
the peculiar conditions of absolutely mirror-like water
which obtained at the time of our visit. A photograph
shows this glacier with every feature duplicated in tlie
water, with such fidelity and s\mmetry that it has
brought out a perfect dorsal view of a lizard.
THE BRONZE SPHINX.
I'.i
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'w
ti
400 Northward over the "Great Ice"
l\illin_L; alon«j^ the shore of the ishuul, into an ant^le
f^ ined by thecHffsof the island on one side, and the
chtfs of a_L;lacieron the other, I hmded, tlioui^h in op-
position to the; judL^nient of my natives, who iiad tlieir
fears in rei^^ard to the place, on account of the; waves
which mii^ht he caused by the birth of an iceberg' from
the glacier close; by. and encamped for our next night's
outin^' I did j)a\' sufficient attention to the f(;ars of
m\- natives to have; them haul the be)at well up al)()ve
the hi<;he;st hiL;h-\\ate;r mark. While we were slee'p-
ini^ here, eine of my own hunte;rs, Ke)edootino-wah,
who seemed sleepless and tireless, ciimbed to the
HART OR LIZARD GLACIER.
crest of the island, anel when i wakened in the morn-
inn', he j)r()uell\- infe)rnu;el me that he hael killed four
reineleer. As the me)rninL;' L^ave pre)mise of a Li'limpse
of the; sun, which thus far we had not had since; we
le-ft Reel Cliff. I started for the summit of the island
immeeliately after breakfast, in the; he)pes of jj^etting
an observation and a rounel of anirles. Inciele-ntallv,
alse), 1 was elesirous of se;einir the deer which mv
hunter hael killeel. Sure enough, I fe)unel them with-
in a elistance of a hunelred yards of each other, where
he hael crept upon them anel shot them while sleep-
ing, — four magnificent bucks.
i
Boat Vovasjc into Iiv'lefickl Ciulf 401
"•.*-.
."*>'
While the view Irom Uu,' south eiul of this ishind
was ahn )st all water, from this northern or inner end
th(' view was entirely ice. Here the fro/en waves of
the i/reat j/laciers heat aLfainst tlu; foot of the islanil
cliffs. Soni(? of the ice-waves of one of these Lflaciers —
which I named in honour of that splendid \nij; fellow,
Melville — although frozen and inimutahh; as marble,
have all the life antl action of Xiai^ara Rapids. On
the other sitle of the island, the lower portion of the
Tracy Glacier sweeps away towards the Smithson
ICE-WAVKS OF THE MELVILLE GLACIER.
Mountains, cut by parallel lines of huLj^e crevasses
which stretch away mile after mile into the distance,
until they become simply wavin^j;- lines, faint )'et defi-
nite as those from a graver's tool. The orient cliffs
of this island are a mass of rich warm colour. Scat-
tered over its summit are numerous i^^reat erratics,
brought here at a time when the ij^laciers which now
flowed hundreds of feet below me swept, perhaps,
without a ripple over the highest peak.
DescendiuLi' to the camp, I found my b^skimos in
a state of excitement, a school of kahlillozuah, or nar-
402 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
whal, havini;- hccn si^iUiHl out in l!^.: l)a\. Iiiiincdi-
alcly lh(j hoat was launched, and i^vcryone climhiiiL;
in cxccpL K()ni()nalii)ik, who l^'oI into his ka\ak. wt-
started out in pursuit. With a httle coacliin^ on th(!
part of m\' crew, we succeeded in L^ettini;- near enoui^h
for Mrs. l\;ary to put a hullet into one of the animals,
and then a dextrous launch of the harjjoon 1)\- Ko-
nionahpik secureil him from sinking-, and we towed
liini hack to our cam]) ami pulled him hii^h uj) on the
rocks. Then for the first time we «^azed upon the
TRACY GLACIER.
Strange peculiarities of this orisji^inal of the fabled
unicorn. It took mv deft natives but a few minutes
to skin the bio- animal, then. i)ilinij;- the skin and some
choice cuts of meat into the bottom of the boat, we
resumed our voyai^e, re-traversed the western coast of
the island to its southern point, and then bore
southward directly across the uulf for the mouth of
Academy Bay, which opened black and unpromising
beneath a canopy of leaden-coloured clouds, across an
apparently impenetrable mass of icebergs and ice.
Threading our way through these, and having a bit of
Boat Voyai^^c into Inij^lcficld (lUlf 403
fxcil<'nicnt cluriiiL;- a li\(l\- s(|iiall which caught us in
a stretch of icc-frcc water and wd us thorough!)' with
tlu; vicious waves, we readied and entered Acadenu'
l)a\-. Scarcelv had we pulled anv distance into it. hi'-
fore we encountered one of the furious summer s(iuails,
so common in this region, hurtlini^' out of the l)ay
with a fur\- which iletied all attemi)ts to make head-
way ai^^iinst it. As. however, we had hut a short dis-
tance to iio in order to effect a landinL; behind a little
ORIENT CLIFFS OF JOSEPHINE PEARY ISLAND.
island, w^e succeeded, by keepinjj^ close to the shore and
taking advantat^^e of the jji^usts, in reachini,^ the desired
spot. Here we camped for one wild nii^ht, expect-
invr every moment to have the tent torn from over
our heads, althoui^h it was weiij^hted down with half a
ton of rocks ; with the spray which broke over a
barrier of icebersj^s that had jammetl ai^ainst the island,
flying over us ; and the gusts of the auoahtahsoah, as
the natives call these wild storms, howliuij: down the
404 Northward over the " Great lee
1!
bav past us lil<(.' an aniiv of mad demons. In the
mornini^f th(; wind had siihsitU'd, jet never have I seen
such s;iva_L,^e sliapcs and masses of wicked clouds,
sliiftiuL^ and hoihnL;- in an^ry turmoil just above the
summits of th(; black cliffs al)ove us.
I did not care to risk takini^" the boat up the bay,
so climbed aloni; th(.' shore with two of the; I'^skimos
to a point where 1 could commantl its head, anil there
ERRATICS ON SUMMIT OF JOSEPHINE PEARY ISLAND.
Mt. Lcc anil Inland Ice in l>istance.
see sweeping" entirely across it, from vertical cliff to
vertical cliff, the j^listenino- face of the Leidy Cdacier,
and beNond that, the mighty stream of tlie j^iacier
itself tl()win«>" down betwecMi raiiwd nunataks from the
heart of the "Cireat Ice." The water was likct ink as
we |)ulled across the mouth of Academy Ha)- towards
little Ptarmii^an Islantl, on which we had rested on the
sleds^e journey of the si)rinL:;', and I k(.'i)t an anxious
eye out for more squalls. Just inside of the island
* V
Boat X'oyaj^^c into In^lchcUl (iult' 405
was a small sclilcnitiu of j-.skinios. and laiitliiii^ to loni-
iminicalc with ihcin. 1 fouml them rcvcilinL^ in \<ni-
son and with numbers of fresh deerskins in their tents,
trophies of their i)()\vs and arrows. This place is on
lh»; confines of the great deer i>astures ot this rej^ion.
MRS. PEARY AND HER KAHLII.LOWAH.
Stopping' here onl\' an hour or so to limlx-r our-
selves up. and tr)- to j^et a little warmth int(^ clothiuL;'
which had been saturated almost from the moment
of our leavinj^ Red Cliff, we a^ain pulled on close to
the shore of the south side of the .i^adf. \\\i had a
hard stru^'j^le with the title, which runs here like
a mill-race, sw^irlinij^ in eddies around ev(,'ry rocky
4o6 Xortliuard owv tlu "(ii\at Ice"
I
•' \
point. N ii^lu ovcrlonls Us l)(l(»rc ut had i^oiv \ (i-\- far.
and laiuliiv^ al ihc oiil)' axailalilc place alonu; scxcral
miles of sliore. we made our preparaiions for tlic iiiL;lu.
I'rom here ih<' next da\ we kept on tlown the
south sliore |)ast the face of the llurlhurl ("dacier.
and then hore straight across the l^uH for Kai'nah.
TIk trip across was une\-entful ; we were fortunately
not troubled 1)\ wind, and once within the shelter of
the iceher'' llotilla, which is always sweepiiiL:' alonij
LOOKING OUT OF ACADEMY BAY.
the Karnah shore, we felt safe. Ao^ain we landed
at Karnah, intending" to sj)end the nii^ht there, hut
after a generous repast and plenty of hot tea. we
felt so much refr.shetl that it was the o|)inion of
everyone we shoidd push on to Red Clift without
delay. As lon^' as ni)- crew felt this way, I was only
too iihid, and hastih' stcnvin*'- our thinn^s in the Mar\
Peary ai^ain, we pulled off from the beach and headed
westward for Cape Cleveland.
Boat X'oy.ii^c into liii^icficld (lUlf 407
W'licn al)<)iit halt-\va\' on oia joiiriKv. a favoiiriii:^^
wind sjjrani;' up. to which tlu; Mary /Viirv's forc-^ail
wa^ spread and sh dashc(l on l>ra\»'Iy hcforc ii. the
wind mcnasinL; in intcnsiiy inilil. as \\r n-achcd Cipt*
Clt'V( land, it was l)lowinLi l\alf a L^^alc. and •r('(|uirt'd a
Liood (leal of skill on Malt's |)art to st«'cr the Mnry
/\ary clear of the numerous lumps of ice which la\'
in our way. as she swe|)t. literally, almost like an
.irrow, through the white-capped waves. RoundinLj
THE ICEBERG BREAKWATER.
the point of Cape Clexcland with a rusli. we ran into
a dead calm, hut had scarcel\- ^ot the sail rolled up
and the mast unstepped in reatliuess for rowing;, when
I saw a stpiall comiiiL; (low n McCoru'.ick \\\\\ to meet
us just as it had couk; down Acadenn Ikix. Hrin'^-
intji" the hoat close into the shore, we met the s(|uall
as hest we couKl. yet. with the utmost efforts on our
part, it was several hours before we sue. .eded in
reachiiiL^ tht.- sh(;lter of th(i little point, less than two
, \,
4o8 Northward over the ''Great Ice"
;i
W
miles from the cape, and there beached tlie boat and
landed.
Walkinij;^ up the shore to Red Cliff House, we saw
the A'/'/c still at anchor off the beach. Sendinj^ word
out to Professor Heilprin that I had returned, we
were only too «>lad to remove our saturated clothing-,
and after a hot meal, turn in for a dry night's rest.
LEIDY GLACIER.
Head of Academy Bay.
This boat voyage of something like a week's dura-
tion was, in spite of the hostility of the weather, a
very enjoyable one, and the variety and character of
the scenery observed during the voyage made it long
to be remembered. The pictures accompanying this
chapter give a clear and consecutive impression of
the summer aspect and beautiful and striking features
of this greatest and most interesting of Greenland
inlets.
CHAPTER XV.
SEARCH FOR VERHOEFF, AM) HOMEWARD VOYAGE.
Vkriiokfk Fails to Return— Skarch Immi:i)iatf.i.v Institi'ikd ami
Prosfxuikd for Six Days and Nichts— Tracks on iiik Gi.acif.r— X(,
Hope— Farfwfi.i. to Red Cliff— Ata.nkkekdi.uk-Gouhaab— St. John's—
Philadelphia.
i »|
I (I
f
I
I ■ 1
.,-^ If.'
H
<
<
I
O
u
.,— 0l^m-
CHAPTER XV.
SKARCU FOR VKKHOKFK, AND HOMEWARD VOYAGE.
I
FOUXD that Gibson
was awav, with Mr.
Br\ant of Professor
Hcilprin's party, at F"ive-
Ghicier Valley, to bring
WThocft home. Gibson
had landed N'erhoeff at the
valley a few days after he
left me at the head of
Bowdoin Bay, to enable
him to make an overland
trip to the Plskimo settle-
ments in Robertson Bay, and was to l^o after him at
the expiration of a certain time. The next day the
boat returned, but without Verhoeft. The immediate
inference was that he had become bewildered and
lost somewhere in the region between McCormick
and Robertson Bays.
The work of packing my impedimenta to send on
board the A'//c was stopped imnKxliately. and hastily
fitting the Mary Peary with supplies, I jumped into
her with Gibson and a crew of my best Eskimos,
and, hoisting sail, sped away for the mouth of the val-
ley. The Kifc hoisted anchor and, with the remaining
natives whom I had sent aboard, steamed away to
411
I 1
w
u
412 Northward over the " Orcat Ice"
RoljLTtson Bay. RcacliiiiLi; the moutli of tlio valley,
we had a suhstantial meal all around, then started up
the valley with all my Eskimos, after havinj^ promised
the man who first saw Verhoeff a rifle and as much
ammunition as he cared for. This was the iSth.
L)ei)loyini( the natives in a line, the individuals in
which were sejxirated by less than one hundred feet,
they reached clear across the contracted valley, from
cliff to cliff, and slowly advanced up its lenc^th, shout-
injr and discharirins^ ritles at rej^ular intervals. So
"MANY WERE THE INTERESTING GROUPS. "
thorou<rh and minute was the search that, on the way,
we found a handkerchief and a knife, which had been
dropped by the I' ive-Glacier- Valley huntinj^-party the
previous October. No sii^ns of Verhoeff were seen,
however, thoujrh we swept the valley until we came
out on the crest of the bluff beyond its head, looking
down into Robertson Bay.
Returning to McComiick Bay on the 21st, I found
the A'//i' anchored off the mouth of the valley. No
trace of Verhoeff had been foun.l in Robertson Bay.
I detailed four or five of the best Eskimos to Gibson,
I
Search for Vcrhoeff — Homeward Voyage 4^3
and instructed him to take several days' supphes and
l)roceed iij) tlu; valley a^^ain and scour the re_L,non
north and west of it. clear uj) to the edij^e of the i^reat
L^lacier which Hows tlown into the head of Robertson
Bay, then to follow down the sitle of the j^lacier to
the hay itself. With the rest of the Eskimos and
my whale-hoat, I started aloiiLi' the shore of McCor-
mick Bay, to carefully examine every foot of it, clear
MRS. PEARY DISTRIBUTING HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS.
round into the head of Robertson liay, where I would
effect a junction with Cjibson. \\u\ A'/A', later on,
was to follow me into Robertson Bay. The most
careful examination of the shore disco\(_'red not the
slitrhtest trace of W'rhoeff. Reach ini,^ the head of
the bay, and communicating' with (iibson, who had
come down the side of the <j^lacier. I found that the
natives had discovered traces of the missing; man, —
w
<■
414 Northward ()\cr the "(ircat Ice"
I
fo()li)rints alniiL; tlu: side of the L;lacit.r. IMckiiiij^ tliL'se
u[), wt; iiniiUHliatcl)- followed thcin up on to the jj^hicicr
itself, and for a little distance on its surface, when
tiiey disappeared u\Hm the unyielding surface of the
ice. I then diviilecl ni\- I'.skinios into thr(.'e parties.
'I'wo of the'S(.' were to start at the water's ciIl^c- and
follow each, side of the glacier with the utmost care, to
hnd where X'erhoeff had left tlu' glacier. I'rofessor
Heili)rin, with his party, and 1, with two ol tht; b(;st
trailers in the entirt: tribe, quartered the surface of
PRICELESS TREASURES FROM PHILADELPHIA FRIENDS.
the glacier itself in every direction, to see if we could
find any more tracks. Our utmost efforts were un-
availing-, although the tracks were distinct, passing up
on to the glacier. At no place in the entire periphery
of the great ice-stream was there any track or trace of
a man having left the glacier. The inference w^as un-
avoidable : Wirhoeff, crossing the glacier, in thick
weather perhaps, had slipped and fallen into one of
innumerable vawning crevasses. The accident w^as
the same as those which occur almost annually in the
glaciers of the Alps. The great ice-stream where he
Scrch for V'crhocff — Iloiiicwartl Voyage 4' 5
met his untinu'ly end hears now tlic name of
Verhoeff.'
It is needless to say tliat tliis accident cast tlie deep-
FAREWELL TO OUR GREENLAND HOME.
est gloom upon every memljer of hoth j^arties ; it was
so sudden, so unexpected, hke a tlash of hghtning
' This search for X'erhoeff, jirosccuted for six days and niglits by ail the
meml)ers of my ])aity and Professor Heilprin'^, tiie Ki/r's crew, and nine
Eslvimos, tlie latter excited to the ntmo^t by the ]iriiniise <>' a ritle and a hox
of ammunition to the first who saw \'erhoeff, was discontinued only when it
was the conviction of everyone that there was no longer aii)' }.^round for hope.
\l
4i6 Northward over the "Great Ice"
from a clear sky. occiirritiL,^ as it did in the heiijht of
the summer, after all the possibilities of the winter and
of the ice-cap work had been surmount(;d without the
least accident. I could think of nothinir else as the
THE GIANT OF ATANEKERDLUK.
Weathered Pinnacle of a Trap Dyke.
Kite, on the 2 ;th, after six days of unremitting search,
slowly swung out of Robertson Bay on her way back
to Red Cliff. I still clung to the hope that possibly
Verhoeff might still be alive, and on this possibility I
Search for Vcrhocft* — Homeward Voyage 4^7
landed at Cape Robertson ample i)rovisi()ns for one
man for more than a year, and I impn-ssed upon the
natives that they were to make every effort to find
X'erhoeff. and if at anv time h<- sliouhl come into any
of their settlements, they were to take the utmost
care of him, as they would of me. and that when I re-
VERDANT RAVINE AT ATANEKERDLUK.
turned the following- summer, as I intended to do, I
should reward them beyond their wildest dreams.
Arriving- at Red ClitT. I broke the sad m-\\s of the
results of our search to Mrs. i'cary. and then with
heavy heart completed tlu; work of i)ackinL;- my speci-
mens and remainin;^^ material to send on board th(;
ship. The weather, which durini;- our search for \'er-
hoeff had been of the most ilisai^reeable nature, snow
falling every nii,dit, chan^^ed now and j^ave us one or
27
41^ Northward over the "Great Ice"
two i)('rfi'cl tlays, Tlu- waniuh and li.L^^it upon tlic
bt'acli aloiiLi Kcd Cliff were ahiiost tropical in their char-
acter. Man\- were tlu; iiUcrt'StiiiL: LTroups. yet I had
little heart for them. Mrs. Peary distrihiited the
household utensils to the deliL;hted women of the
villaLi'e, and then both men and women were assem-
bled in line upon the beach, and e\{'r\thinL,^ that I did
not can; to take home
wi
th
me LHven
to th
em.
together with untold
wealth sent them by kind
friends of tlu; expedition
in Philadelphia, in the
shape of wood, knives,
iron kettles, etc. — treas-
ures priceless to the Es-
kimo mind.
Then, at tlu; last mo-
ment, Mrs. l\ary and I
stepped from tlu; door
of our little room out-
side the now dismantled
house;, and said farewell
to our first Greenland
home. An hour or two
later, the Kites propeller
was driviuL; her out of
McCormick Pay just as
it had driven her a little more than a year ajro, only
now there were Init the ori^i,nnal inhabitants of the
country left upon the shore.
Steaming; southward throuo^h several uneventful
days, our first stop was made at the fossil-beds of
Atanekerdluk in the Wai^^att. Here a perfect sum-
mer day was put in, and the oeoloirical members of
Professor Heilprin's Expedition delved for the fossils
THE PROFESSOR.
Search for V'crhocff — Ilonicward XOvaiJc 419
,*>
J
with whicli the; locahty is rich, while Mrs. Pcarx- and
myself wandered Hke cliildreii out of selinol u|) tin-
grassy and mossy ra\ines and across the warm-hiied
slopes. All were satisfied with the call here — the
Professor and his part)- with their fossils. Mrs. Peary
and myself with our run ashore.
A brief stop was made at Godhavn, to tell our
GODHAAB.
friends there of our fortunes and successes, then the
A'//i' steamed away for the other (ireenland caj)ital,
Godhaab of the Southern Inspectorate. Ihis place
seemed (juite like a metropolis as compared with God-
havn. It has (juitc; a pretentious chaj)el, and a short
distance away is the Ioul^, low building' of the old
Moravian Mission establishment. W't; made many
pleasant acquaintances here, amouL^ them white-haired
\r
420 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
Inspector I'tiU'kcr aiid his wife, with their pleasant*
faced yoniit^^ daughter, who, in lier seventeen \'ears of
hfe. has never l)e«n out of (ireenland. W liile lien.',
too. some of the kayakers of the place treated us to
an exhibition of the characteristic atpiatic feats of
these South-Circ'tinland amphibious hunters, — jump-
inL( on(! canoe over the other, turninj^^ somersault
CHAPEL AT GODHAAB.
after somersault in the water, etc. Returninir to the
ship after an eveninij^ spt'Ut at the Insj)ector's house,
it suddenly struck mr as I looked across the harbour,
picturescjue in its ni^ht shadows, that we were really
approaching' God's country once more. We actually
had a civilised niuht and chiy now.
Leaving- Godliaab, fresh northerly and north-
westerly winds kept the little A'//r heelinjj^, every sail
mm
■WW
Search for VcThocff — I lonuward X'ovairc 421
.■^
swelling; like a l)all()()ii. aiul the foaniiiiL,^ sj)ray driv-
in<; from lur sturdy little prow, day after da), iiiuil
MORAVIAN MISSION.
at last wc made tlu; harbour of St. John's, Ncw-
foundlaiul.
HiitcrinL^ the Narrows, a cry of surprise and as-
m^,-ZJt^-S»'
" ■■• - "^ul* -Cl - ^^ ^^ ^- ^"f
SOMERSAULT IN KAYAK.
tonishment burst from the meml)ers of tlu? shii)'scre\v
The town which we hatl left a little more than a )(.-ar
I)
422 Northward over the " ( jrcat Ice"
cii^o c'xist(.'il no loiiL^cr, — only a stretch of ij^aunt, l)lack
ruins. A few wct-ks after the Kite liad left it on her
uj)\var(l vo)an(', fire had swept the place completely.
I'Ortunately it had not touched the residence of the
jrenial and hospitable owner of the Kite, luiL;ar l^owr-
inL(, and with him and his charminij^ wife? ^Irs. IV.-ary
and myself were domiciled durini^'' our short stay in
St, John's, whi'tj th(; Kite took on more coal for her
voyai^^e to Phihuleli)hia.
From St. John's to Phihulelphia \\\v. v())a^-e was un-
fe^'"
•i,^ . -•
JUMPING ONE KAYAK OVER ANOTriER.
eventful and monotonous, head-winds hoklin;^ us hack.
At last, however, we passed the Delaware Hreak-
w^ater, and, a short distance below Philadelphia, saw
the tULT chartered bv our friends comino- down the
river to meet us. Soon they were on board, our
story was told, and the North-Cireenland Exjjedition
of i8gi and i^q2 was at an end.
An aftc;rmath of this was the overllowini^ recej)-
tion at the Academy of Natural Sciences, when our
numerous friends and well-wishers in and about
IMiiladelphia had the opportunity of meetin^^ the
rmmmmm*i> ^^»^^< mmimmmmmmmmmi ' LiM f iKi. .,.
Search for Vcrhocff — Honicw.'irel Voyai^^c 423
rL'turninj4' nu'nil)iTs ol tlic i'\i)i'iliti()ii, and tliscox-
en^il, imicli to tlu; surprise of man)-, that men and
itvvn women coukl live for a year or so in (Green-
land, and return not only alive, hut in entirel\- normal
condition.
The elimination of the work of an\- member of my
party would have detracted very larL^ely from the suc-
cess of the ex[)edition.
THE HARBOUR PICTURESQUE IN NIGHT SHADOWS.
To Dr. Cook's care maybe attributed the almost
complete; exemption of tht- part\- from even the
mikU;st indisposition:^, and pt^rsonalK' 1 (nve much to
his professional skill, and unruttled |)ati<'nc(; and cool-
ness in an emeri^encw In addition to his work in his
special ethnological field, in which he has obtained a
larire mass of most valuable material concerniui'" a
4-4 Northward over the "Great Ice"
Vi;
practicall}' unstudied tribe, lie was always helpful and
an indefati_L;able worker.
Verhoeff, besides contributinij;- oenerously to the
expense of the expedition, was devoted to his meteoro-
lot^ical and tidal observations and matle a corr !ete
and valuable series of both.
Gibson, a natural hunter, quick with rille and i^^un,
in addition to his ornithological work, contributed
more lari^ely than any other member of the party to
our supply of game.
FIRE-SWEPT ST. JOHN'S.
Astriip, a yountr Norweoian, a boy in years, but a
man in grit and endurance, was one among a thousand
for the long and lonely journey during which he was
m\' so\i2 companion.
Henson, my faithful coloured boy, a hard worker
and apt at anything, being in turn rook, hunter, dog
driver, housekeej)er. and body-guartl, showed himst;lf,
in powers of endurance and ability to withstand cold,
the equal of others in the party.
My acknowledgments of my oljligations to the
members of my party would be incomplete without
S^SJi-?*****!
«WWill«"MiMMWPi
mmfifiimfmi iiii'wiiifiiiiwfpwiwpiww
Search for Verhoeff — Homeward Voyage 4-5
reference to Mrs. Peary. Uutsicle of tlie unspeakable
comfort of her soothing- presence in the time \vh(,'n at
the threslioltl of a field of effort, in which pure brute
physical fitness and strenjj^th are a s/fic' qua iioii, I
found myself a helpless cripple, I feel that I speak
without prejudice when I say that to her womanly
SOUTHWARD WITH BELLYING SAILS.
presence at all times and her valuable assistance and
suL:;_L;estions, especialh' in rei^ard to our clothing out-
fit, the expedition owes much.
The experience of the expedition proved conclu-
sively to me the correctness of my theory as to the
quality of the personnel of an Arctic expc-dition,
ly
'i! '
I 1
426 Northward over the "Great Ice"
namely, that it should he conijjosL'd entirely of men
of )()uth, perfect health, and educated intellitj^ence.
Such men, imbued with an interest in tlu;ir work
and the success of the expedition, ahU? to lift th(;m-
selves beyond the gloom and inactivit)- of the present,
"OUR FRIENDS COMING TO MEET US."
with plans for the work of the future, and possessin<r
resources within themselves, are able to resist in a
maximum dei^ree the depressinu^ and demoralising;-
effect of the lontr winter niLrht, and in the field their
ardour and e'/a/i more than balance their inexperience
or lack of toui^hened enduiance.
I!
CHAPTER XVI.
METEOROLOGICAL \OTES
FROM
AUGUST, 189I, TO MARCH, 1892, LN'CLUSIVE.
nv
John M. Verhoeff.
./
.._U_-4 _U !.'_
¥
VERHOEFF AND TIDE GAUGE.
CHAPTER XVI.
M KT KO RO L( )G IC A L NOT ES-
-VKRHOEFF. '
August, iSgi.
t
DURING the early
part of AuLi^ust
there was much
rain, but later the weather
became much better;
however, fogs were not
infrequent.
There were no (Treat
chanties in temperature,
but the record is incom-
plete, owing to my ab-
sence at times from Red
Cliff House and to other causes.
The hours for making meteorological observations
v^ere seven a.m , two i'.m., and nine p.m. At seven a.m.,
' These notes are just as handed to me hy \'erhoeff previous to my departure
on tlie ice-cap niarcli.
His observations for April, May, June, and July, 1S92, if ever summari> -d by
him, were never tjiven to nie
These notes jjjive luit little idea of the minute and voluminous observations
made by X'erhoeff, ob^crvatinns whicli were his pride, and with which no stress
of weather was e\er allowed to interfere.
When his records are worked up by an e^■pert, as they will be, they will form
a striking niomunent to the faithful, conscientious worker, who lost his younj;
life on the cruel jj;lacier, — a monument (jf which his sorrowing sister and his other
relatives and friends may well be proud.
420
430 Northward over the "Great Ice"
V (
1
the maximum and minimum temperatures for the pre-
cedini^ t\venty-f(nir hours were also obtained.
There were nineteen days on which three oh-
taken ; AuL-^ust ;. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
b
servations were
10, 1 I, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,
ose t
lay
'S, 29, 30 bemi^
th
On the
I 2th, iSth, 19th, 20th, and 31st, one or two observa-
tions were tak'.-n. If we count in these five davs, the
twenty-four days averai^e 37.84°, thus varyinjj^ less than
one-third of a dei^ree from the original result. If one
notes the fact that, of the remainin*; seven days, only
one, the i 7th, was in the latter half of month, the con-
clusion misj^ht be drawn that, if these days could be
counted in, the averai^e would be hii^her.
However, I do not think that those days cou:d ma-
terially alter the averaj^e, certainly not over one-half a
deL(ree.
The averai^e of the nine c lys noted in early part of
month is T)7.T)T,°.
The averai^e of the ten days noted in latter half of
month is 37.62°.
While on a trip to Hakluyt and Northumberland
Islands, Aus^ust 12-18, the hij^hest temperature noted
was 48° on Hakluyt Island, AuLi;-ust 13, at two p.m.
Lowest was 39° on Hakluyt Island, August 13, at
ten P.M., and August 14, at eight a.m.
There was no maximum or minimum thermometer
used, or the maximum temperature shown would doubt-
less have been hi^rher and minimum lower.
Highest temperature during August at Red Cliff
House was 52° on the 19th, as shown by maximum
thermometer the followiuLT morninof at seven a.m.
On the 20th, 22d, and 23d, the temperature rose as
high as 50°.
^ All temperatures are given in degrees Fahrenheit.
mm
iiigj
Meteorological Notes — V'crhoeft 43 '
The lo\v(;st temperature was 29°, as shown by mini-
mum thermometer Aui^ust 28, at seven a.m.
The reaclinLT of barometer was taken since August
18, after return from Makiuyt Island.
Highest noted was 30.38 inches, August 20, at
9.20 r.M.
Lowest noted was August 23, at seven a.m., also
August 24, at 3.10 I'.M. and 5.07 I'.m., 29.825 inches.
Average temperature, fresh water 40"; sea ;^y°,
Scpteuibcr, iSgi.
Record for September is not quite complete owing
to my trips from Red Cliff House. There were eight-
een days when three daily observations were made.
September i, 2, 3, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20. 21, 22, 24,
25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 are those days, and average
21.74°. I made one or two observations September
4, II, 13, 17, 18, and 23.
From the 4th to the i ith, inclusive. Matt, our negro
cook, was alone at Red Cliff House, and at seven a.m.
of each day he took the maximum and minimum
temperatures for the preceding twenty-four hours.
By taking a mean of these temperatures, with the
exception of one day, the 6th, when it is very proba-
ble he made a mistake, and counting in the days when
I made one or two observations, every day in the
month except two can be counted.
The 18th is the second day elided, because of my
trip to the boat camp at south-eastern corner of Mc-
Cormick Bay. The average of the twenty-eight days
mentioned is 23.28°, being thus U° above the average
of the eighteen days when three observations w(."re
made. The rise in temperature by averaging twenty-
eight days is probably due to the fact that of the ten
days added seven are in the early half of the month.
i
I
p, ■>.
I i
43- Northward over the ''Great Ice"
TIk.' hiL^hcst temperature was 40", Sei)tenil)er i, as
shown hy iiiaximiim thermometer, Septemher 2, at
seven a.m. ; the maximum probal)ly (occurred in the
early afternoon.
Lowest temperature was S°, on the mornin^r of Sep-
temher 30, at 5.20 A.M., as sliown by minimum ther-
mometer.
It is thus seen that the maximum temperature oc-
curred on the first, and the minimum on the hist day
of the month.
The hiL,diest harom-^ter readinj^ was 30.32 inches,
Septemher 19, at 10.45 ^^•^'•
The lowest barometer reading was 29.535 inches,
September 29, at six a.m.
During tlu; month, many of the iceber^^s had left
the bay, but some were still present Septe'iiber 27,
at which date the formation of new ice in the bay was
noticed.
Octoba', iSgi.
The record for October is practically complete as
rei^ards the state of weather. Thoujj^h occasionally
absent, the observations were taken, leaving no gaps
as before.
The mean daily temperature was 8.57°.
The highest temperature was 25°, on the 7th, as
shown by the maximum thermometer on the 7th, at
seven a.m.
The low^est temperature, as showm by the minimum
thermometer. October 29, at seven a.m., was - 15^°.
The highest barometer reading was 30.11 inches,
on the 28th.
The low^est barometer reading was 29.37 inches, on
the 8th.
Ice in the bay was about four inches thick on the 2d,
and about seventeen inches thick at close of month.
■•J 1,1 i"IV|ig
Meteorological Notes — V'erhoeff 433
A'oz'cniih'r, I Si) I.
The mean daily temperature fo.' November was
O.I 6°.
The maximum temperature was 30^°, as shown by
the maximum thermometer, November 19, at nine I'.m.
On this chiy, the rise; in temperature was renu "kabie
and sudden, histini^ two days.
The minimum tempt:rature was -iS'j", as siiown
by the minimum thermometer, November 27, at nine
r. M.
The blithest barometer readiuij^ was 30.32 inches,
Novt nber 9, at two p.m. and nine; i-.m.
The lowest barometer readinj^-, also the lowest to
this date, was 29.16 inches, November 19, at S(nen
A.M. and two I'.m.
In bej^inninjj;' of month ice in ba)' was about seven-
teen inches thick (November 3). At close of month
it was about twenty-six inches thick (November 30).
D
December, iSgi.
ecemoer, unlike the precedinif months observed.
ibei
showed sudden chanL,^es in the temperature.
The record for the month is complete; as rei^ards
temperature, barometric reatlini^s, and tidal observa-
tions.
Th(
e mean daily tempcM'ature was - 14.09"
The hiL(hest t(..'mp(M-ature was i6;|", as shown by the
max mum.
th
ermom
eter, Decemln-r ;i, at nine v
M.
he I ^th, ^oth.
Thermometer was above zero on t
and 31st.
The lowest temperature was -31°, as shown by
mmimium
th
ermom
et(T, I )('cember 2(S, at nine p
M.
It is thus seen that, unlike the precedi
w^S mon
ths
observed, the maxmium and mmmium temperatures
occurred only a few, in fact three, days apart.
28
f
434 Northward over the "Great Ice"
At the close of month thiTc was a sudden rise in
tcniperature, continiiinL,^ a wliile in January.
December ;i was the only tla\' of montii when
thermometer showed a t('m|)erature above zero chiriiii^
the entire da)', the mean temperature for tlie day
bein|L( i i.oS".
Hi^liest barometer reachnL,'' was 30.06 inches,
Ueceml)er 6, at seven a.m.
Lowest barometer readinj^, and also lowest noted
duriuLj the year, was 2S.97 inches, December 19, at
6.04 A.M.
Ice in !)ay was twenty-six inches thick at openinjtr
of month ( December i ), and three feet tliick at cloisc
of year,
y aintary, iSg2.
As stated in notes for December, January com-
menced with a warm temperature, 9^° at 12.01 a.m.,
accompanied by a brisk south-easterly wind.
The mean daily tem[)erature for the month w^as
-20.53°.
The maximum temperature was 32°, as shown by
maximum thermometer on the 7th, at seven a.m.
and nine p.m.
The thermometer showed a temperature above zero
from January 6, at nine r.M., till January 10, at four
A.'M.
The hiu^hest daily mean temperature was 18.08°, on
the 9th.
The lowest temperature was-53f°, as shown by
minimum thermometer 6882, on the i8th, at nine p.m.,
occurrinti^ after two p.m.
The low^est daily mean temperature was —41.67°
(per 6882), the same day, January 18.
The hijrhest barometei adingr, 30.55 inches, was
January 5, at 2.02 p.m. and three p.m.
li
Mctcoroloijical Notes — Wrliocft' 435
The? lowest baroiiurtiir rcadinir, 2S. 99 inclus, was
January 26, at 7.02 a.m.
Ice in hay was tlircc feet tliick at Ixyinnini^f of
month, and al)oiit four feet thick at ck)S(,', ;*i('asurini(
in ticK; liolc.
I'lhitiiry, /St^2.
The month of luhruary show*, il even s-n-atcr
chaiiLj^i's in the wcatht-r and ti-mpcraturt' than January.
The mean daih' ti-mperature was - 15.77".
The liii^hest temperature; was 41", as shown hy max-
imum thermometer on th(.' 15th, at nine I'.m.
The mean temperature of the 15th was 35.25".
Th(; time of the rise in temperature hei^an I ebruary
14, at nine r. m., temj)erature then heini;- 31".
The minimum tliermometer showed a minimum
temoerature of 31" for tlie next twenty-four hours,
endinjj^ l''ehruary 15, at nine r. m.
Temperature; was above zero on the 14th, 15th,
i6tii, I 7th, 1 8th, and 21st.
The minimum temperature durin^^ In^bruary was
-501°, as shown b)- minimum thermometer 6882,
February 12, at seven a.m.
The lowest mean daily temperature was -35.75°,
on the I ith.
Lowest barometer readini^^ was 29.285 inches on the
4th, at seven a.m.
Hiij^hest barometer readinij;' was 30.525 Inches on
the 13th, at nine I'.m.
Ice in bay was t,."/ feet thick to surface of water, or
about 4.2 feet for total thickness, at close of month.
March, iSg2.
The month of March was our coldest month, the
mean daily temperature bein;^- -22.12°. First half of
^^ /\
'«j^*-
•vmm
F5HI?
I
436 Northward over the "Great Ice"
month was the colder. The mean of the first fifteen
or seventeen thiys was -27.91°, while the mean of
the last sixteen clays was - 16.57°.
Hii^hest temperature w^as on the i 2th, at six p.m., 3°.
The mean temperature of this day, hii^hest of the
month, was -1.08°.
Our lowest temperature was -50!°, as shown by
minimum thermometer on the 6th, at seven a.m.
Thouij^h our minimum temperature of the winter is
claimed by January, - 53f°, March can claim the
minimum mean daily temperature.
The mean daily temperature of the 6th was -45.25°,
lower than that of January 18 by 3.58°.
This month was probably an averasj^e winter month,
there bein^' no very hii^h temperatures, as in preced-
ing^ two months, when it rose to freezinij;--point. How-
ever, there was a storm similar to that of F(;bruary
15-16, but without the hit^h temperature.
The March storm was on the 23d and 24th. The
principal features were a powerful south-east j^ale,
hazy atmosphere, sometimes confinin^^ the sij^ht to a
hundred yards or less, snow drifting- at times, and a
swell to the tide. I houL(h a very pronounced storm,
in no feature did it seem to surpass that in T'eljruary.
Harometer not remarkably affected.
The averao;^e barometric hei^^ht of the month was
29.884 inches.
Greatest height was 30.21 inches on the 4th, at nine
I'.M., and the lowest was 29.46 inches on the 19th, at
seven a.m.
The thickness of bay ice showed no perceptible
chan<j;'e during' the month.
An avera<^e of six measurements in tide hole was
3 ft. 8f in., measuriuij;- to surface of water.
However, if we only use the highest measurement,
the thickness can be called four feet.
iB- tian, W(*'''iSi«ji :-,i Ju)t^i*lteiw««ft«*4; ; s Wis*-. ;
Meteorological Notes — Verhoeff 437
RESUME.
Month.
Temperature.
1891
August,
September,
October,
Novenil)er,
December,
January, 1892
February, "
March,
Max.
MiN.
29°
Mkan.
52°
37.84
40^
8°
23. 28
25"
-'^K
8.57
3oi^
-18-1"
0.16
i6j°
-31°
-14.09
?,2°
-531°
-20.53
41^
-5or
-15-77
2,"
-5°!°
— 22.12
' For twenty-four ilay.s.
Baromeier.
Max
MlN.
30.38
29.825
30.32
29535
30. 1 1
2937
30.32
29.16
30.06
28.97
30.55
28.99
30.525
29.285
30.21
29.46
9ttfMi
i
438 Northward over the "Great Ice"
OBJECTS AND RESULTS OF '91-92 EXPEDITION.
OBJECTS.'
Determination of the northern limit of Greenland over-
land.
The possible discovery of the most practicable route to the
Pole.
The stndy of the Whale-Sound Eskimos.
The securing of geographical and meteorological data.
RESULTS.'
The determination of the nortJiern extension and the in-
sularity of Greenland, and the delineation of the northern
extension of the great interior ice-cap.
The discovery of detached ice-free land-masses of less extent^
to the nortliicard.
The determination of the rapid convergence of the Green-
land shores above the seventy-eighth parallel.
The observation of the relief of an exceptionally large area
of the Inland lee.
The delineation of the unktiozvn shores of Ingle fie Id Gulf,
and the imperfectly known shores of Whale and Murchison
Sounds.
The discovery of a large number of glaciers of the first
magnitude.
The first complete and accurate recorded information of the
peculiar and isolated tribe of Arctic Highlanders (Dr. Cook.)
Complete and painstaking meteorological and tidal observ-
ations ( Verhoeff).
Sledge journey, ivhich is unique in respect to the distance
covered by tivo men ivithout a cache from beginning to end,
and in respect to the effectiveness zvitJi which those men were
able to handle a large team of Eskimo dogs.
Corroboration of the opinion adi .inced that the Inland Ice
offered an ' ' imperial highzuay.
' Original project presented to Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
and American Geographical Society in iSgo.
^ But/. Am. Geog. Soc, No. 4, 1892.
PUBLISHERS' NOTE.
The following appendices embody in outline
sketches in popular form the results of the study,
observation, and experience of Peary's entire Arctic
life, and not solely of the expeditions covered by the
preceding pages of this volume.
As a break between two expeditions occurs here,
and as, notwithstanding condensation, Parts IIl.-v!
of the work necessarily fill many more pages than
those devoted to Parts I. and II., the publishers have,
for reasons based on good book-making, prevailed
upon the author to allow these valuable^ appendices
to appear in this part of the work rather than at the
end of the second volume.
439
"'^'^SHBPPHBWSfe'
APPENDIX I
(♦1
AX AKeriL' OASIS.
—Islands— (H.AciKRs—MnrMAiNs—I.F.itEUGs.
.%
i
^HBf'
«
♦
1
' ^'9SM
*ji
t
;•■,'■
11* ^i^
t
•
li
nxf^^^
%
.0
'
t
z
D
m
H
X
o
z
Q
o
[I]
a.
o
APPI'XDIX I.
AX ARCTIC OASIS — IIoMK OF IHK MOSl' NORTH KRl.V
KNOWN I'Kol'l.K ON Till-: CLolii;.
T
HERE is no more
intcrcstinj^ Arctic
locality than the
little oasis aloni; the west-
ern coast of North Green-
land between Melville liay
and Kane Basin. The
interest of the locality de-
pends upon several cir-
cumstances. It lies at one
of the gateways to the
Polar Sea ; its western-
most cape is one of the Arctic Pillars of Hc;rcules which
stand ouard across Smith Sound ; it is a real Arctic
oasis, its abundance of ve^^^etable and animal life
bein^T in strikinL-- contrast to the icv wastes of Melville
Bay and Kane Basin north and south of it, and to
the desolate barren shores of Ellesmere Land west-
ward across Smith Sound. It is also one of the earliest
known of hi^rh Arctic rei^nons, and for the past hundred
years has been the principal focus of Arctic effort, no
few^er than six expeditions havinjj;" wintered within itr
limits. And tinallv it is the home of a little tribe of
Arctic aborig-ines, at once the most northerly individu-
als of the human race, one of the smallest in number,
443
444 Northward over the "Great Ice"
and in many ways the most interesting^, of aborij^nnal
peoples.
h^ii-lit years airo I selected this reirion as the basis
of my work of northern exploration, antl since that
time I have s|)ent three winters and portions of six
summers in the midst of its savaLj^e, maL^^nificent sur-
roundinjj^s, and amon^' its hajipy human children.
This Arctic oasis is distant three thousand miles
from New York City as a steamer would ^o, and
CAPE YORK.
twenty-one hundred in an air-line almost due north,
and is situated between the extreme meridians of New
York Cit)' and Halifax. Lyino- as it does six hundred
miles within the Arctic Circle, half-way between the
confines and the heart of the L,n-eat polar niirht, the
Arctic Circle and the Pole, its every feature and con-
dition is so difTerent from what we are accustomed to,
that I have no doubt many an intelliijrent reader will
have difficulty in forming a correct conception of the
country.
f^
Appendix
445
Thou^;h only two huiKlrcil and thirty-five milt's in
Icn^^^th from north to south, and a httlc over one luni-
THE CRIMSON CLIFFS.
drcd miles wide, conditions are so different and peculiar
in this rei^ion of rapidly assembling meritlians, that tlu?
CONICAL ROCK.
sun is as lonij^ in traversing; this short distance as he
is in passiuLi^ from Halifax to New York.
|i'
T -'iOf^i.vs^if^'r^'-^-vaTrtK: j:,i^jwr.-3
-" jy7Xi»*8*,<-, ' **"■■
44^ Northward over the "(ireat lee"
The jujrcat Arctic ni^lit at thu soutlu-rn cxtrtMiiity of
tlic country is one lumcL jtl and three days lonj^, while
at the nortliern point it is one lumdred and twcnty-
thr(.'e.
Comparatively slii^ht as is the; difference in latlu.de
between the northern and southern limits of the n,'L,non,
the winter niL^dit is twcMity days lon<;er at the former
than at the latter. Takin*^- the mean latitude, it may
AKPANI CLIFFS.
Cllacier and Ice-Cap in Hackrround.
be said that for one hundred and ten days in summer,
the sun shines continuously throuij^hout the twent) -four
hours on the savaij^e iJ-randeur of the land ; and that
for one hundred and tt.n days in winter no ray of li.Li^ht
except those from the icy stars and the dead moon
falls on the silent frozen landscape ; while, for two in-
termed'Hte periods of a little over two months in the
spriniL; and fall, there is night and day of rapidly vary-
uiir ratio.
Ai)i)ciulix
447
TIk-Tc; is a sa\a_L;c "ranchur in these riii.;i;eil laiuls,
their character fornu.v' l)y contact wiiii the her^s ami
tloes. such as never greets the tra\-el!er to southern
cHnies.
\'«t, forhiiUHn^- as the coast may appear to the raj)-
idl)- passing- Arctic \()\aner. those who know it well,
know that behind tlu; savaj^f outer mask, the tealures
of wiiich iiave l)een carved l)\ eternal conlhct with
storms and glaciers, herj^s and grindiuL;' icc-tields,
DALRYMPLE ROCK.
nestle in summer many ,L;rass-car[jett;d, tlower-sprin-
kled, sund>:issed nooks, where mild-eyed deer Ijrowse,
and twitterini^- snow-buntings fill the air with licpiid
notes.
Beyond the inherently attractive natural features of
this rei^non, it has claims ujjon a stronL( human interest
in that it is, and has l.)een for aires, the et(..'rnally ice-
u
44S Nortliward over the "(ircat Ice"
iniprisoiicd lionic of a littU; tribe: of happy, c,ir(:-fr(;c,
iiKlcpcMidcnt, sclf-siipportiiiL,^ aborii^incs, the most
nortlicrly known p('()j)l(' on the l;1<>1)i:.
I listorically the country has been known since 1616,
when P)\'lot and liatTin, after a siir|)risinL,^ V()\aL,^e
throui^h Melville liay, ran alonu^ a portion of the coast,
ap|)lied a few names, and anchored in one or two places.
\'ears after, Davis sighted the land ai^^^ain, and in
18 1 8 Sir John Ross discovered that it was inhabite'd.
SAUNDERS ISLAND.
Since then, Cape York, the southern promontory of
the countr\-. has been on the path of the whalers en
route to Lancaster Sound, and the ships of every
Smith-Sound Arctic Expedition have passed alont;" its
shores. This coast presents characteristics different
from those of any portion of the west coast of Green-
land, to the south. The nearly continuous glacier
faces of Melville Bay, broken only here -xwA there by
nunataks, as w^ell as the meshwork of narrow^ fjords
Appendix
440
and labyrinth of olT-Iyin.L; islantls, forniinL; tlic coast,
from tlic Ocvil's Thinnli to Capf I'arcwcll, L;iv(' \)\acv.
here; to tl\e InAd continuous hues of thi' main rock-
mass of the Cihici.il i'ontincnt. prescntiuL;" imprciLiiialde
ramparts wliich nccvl no pickc't-hnc of ishuuls to hreak
the assaults of sea and ice.
The followiPL:^ jL,a'()loLjical ticscription of the region
is b)- Prof. T. C. Chamb'-rlin.
" In the region of In^'c field (lulf, ancient crystal-
line rocks of the j^neissic t\p'' are bordered b)' sand-
OOMUNUI.
stones and shales of unknown aire. While the full
extent of this clastic series could not be determined,
even within the rcL^don \isited, because it reachetl back
under the ice-cap, there were abumlant grounds for
the belief that it is but a narrow skirting" belt. It was
seen to be interruj)ted at frecpuMit points b\- the com-
iuL,^ of the cr\stallin(! series to the shore. At other
points, bays and \alleys w(;re observed to reach back
across the clastic l)elt to the cr\stalline series Ix.'hind.
The clastic series embraces thn^e tlistiuL^uishable
members. The lowest is a retl sandstone which at-
-2t)
i
450 Northward over the "Great Ice"
tains a thickness of perhaps one thousand to fifteen
hundred feet. Lyinir conformal^ly upon the red sand-
stone is a somewhat thicker series of jjinkish-L^rey
sandstone. Reposino;- conformably upon tlie pinkish
sandstone, Hera deep senes of more thin-bedded sand-
stones and shales of reddish-brown and dark hues.
The conformity of the three sandstone series amonq'
themselves suij^i^ests tiiat there may be no vital
distinction between them, and that they represent a
HAKLUYT ISLAND.
consecutive sedimentation
of four or five thousand fee
the series is extremely ban
by no means safe to assu
fossils ; while, indeed, it is
their presence, they are v
scribed in their distribution
There remain o-rounds for
will ultimately be found to
reaching- a total thickness
t perhaps. Unfortunately
■en of fossils. While it is
me the entire absence of
perhaps safer to assume
erv rare, or else circum-
within the region studied,
hope that sufficient fossils
determine the aire or the
Appendix
451
atrcs of the scries. Tlic whole uroiip has usually been
referred, with doubt, to the Tertiary aire, because of
the presence of rocks of that ai^e, with a similar con-
stitution, in the Disco rei^non.
" ligneous dykes traverse the series and the adjacent
crystalline terranes. Tliese are obviously later than
the rocks traversed by them, but not necessarily later
than all of the clastic serie:;. Horizontal sheets of ig-
neous rock were seen in a few cases, but whether they
CHANNEL BETWEEN NORTHUMBERLAND AND HAKLUYT ISLANDS.
were intruded or outpoured on the surface was not
determined."
Both to the north and to the south of W hale Sound
the sandstones are very much less in evidence, the
rock formations bein^- almost entirel)- sj^-neissose.
The countr\- is really a double peninsula lyini;- be-
tween Melville I)av and Kant? Basin on th(; south
and north respectively, and Smith Sound and the
great Inland Ice on the west and east resp(;cti\ely, —
a peninsula cut nearl\- in two, near its middle latitude,
by the ^reat inlet Whale Sound. Its extent in lati-
tude is very nearly 4°, and in longitude Si".
!!
H
452 Northward over the "Great Ice"
The,' length of p(;rii)hcrai coast-line from l^iislinan
Island to the southern an^le of Humboldt Cilacier,
measured from headland to headland, is three hundred
and fifteen miU^s. The development of the shores of
the hays, sounds, and islands will raise this distance
to one thousand miles.
Cape York, the hold j)romontory familiar to every
whaler, which forms the scnithern limit of this coun-
try, is situated in }^° 51' N. Lat and 65° 30' \\\ l.onvr.
From this cape, a concave shore-line of steep bluffs
HEADLANDS OF NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND.
Striking Contrasts of Sky Contour.
and precipitous brown cliffs one thousand to fifteen
hundred feet in heij^ht, interrupted by numerous
small glaciers, and surmounted by a succession of
ice-domes with their connecting- saddles, extends
north-westerly a distance of thirt)-hve miles to the
sharp-pointed, ra^oetl islet known as Conical Rock.
Millions of little auks breed all aloni;- this shore,
and the fertilising^ effect of their presence, combined
with the naturalh' deep rock colouriuL;, _L';ives to the
cliffs in summer an unexpected warmth of rich colour.
i
4i '
H
0)
<
Cb
^
u^T
:'1
454 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
In early summer, after the meUint^ of the snow is well
under way, the presence of considerable (juantities of
the so-called red snow i^ivos an excuse; perhaps for the
rather vivid name of " Crimson Cliffs," applied by
Captain Ross. Abreast of Conical Rc^ck, the shore
for two or three miles is a vertical cliff swarmiuL;- with
looms and kittiwake oulls, then it retreats, formini^ a
little l)iL,H:t two or three miles wide and four or five
deep, which does not appear on the charts. A ft;w
ROOKERY OF LITTLE AUKS.
miles north of this bi^ht, the crystal wall of the Peto-
wik Glacier presents for six or seven miles a ^listeninL;"
barrier to the waves. North of this, a comparatixt'ly
direct line of cliffs extends to Cape Athol, fifty-six
miles from Cape York. These cliffs lack a crowning-
ice-cap ; the glaciers of the Cape York cliffs are re-
placed by narrow orass-carpeted ravines leadini^ up to
a rollino- interior plateau, favourite haunt of deer. The
cliffs themselves, composed of Cvintorted o^neiss, show
Q
Appendix
455
sharp, ani^ular lines and faces and a comparatively
small talus. A few little auks breed alouLT this sec-
tion of coast, and numbers of small ^rass-covered jdat-
forms and terraces at the foot of the cliffs are favourite
summer cami)in<j;--places of tlu; natives.
At Cape Athol the coast-line turns sharply to the
east-north-east, to form the southern shore of a lart^e
bifurcated inlet known as Wolstenholm .Sound. Be-
tween this shore line, the Petowik ice-stream, and the
ice-cap, is a lari^e extent of ele\ated table-land some
one thousand feet a])Ove the sea, diversitied with val-
ICE-CAP AND GLACIERS OF HERBERT ISLAND.
leys, streams, and lakes, aft'ordini;- pasturage for num-
bers of deer. Within the Sound, the shore; bluffs lose
some of their abruptness. Some thirty miles from
Cape Athol, the Sound is terminatetl by three ^reat
glacier faces, those of the Moore, Chamberlin, and
Salisbury Glaciers. From these, the northern shore,
hii^h and bold but not precipitous, and tlivcTsitied by
several small L,daciers, trends away to the mouth of
Granville Ba\'. the northerly arm of the Sound.
This bay presents an interestinij^ o^roup of gla-
ciers, and, following the northern shore to the west-
r
"1 '
'i
1
45^ Northward over the "Great Ice"
ward some; thirt\' miles, a hlack cliff is rcaclu-d at
which die line of hluffs trends aLrain to the north-west-
ward in a continuation of the line interruptetl at Cape
Athol. In the mouth of Wolstenholm Sound is an
interesting- L;;-roup of islands, described farther on.
This cliff is from a distances the anj)arent hut not the
real northern point of Wolstenholm Sound. /\t the
foot of it, and extending- north-westward for a distance
of twenty miles, is a peculiar strip of low foresiiore.
Il
SCULPTURED CLIFFS OF KARNAH.
EiD.sion of (irey Saiulitonc.
from one to two or three miles in width, lyino^ between
the base of the cliffs and the sea. The counterpart
of this feature is not to be foinid anywhere else in the
country. It is cut by three small irregular inlets, from
the centre of one of which rises the strikinei;' mass of
Bell Rock, and finally narrows to a point and ends
under the towering- black cliffs of Cape Parry, the
southern portal of the next great inlet. Whale Sound.
In the rear of this foreshore three large glaciers de-
Appendix
457
scene! throu|L^h breaks in the bluffs and reacli the sea-
level in the inlets. The shore jjropia* is a savai^e
black wall of ra_Li'_i;"ecl rock, low, with oiitlyint,^ reefs and
rocks, — a shore to be avoided.
Standini:; Lj^uard at the southern entrance; of Whale
Sound, Cape Parry, some twelve hutul •ed fee.'t in
heii^ht, and one of the most strikinjj^ landmaik.; of this
coast, presents a vertical face to the west and north-
CASTLE CLIFFS.
Erosion i)f Red Sanclstuiie.
west. To the observer on a shijj coming' north from
Wolstenholm Island, Ilakluyt, Northumberland, and
the western point of Herbert Island have been visible
for some time before reachini!^ the cape.
Durint'f the lonuf summer da\', the water below the
dark cliff is alive with the whirrinL( wiuL^s and ij^leam-
in^^ white breasts of covmtless little auks. Rounding-
the cape, there opens up the wide expanse of one of
the larg"est, most diversified, and most attractive of
i
^•w
458 Northward over the '• Great Ice "
Arctic ink'ts. Fifty-five; niik-s wich; ,'it its mouth, which
is divich'cl into two l)r()cul chaniK^ls by a trio of comniand-
inj^" ishmds, and eighty miles cU^ep, it presents (;very
phase of Arctic scenery, chmate, and hfe, — is, in fact, a
iittk; Arctic workl in its(;lf. Ak^n^' its shores are to he
found k)w L^rassy sk)pc;s ; towerinij chffs, massive and
soHd, carved, by tht; Titan aij^encies of the savage
North, into wikl forms; win(kswept points wliere
nothinjj;" can exist ; sheltered nooks where never a vio-
lent breath of air penetrates ; valle)s where luxuriant
SOUTH GLACIER.
grass is brightened by myriads of yellow, purple, blue,
and white tlowers ; slopes and plateaus as barren as
the surtace of a cinder pile; huge glaciers which
launch a prolific progeny of bergs into the sea ; tiny
elaciers which cliuLT tenaciously in the anMes of the
cliffs ; miles and miles of glistening blue, berg-dotted
water ; and everywhere a few miles back from the
shore, the shore of that other silent, eternal, frozen
desert sea, the " Great Ice."
This Sound was one of the earliest discovered and
named localities of the Arctic rei^ions of the eastern
hi
•f
Appendix
459
hemisphLTc. Haffin in 1616 anchored behind " Ilak-
hiits Isle." Yet its entire extent and features are
known but now, as the result of my e-xpeditions.
The variance of existiuLT charts from the real con-
fisjuration of this re^non is such that I found it difhcult
to locate satisfactorily man\- of the,- names anoeariiiir
upon the charts. I have, however, retained all these
names, and I think tliat in fviture there will be no dif-
ficulty in distinguishin!^ them.
Six inlets of diverse size and characteristics o])en
into the Sound, and ten islands, two of which, Xorth-
MT. BARTLETT.
umberland and Herbert, are of considerable size, are
scattered about it.
After roundiuij;' Cape Parry, a ship entering- Whale
Sound steams at first directly for the opening!;- between
Herbert and Xorthumljerland Iskinds, a fine view of
both beinq- obtained. On the ri<rht is a hitj^h, bold
shore, which on account of its northern exposure is
not as attractive in appearance oS that south of the
cape. V^eo^etation is scanty, and c^laciated drifts <;f
snow remain the year rcAuul under the crest of the
cliffs, which protect them from the noon sun.
%
4^5o Nortlnvard over llic "Great Ice"
(I I
I
I
A few nuhts from the c'd\n: is tlic littl«; hi-^lit known
as Harden hay, in \vlii( h is located one of the In-st
known of the native settlements, Netiulumi. The
^daciers reappear here, three of them dehouchinL;- into
the bay. Leavinj^^ this Ixiy and still headipo^ easterly,
the shore, for several miles, is a continuous v( rtical cliff,
lackini; beach, foreshore, or talus. About eii^ht or
ten miles east of Netiulumi, thecoas-t takes a still more
^
' - - X
^H|||K
*si m
^^^g_^ ""IH
^^^^^^^KKsfi'i ' . .
^^J
SENTINEL NUNATAK.
(ilaeier Carving on Rocks in ForL's^round.
easterly bend, the mouth of Olriks Bay and the sharp,
black peak of Kirsirviahsuk open up, while the silver
faces of three ij^laciers can be seen protrudinj^ into the
sea. Up to the point, the cliffs are wild in outline,
beautiful and warm in the colourini^ of the dark browns
and reds and o^reys of the various strata, and the
jj^reenish-brow.. of the intersectinLj;- trap-dykes. East
of the point, gnarled and veined i^neiss takes the place
of the stratified rocks, the cliffs lose their warmth of
Appendix
461
colour, clKinL^iiiL; to cold, soinhrc i^rcy, and ttvcr)- aiit^dc,
cleft, and opcninL; is i>cciii)i(..'d by a jL^lacicr. Twelve
jj^laciers llovv down the cliffs in the twiMity-two miles
l)etwe(Mi Netiulumi and Itlihloo, at the entrance of
Olriks liay.
This hay — so called, thoui^di it is really a fjord, —
is a jjictures(iue inlet, and the only one of its kind
in the country. Its width at the mouth, measured
VALLEY SCENE, HEAD OF BOWDOIN BAY.
Su[jar-I. af Mount, One (jf tlie I'eaks <if the Mountain Dam wliicli IIoM-^ tlie
Inland Ice in Ciieck, in tiic iJackground.
somewhat diajj^onally across to the ()pi)osite hhiH of
Kani^a, is seven miles, and from hc^re it extends i;ast-
ward seventeen miles, gradually narrowing- t(^ a width
of less than two miles ; and a massive; tlat-t()i)i)ed
mountain lies directl)- across it. As seen from
Ittibloo, and in fact from any i)oint until w(;ll within
the bay, this niountairi is apparently its head. Just
to the left of it, however, a contracted passage permits
•51
I
4^>- Northward over the "(Ircat Ice"
fartlier proiL^rcss. and. once throiiL^h these narrows, a
l<)nL,^ narrow, ri\cr-Iike stretcli of water opens up,
coinpleteK- landdocked, with low, roUiiiL;, _L,aassy
sliores, on either siile risiiii; *;Ta(hially to the l)orch:rs
of the ice-cap a few niil(;s cHstant. llere is the; honu:
ami favourite haiuit of the reindeer, where, shehered
from the cold, damp, seaward fogs, and the biting, ice-
' "^^^i^S:;-^^
V •. '>*ilt>
W V '
'^0^yr
■^j
AP.CTIC FLOWERS.
cap winds, an abundant pasturage springs up for them.
Again the bay seems to end at a bhick cliff, lying
directly across it, twenty-one miles from the narrows,
but on a near approach an opening is seen to the
right, and passing through these upper narrow^s, but a
trifle over a mile in width, the third and last section
of the fjord is entered. This section is almost com-
pletely walled by steep bluffs and vertical cilffs, and
Ill wi iiMBiin
A| ))-.'Uilix
463
tcnninatcs finally at tl.- lao ol a -!a<'i'.-r tlowiiii; from
the main iiUrrior ict •.'an A '.horr .oiithcrK' hramh
isalso tcrmiiiatciihy.i ronsiilcial/'u L,'aci('r. 'I'hc total
lcii;^th of this l)a\- is 'lit'. mil<'S, and its axfra.^c width
not o\tr three miles:.
Returning to il ; iilnff K.ins^a, at the n)outh of the
])av, the main shore ui tlie oound trend . north-easterly,
K^^^;>^j",:^
■^
".•'«','
•,^»'i
>';.■'?«*,;?
g
'I
1^''^
y-jf-
V'^
- ,1 . . ■
-«d:^\'>*?^J^J»»V/%'»«.. JifP«
r* ■
'. .v«i
•"'^
^. > .; .^
i^^K^^IS
^iJ
te>^
<
)^
rT:^:^
-1
t^v^^
■Rb^mM^pHH^
^j^
'•■'f.'
'Wl^l%
pir
^^
&
ARCTIC FLOWERS.
in a succession of (U,'c:i)ly eroded cliffs and steep bluffs,
uninterrupted by glaciers, thirt(;en mih's, when it turns
du(; east a^ain, and in a series of rounled hills, on
whose sumn^.its rests an ice-caj), reaches eastward, lo
the mouth of Academy Bay, thirty-tive miles from
Kani^a.
Academy Hay is much smaller than Olriks. beino;
but about thirteen miles louij^ and two miles wide
i
I
f
464 Northward over the "Great Ice"
Cuttin_L( into the land at first in a south-easterly direc-
tion, it swinij^s due east and terminates at the face of
a laru^e ij^lacier, which is practically the northern arm
of the one enterin<r the head of Olriks Bay. Though
the shores of this hay are bold throusj^hout, there are
portions of the north-eastern side where steep valleys
i»"ive access to the elevated antl ext(;nsive rolling
plateau lying east of the bay, between it and the ice-
KAHKOKTAH GLACIER.
Typical Form. Red Cliff Peninsula Ice-Cap in Hackground.
cap. The south-west side, on the contrary, from the
bold bluff at the entrance, to far up beyond the extrem-
ity of the glacier, is a continuous, inaccessible, vertical
cliff.
From the eastern pomt of Academy Bay the main
shore of the gulf extends, due east, to the face of
the great Heilpriii (ilacier. and then on beside the
great ice-stream, until the crests of the cliffs disappear
under the white shroud of the " (ireat Ic(^" brom
382
■ ■''•^'»
Appendix
465
here on, the eastern and northern sides of the head of
the trulf are an ahiiost continuous Lflacier face, six s/reat
ice-streams, separated In* as many i>recipitous nunataks,
flowinL^ down from the interior ice-ca|) to chscharoe an
enormous fleet of i^er^^s. As a resuk of tliis free ths-
charsj^c, the i^^reat white viscosity of the interior has
settled down into a hujj^e, and in clear weather easily
discernible, semi-circular basin, similar to those of
Tossukatek, Great Kariak, and Jacobshavn. In this
GLACIER MARGIN.
head of the s^ulf, situated some in the face of the
olaciers, and others a short distance beyontl them, an;
seven or ei^ht islands, most of which bear proofs of
former j^laciation. Alono- the north-western shore of
the Li'ulf, the vertical cliffs resume their swa\', back of
which rise the trio of striking peaks, Mounts l)aly,
Adams, antl l\itnam. The clifts continue westward
for somct little distance, then ^nuluall)- mer^;e into a
gentle slope, which is in turn succeedetl by the .ace
vtii.. 1,-30
J
1-66 Northward over the " Great Ice "
of the Hubbard Glacier. West of the olacier, cHffs
of a different character (red and s/rev sandstone)
occur, and extend to the s^^rand and picturescjue red-
brown Castle Cliffs at the cMitrancc; to Bowdoin l)ay.
At these cliffs the shore takes an abrui)t turn to the
northward, into the now familiar but i^reviously un-
known Bowdoin Bay, in which was located the head-
quarters of my last Expedition.
This bay has an extreme lenL^th of eleven miles.
and an average width of between three and four
TYPICAL STRATIFICATION AND DIP.
miles. What with its southern exposure, the protec-
tion from the wind afforded by the cliffs and bluffs
which enclose it, and the warmth of colourini^ of its
shores, it presents one of the most desirable locations
for a house. The scenery is also varied and attract-
ive, offerini^ to the eye L^reater contrasts, with less
chanL(e of position, than any other locality occurrinj^
to me. Around the circuit of the bay are seven
glaciers with exposures to all points of the compass,
and varying in size from a few hundred feet to over
two miles in width.
i
<i
■""*" '1,1
468 Northward over the "Great Ice"
Th(j ice-cap itself is also in evidence here, its verti-
cal face in one place capping and forming a continua-
tion of a vertical cliff which rises direct from the bay.
From the western point of the bay, a line of grey
sandstone cliffs — the Sculptured Cliffs of Karnah —
interrupted by a single glacier in a distance of eight
miles, and carved by the resistless arctic elements
into turrets, bastions, huge amphitheatres, and colossal
statues of men and animals, extends to Cape Ackland,
JUNE IN BOWDOIN BAY.
the Karnah of the natives. Here the cliffs end
abruptly, and the shore trending north-westward to
Cape Cleveland, eighteen miles distant, consists of an
almost continuous succession of fan-shaped, rocky
deltas formed by glacier streams. Back of the shore-
line is a gradually sloping foreshore, rising to the foot
of an irregular series of hills, which rise more steeply
to the ice-cap lying upon their summits. In almost
every depression between these hills, the t:\ce of a
glacier may be seen, and it is the stn^ams from these
■MilM
Appendix
469
that have made the shore what it is, and formed the
wide shoals off it, on which every year a numerous
rteet of icebert^s ecomes strandetl.
At the yellow bastion of Cape Cleveland, the shore
retreats sharply to the eastward into McCormick Hay,
which penetrates to a dtqjth of some fifteen miles, and
the former extension of it, now a wide grassy valley
walled by bluffs and glacier faces, reaches eastward
COAST WEST OF HUBBARD GLACIER.
some ten miles more, nearly to the head of Howdoin
Bay. This l)ay pn-sents more of the character!, tics of
a bay proper and less of those of a fjord than an\- of
the other raniifications of Whale Sound. iMttcen
miles deep by nine^ miles wide at its mouth, and four at
its bottom, its shores, nowhere precipitous, present an
almost continuous line of beach. The northern sl\ore,
a moderate slope, intersected by numerous ravines
'A'
a
V
470 Northward over the " Great Ice "
and cH'sUxl ]>)' an isolated icL'-c:i|), is as attractive and
ftM'lilc as the slair heap of an iron foundry
( )nly the dark hliifl of Capc' !• hcrlson s('j)arates
McCorniick l)a\' from Robertson's I^)av. This latter
ba) is somewhat smaller than McCorniick, and is the
last of the Whale-Sound inlets. The scenery of the
bay is very bold, and the cliffs near the head are so
strikingly L,n'and and {precipitous, that the native
name Imnaksoah signifies "the i)recipitous j)lacvj."
From Robertson, the north-westerly trendin;^ coast is
CHARACTERISTIC GLACIER SNOUT.
East (1 lacier.
formed of alternatiuL;- cliffs and broad ^iacier faces, to
Cape Chalon, the favourite walrus huntin^--oTound of
the natives ; thence it trends more to the northward,
and, in a great concave curve, broken by two or three
L^laciers, sweeps aw^ay to the couchant mass of vqld
UL^looksoah (Cape Alexander), the western sentinel of
the countr)', which, from its position just midway be-
tween the confines and the heart of the Arctic Niuht,^
frowns or smiles, as its mood may be, upon the perennial
waves of the North Water.
' Cape Alexander is just-iialf way between tiie Arctic Circle and the Pole.
(^
Appendix
4/1
North of Cape Alexander is a coast, the features of
which have been made faniiHar to all hy the pens
of Kane and Hayes, trendini,^ nearly north to Ca])e
Ohlsen. Ht;re the coast s\vin<rs abruptly eastward,
and, in a succession of brown cliffs, hnally (lisaj)pears
under the omnii)resent ice-ca[) at the southern ani^le
of the Humboklt (dacier.
In this stretch of coast are the well known Cr^stal-
CLIFFS OF KANGERDLOOKSOAH.
Palace Cliffs and Glacier, Port P\)ulke, Foulke Fjord,
Sunrise Point, Littleton Island, Cape Ohlsen, Life-
Boat Cove, and Cairn Point ; and in this short reach,
three expeditions — Kane's, Hall's, Hayes's, — have
wintered.
The islands of this coast, from Cape York northward,
present two strikini; peculiarities. They are almost
invariably in groups of three, consistinj^r of two lari,re
4/2 Northward over the "Great Ice"
ones of entirely dissimilar characteristics, and a third
much smaller. I'Or example, Bushnan, Meteorite, and
Round Islands — Saunders, W'olstenholm, and Dal-
ryiuplc^ — Herbert, Northumberland, and Hakluyt —
Harvard, Lion, and Little I\Litterhorn — and lesser
examples, the Manson Islands, and the Sister Hees.
The similarity between the two larij^(;st of these
groups, the Herbert-Northumberland-Hakluyt and
the Saunders-Wolstenholm-Dalrymple, is particularly
strikinjj^. Iiach group lies in the mouth of a great
inlet. In each group is a larg(i v( 'cal sided, tlat-
topped island of stratifietl rock — H'.'b : and vSaun-
ders ; — in each the next is a small Oi' of different
NUNATAKS.
formation and bolder orography — Northumberland
and Wolstenholm ; — and the outer, a still smaller pre-
cipitous rock, the home of numerous sea-birds, — Hak-
luyt, Ualrymple.
The contrast between intlividual islands, though
marked in each group, is especially noticeable in the
case of Herl)ert and Northumberland. Though sepa-
rated by a channel scarcely more than one mile witle,
Herbert is a vertical-sided, llat-topped mass of varie-
gated sandstone without a sea-level glacier, and with
but a small ice-cap ; while Northumberland is a mass
11 .
-*'-'
Appendix
473
of hlirh suniniits of oncissos'.' ami Ixisaltic rocks almost
completely covered with ice-ca[), from which exude
numerous sea-level ;j^laciers. This island presents, in
the close juxtai)osition of llowinj:;" white ice-ilomes and
raL(_L(ed black cliffs, the most strikini^ contrasts of colour
and sky contour.
Another feature is the frequent recurrence of sharp
conical rocks risinij;' directK' from the sea. TIk,- least
pronounced of th(;s(; is Round Island, some thirty
miles east of Cape York. Then come the well-known
Conical, Dalrympk,', and Hell Rocks ; then the less-
known and smaller but equally pronounced Little
LITTLETON ISLAND FROM SITC OF POLARIS HOUSE.
Matterhorn at the head of Im^defield Gulf, and Suther-
land Island just south of Capt,- Alexander.'
In the proximity of the ice-cap to the shore, and
the existence of numerous detached ice-caps or tlomes
separated completely from the Inland-Ice sheet, this
region is marked.
An impressive feature, too, is tlu; glaciers ; hundreds
of these, of all sizes. sha[)es, and characteristics, llow
' Still further cxamiiles o( tliese peculiar isiaiuls are Cocke<l-IIat Island west
of Cape Sabine, (one Island in Jones Sound, and Sugar Leaf in the bay south
of Wilcox lieatl.
J
474 Northward over the "Great Ice"
down the nunuTous fjords, vallcNs, and raviiiL'Sof tliis
coast from the " Ciruat Ice " towards the sea. Many of
them never reach the sea, hwi waste awa)' in the
warmth of the valle\s. Others ch) attain the sea,
stretchini^ unctnous hlue ice-chffs, fifty to one hundred
and tift\' feet hiL,di and one half to ten miles loni^', aloniL^
the shore and across the heads of havs, from which
every Near is launched a prolitic llet:t of hen's.
The motion of even the larj^est of these glaciers is
comparativel)' slow, and of the smaller non-sea-le\'el
ones almost imperceptihle. Thi-y are extraordinarih'
well exposed and open, and there is no place in the
NORTH SHORE, LITTLETON AND McGARY ISLANDS,
world where a wider variety of examples is to be seen
in so narrow an area, or where the physics and dynam-
ics of i^lacier structure antl movement can be studied
more easily or to better advantage. I 'U)ubt if any
other known rejj^ion of ecjual extent shows olacial
phenomena of such mas^niitude and variety as the
shores of AVhale Sound and InL,defield Gulf.
The Petowik Glacier is the lono^est, and the group
at the head of InLrlcheld Gulf, — Heilprin, Tracy, Mel-
ville, Farquhar, — the most prolific, owinjr to their
Appendix 475
Iciii^th of face, j)rc)xiiiiit\' to tlu; jj^rcat interior ice, and
the size of their in'i'i' basins. Many others, however,
as the Jesuj), I )iel)its(:h, C'hikls. Leiily, Howdoin, Sun,
Verhoeff, Chanii)crhn. Moore, Sahshiir)-, Ittihloo, Mis-
uniisii, ami Savat^e, contrihiite their full (|uotaof heri^s.
All th(.-se mentioned L^laciers iiave hiL;h vertical faces,
and, with the exception of the Petowik, are rent by
crevasses and seracs.
In Cape N'ork Hay. however, there is a L;roup of
glaciers, the surfaces of which are unbroken 1)\- cre-
vasses or S(;racs, and tlu; e'Xtrctniities of which descend
so L^radually to the water-level, that it is possible to
CAIRN POINT.
Step upon them from a boat, traverse their surface at
will, and ascend their gentle slopes, unimpeded by
an)' obstruction, to the ice-caj) in which they oriL,nnate.
As imlicated near the bejj^inninL;- of this chapt(,'r, and
as specifically noted by Prof. Chamberlin in his -^Geo-
logical diaiijj^nosis of this rei^ion, this coast is not. pre-
cisely speakinu^, mountainous.
The coast ribbon protrudinu^ for a i^reater or k^ss
width from benc^ath the surcharL^enivMit of the ic(;-cap,
is really a table-land of approximatc^ly 2000-2500 feet
4/6 Northward ov^cr the "(ircat Ice"
in hciL^lu, tlroppinL,^ finally in steep bluffs or vertical
cliffs to tlu? sea. Thert; are, however, some prominent
peaks whose superior elevation is not fully aj)parent
unless om; has seen them from the ice-cap, loominj^
above their surroundinirs. One of the most command-
inj^ summits (jf the entire reL,don, a snow-capped mass
of threat individuality, situated upon the north-west
shore of In^lefield (iulf, 1 have nanu^d, in honour of the
distiuL^uished President of the American (ieotrraphical
L^Gciety, Mount Daly. Another bold summit in Kob-
ert;K)n Bay I have named Mount Wistar.
Thoujj^h a reunion of ij^reat contrasts, there are con-
stantly recurriuij^ types, as, for example, the bastions
of KauLi^a, Cape Cleveland, and Bastion Point ; the
statues of the Castle, and Sculptured Cliffs, and Mount
Wistar ; the jj^neissose faces of Parker Snow Point,
Hakluyt, and Northumi)erland Islands, and Cape
Parry ; the rai^iL^ed crests, ice-domes, and sectional ice-
caps of Josephine Headland, Mount Wistar, and Im-
nahlooksoah.
Thert; is also a wealth of natural curiosities, as the
Bronze- Sphinx, the Devil's Bastion, Mountain of the
Holy Cross, Glacier of the Scarlet Heart, Cave of
Petowik, Great Arch at Cape York, Bell Rock, Half
Dome, and the iL^nimut, or Pirestone. Then there
are countless plun^inij^ cascades, brawlino^ streams,
(^lacier iti^rottos, and the ever-present yet ev'er-chanLrinjj^
fleet of stately beri^s which ride in every inlet and
cruise alomj;' each mile of coast.
Such is this rei^ion in summer. In winter it would
kardly be recoj^nised. The land is shrouded in snow,
and shows a jj^hastly i^rey in the dim. starlii^ht ; the
sea is white and rigid ; no sound is in the bitter air,
which is punjrent with frost spiculat ; litdit and life
have fled ; land, and sea, and sky, and air, are dark and
dead and frozen.
,
T
(
APPENDIX II.
THE SMITH-SCJUND ESKIMOS
TnK Most Northerly Human BF.rxr.soN T.rF r.nnp a t
K^rr^— -r\-''-— -^^-™-^^^^^
9^
I
A SMITH SOUND ESKIMO.
'^—mfwwvTm t H i\ it\ jt miitmmmtimmmmmmmiKm
APPENDIX II.
THE SMITH-SOUND ESKIMOS.
I '%
r,
Iff'-'
O'
all interesting
aborii^inal tribes
of men, there is
none more strikinj^-ly so
than the little community
of Eskimos whose habi-
tat is the west coast of
Greenland, between Mel-
ville Bay and Kane Basin.
The smallness of this
tribe, its complete isola-
tion and self-dependence,
its extreme northerly location, the stress of hostile
conditions under which it maintains its existence, the
human interest connected with it as the result of the
writiui^s of Kane, Hayes, and other Arctic exjjlorers,
and the uncertainty as to its orii^-in and early history,
combine to place it at the head of the list.
Scattered alonu^ the shores of the Arctic oasis al-
' No fulness of detail, no specialism lias t)ceii attcnijited in tins cha|)tcr.
Siu:h treatment is impracticable here from lack of spate. I ha\e nuTely en-
deavoured to sketch ai; outline picture whicli shall s'.iow this most interesting^
people in their true li^ht, and do justice lo tin- te;'.rless. liardy, cheerful little
trilie of human children lor whom I have the w.irmcst rci^'ard.
1 !iis sketch is the briefest condeu'^ation from my material, liut i' contains
sui^^estions for thoui;!it for the most cursory as well as the most studious reader,
and It cannot fail to show the writer ami the artist, that there i-. an untouciied
mine of material awaiting their working, in these chddren of the North and their
Arctic oasis.
479
4<^o Northward over the "Great Ice"
ready described, this little trihj, or perhaps, more
properly speakini;-, family of Eskimos — for they num-
Ijer but ^Avo hundred and fifty-three' in all, men,
women, and children — is found maintaining; its ex-
istence in comi)lete isolation and independence, under
the utmost stress of savaL^e (Mivironment. Without
government ; without religion ; without money or any
A TUPIK.
standard of value ; without written language ; with-
out property, except clothing and weapons ; their
food nothing but ineat, blood, and blubber ; without
salt, or any substance of vegetable origin ; their
clothinLT the skins of birds and animals ; almost
their only two dejects in life, something to eat and
' Accurate census SeptemVier i, i8()5. Hetweeu this date and August <),
l8c)6, an epidemic of influenza reduced their number to 22(_). In August,
1897, they numbered 234.
!*■
Appendix II
481
something with which to clothe themsL-lves, and their
sole occupation the striiL;L;l(; for these objects ; with
habits and conditions of life hardly above the ani-
mal, these people seem at first to be ver\- near the
bottom of the scale of civilisation ; yet closer ac([Uaint-
AHSAYOO.
Slunvini^ f-r>ii,U Hair of tlic Men.
ance shows them to l)e quick, intellit^ent, inij^enious,
and thorouj^dily human.
With our surroundins^^s and brinjj^inL^ up, drawinjr
as we do upon the entire; world for our daily wants,
we can have no concej)tion of the earlier condition of
this people and their almost inconceivable destitution
VOL, I.— 31
in
h
Appendix II
4H3
and restriction as to materials, dependent for ez'oy-
/■///;/;'• upon a few miles of Arctic coast-line. To them
such an ordinary thini^ as a piece of wood was just as
unattainable as is the moon to the petulant child that
cries for it. Is it to be wondered at that under these
circumstances a man offered me his dogs and sledge
and all his furs for a bit of board as long as himself;
that another offered me his wife and two children for
a shining knife ; and that a woman offered me every-
thing- she had for a needle ?
They are a community of children in their simplicity,
honesty, and happy
lack of all care ; of
animals in their sur-
roundings, their
food and habits ; of
iron men in their
utter disrefj-ard of
cold, hunger, and
fatiixue ; of beings
of high intelligence
in the construction
and use of the im-
plements of the
chase, and the in-
genious concentration of every one of the few possi-
bilities of the barren country which is their home, upon
the two great problems of their existence — something
to eat, and something to wear. The accumulated
experience 'f generation after generation has taught
them bow to make; \\\v. most of ('V'.tr\- one ot the few
poss .)'!^ i-'s of their barren countr\', in the wa\- of
afforu. j^ sustenance, chnhing, comfort, and satety ;
and, as a result, they are as independent of the var\ing
moods of their frozen habitat as are other i)eoples of
the climatic vairaries of more <|enial latitudes.
WIFE OF SOKEK.
tl
I
!
484 Northward over the "Great Ice"
Denizens of a little Arctic oasis, prisoned on the
east I)\' the towerint"- wall and superstitious terrors of
the Sermiksoah, or " (ireat Ice" ; on the west by the
waves of Smith Sound ; on the north by the crystal
raiuparts of the Flumboldt Cdacier; and on the south
by the strctch.ini^ miles of the unknown i^'laciers of
IVlelvillc i)a\-, th(^y are at once the smallest, the most
northerly, and most unicjue tribe upon the earth, and
EATING RAW WALRUS MEAT.
perhaps the oldest upon the Western Hemisphere.
Many of them are of strikiuL^ly Monsj^olian type of
countenance ; all of them possess the Oriental char-
acteristics of mimicry, inij^enuity, and patience in
mechanical duplication ; and their appearance indi-
cates the stronsj^ probability of the correctness of the
theory advanced by Sir Clements Markham, the dis-
tintruished President of the Royal Geo^rraphical So-
A|)|)cnclix II
4^^5
ciety of London. This theory is, in hrii'f, tliat these
people are the remnants of an ancient Sii)erian tril)e,
the (Jnkilon, th(; last remains of which, driven from
their homes and out on to the- Arctic Ocean by the
fierce waves of Tartar invasion in the Middle Ajj^es,
passed to tht; New Siberian Islands, and thence i^rad-
ually over or aloni^^ lands as \et undiscovered. j)er-
haps even across the Pole itself, to the Northern
TUNQWINGWAH AND HER BABY.
Greenland Archipelago and Grinnell Land, and
thence southward in different streams, as shown to-
day by the Eskimo on the east coast of Greenland ;
the Eskimo of the present Danish colonies and
the Arctic HiHilander ; and the Eskimo of north-
ern North America and the Ameri(ian Arctic
Archipelago,
Among other facts upon which this theory is
•'■' m
li
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Cd
06
U
01
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Appendix II
4S7
grounded, are the stroiiL,^ resemljlance of the stone
dwellings of the Arctic Uit^hlantlcrs to ruins of sinii-
hir dwcllinLjs discovered in Siberia. There are also
apparent stron^j;; pliysical resemblances. It would
seem as if this theory were likely to be borne out by
the additional facts ob-
tain (>d by me. The fa-
cial characteristics of
many indivitluals in the
tribe art; notic(.'ably Asi-
atic. rh(; obli([uely set
eyes are a common oc-
currence. The natural
aptness for imitation
shown by man)- is also
strikini^ly susj^tjj'estive of
a Chinese and Jai>anese
trait.
An interestinj^ inci-
dent beariui^ upon this
came up in connection
with the brin^^ino of a
young girl of this tribe
to the United States
by Mrs. Peary in 1S94.
The first and only thing
that elicited expressions
of vivid surprise and as-
tonishment from this
girl was the sight of a
Chinaman upon the
street, to whom she im-
mediately ran and at-
tempted to enter into conversation. Later, while pass-
ing alono- the streets of Washington, slie was seen by
several members of the Chinese Legation, who mi-
MISS BILL."
Eykimo Girl Hiouj^ht Home by Mrs.
I'eary in 1894.
V
(A
4<^<S Northward over the " Great lee"
m(;(
liatcl)
surrounc
led h
1 h
vr and hcLMn
talk
ini^
to h
er
in tlic Chinese lanu^uajj^c, (evidently mistaking; h(;r for
one of their own countrywomen.
On the other hand, it has heen imi)ossible to obtain
any satisfactory information from these' people as to
th
th
Th
e threction from w
diich
ey oriLj^i naiiy came
11
ey nav^e a <jfener
il id
ea
of land far to the north.
Tlu^y are aware that the
land is inhabited by the
musk-ox, and there are
misty trailitions of the
existence, somewhere in
that rej^ion, of a race much
lari^er than themselves.
Yet the only mij^rations
which can be fixed defin-
itely are from the west
side of Baffin Hay and
Davis Strait. Two such
accessions to their numl)er
have occurred within the
memory of livin_!^^ individ-
uals of the tribe. Both of
these miij^rations consisted
of one or two families each,
and there are now livin^r
in the tribe five individuals
who were born on the
western side. In connection with one of these, an
old hunter, an interestinij incident occurred.
During- the houKnvard voyai^e of the /w/r we
touched at Dexterity Harbour, on the west side of
l^af^n Bay, and found there a considerable settlement
of the west-side natives. In conversation with these
FIGURE OF 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
n
AppL'iulix II
4S9
natives, we Icarnccl tliat tlicy knew of this luintcr and
his sister, and one old woman in the villaL;(' iiad,
when a <;irl, seen iiim, l)ut slic said that lie liad '^onv.
north years ai^o, and then (hsapjx'arcd. no one knew
where, Tliey ('X[)r('ssc.'d the hveHest interest in liear-
inn" al)Out liini, and
from them we learned
that as a youni,'- man
this same hunter had
Hved at various times
all the way from Cum-
berland (iulf to the
shores of MUesmere
Land, north of Jones
Sound. There seemed
to be no possible
chance for this to be
a case of mistaken
identity, as the sister
of this hunter was a
deaf-mute, and these
people spoke of this
in describiuL,^ her.
The study of this
tribe, and the collec-
tion of accurate infor-
mation in rejj^ard to it,
have been anions- the
objects of my varifrus
expeditions, antl the
opportunities for such
study, owino^ to the smallness of the tribe, and its soli-
tary imprisonment anions- thv2 o;reat Arctic o;laciers,
totrether with its especialh' kindly and tractable dis-
position, have made it possible to ol)tain many valuable
data in reijard to its customs and habits, and in par-
NUPSAH.
Showing Male l'hysi(|iie.
IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
A
1.0 If'- I
I.I
1.25
4S
SO
112.5
2.0
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7:
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Photographic
Sciences
Corporation
23 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716) 872-4503
fe
Yj
490 Northward over the "Great lee"
ticular to scciin^ an ahsolutL'ly coinj)lete and accurate
census of the tribe, with ethnoloL,ncal descri[)tions and
photoLjraphs.
That the tribe was orii^inally much more nunu-rous
tlian at present seems to be
borne out, not only by tlieir
own statement, but by the ex-
istence of many ancient i^^loos
all alonL( the coast, from liush-
nan Island nearly to tlu; Hum-
boldt Glacier. There seems
to be also a definite tradition
that, in years past, the climate
was different from what it is
now, not, perhaps, any warmer,
but with much less wind and
foL'" aloPL^ the coast. That the
tribe previous to my visit was
either incrc^asinjj^ or decreasing-
in numbers I should bestronj^dy
inclined to tloubt, it beini^ prob-
able that nature's balance be-
tween the population and the
food-producinsj^ cai)abilities of
the countrv had been estab-
lished f(M' generations.
iUit since my Ih'st expedition
in 1 89 1 there has been a marked
preponderance of the birth-
rate over the death-rate, until
the epidemic of i S95- 1 S96 deci-
mated tile tribe, carryini^ off
eleven per cent. In the year since, the birth-ratt; is
ai^ain in excess. This is tlue, I have no doubt, to the
improved weapons and implements which I have jL^iven
them, and which have increased the lumtiuL^ effective-
NUPSAH.
Showing Male I'hysiiiue.
m im ' ' |^» I ^
J'
I
f
lilWiH
^^SfKWIHfVI
;'■
'^ftMl^'ClkS^^^M^
il-:/ f ,1-
f
^^H^^^L^vvflK' jM^Hm^PI^^RH
^^^^^^^^^I^^^^^h^^^^^^^^^^^^^H^hi!a ''''^E^R^
;'■ ?
HiB
^i^^K^I^^^H
^-^ 1 J
i.i''
,^ife>
.^^^^R
^wi
rH^
«^
fcj^. .1'
P
f^mii
i<5%:5
t St ^T 'Xi^kflB
!^i
[MnfiyH
'^^^^^I^I^Bti
^^^Bu' ifpl ^J^CTJ^MflW
vSIKc^iMh^IuI
U]
(A
o
^■92 Northward over the "Great Ice"
ness of the males at least one hundred per cent., and
have therefore kept the tribe better nourished and in
better condition to withstand the severities which are
their daily lot. That this increase will be very con-
siderable or continucxl for any leni^th of time is not
likely, as the balance will ai^ain be adjusted.
In disposition and tempc^rament these people are a
race of children,
simple, kindly,
cheerful, and hos-
[)itable. In jjowers
of endurance, in
certain directions,
they probably are
not surjiassed by
any other known
race, and in their
inn^enuity and the
intellii^ence dis-
played in makini*'
use, to the fullest
extent, of every
one of the few pos-
sibilities of their
country which
can assist them to
live and be com-
they are, in my opinion, ahead of any other
race. Of arts, sciences, culture, manufac-
WRESTLING.
fortable,
aboriginal
tures, and such other adjuncts of civilisation, they
know nothini--.
There is no form of government amono- them, no
chief, each man beino- supreme in his own family, and
literally and absolutely his own master. Such a thin_n'
as real-estate interest is unknown to them. Every
man owns the whole country and can locate his house
Appendix II
493
and hunt where his fancy dictates. The products of
the hunts are common property with sh'ght Hmitations,
as, for example, anything smaller than a seal is the
property of the hunter who captures it ; yet, unwritten
laws require him to be generous even with this, if he
can do so without starving his own family. Personal
BOXING.
possessions are of necessity very limited, consisting
almost entirely oi clothing, travelling cciuipnu'nts,
weapons and implemiMits, and a single skin tent or
tupik. Every man is his own tailor, shocnidker,
boat-builder, house carpenter, and (everything else ; in
other words, each family is litc:rally and absoliitcely
independent and self-supporting, and could continue
494 Northward over the "Great Ice"
its existence for an indefinite Icnt^th of time without
external assistance.
Their ideas of astronomy are definite, tlioui^h
necessarily limited. They recoj^nise the Great l)i])-
per as a herd of reindeer ; tlie three trianij^ular stars
of Cassiopeia are the three stones supportini; a celestial
stone lamp ; the Pleiades are a team of do^i^s in
pursuit of a hear ; tin- three ^litterintj;^ hrilliants of the
belt of Orion are the steps cut hy some celestial
Eskimo in a steep snow-hank to enahle him to climh
to the top ; Gemini are two stones in the entrance to
HpF 'i^JI^SlJih.^ ^w^aiiMc* M^A V^^^^^^
HEnopuupBaK^ ^^^^
^^^F m
miMi^^^^^^^B|L ^VuVivistijk
f w*f^^?y^^Whi
WmJr^
f '^a
> i
p jg;_^
hi
ps?r^ ,
M^
ARM PULL.
an igloo ; Arcturus and Aldeharan are personifica-
tions ; and the moon and sun are a maiden and her
pursuing lover. These Eskimos estimate time hy
the movements of the stars, as well as hy the position
of the sun, and yet, less ohservant than were the Arah
shepherds, they have not noticed that one star is the
centre about which all the others move, nor have they
set apart the plaiK.'ts, which to them are simply large
stars. Prohahly this is due to the fact that the move-
ments of stars can be ohserved during only three
months of the year.
1
i
z
<
s
O
o ^
S d
tn a.
Ed •
V
Z ?
< z
Ci.
o
D
(-
CO
O
u
X
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i
49^ Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
As regards morals, these peoi)!^ do not stand hi^h
accordinLj to our scale. The wife is as much a piece
of personal j)rop(-'rty which may he sold, exchanL,^ed,
loaned, or horrowetl, as a sled^^^e or a canoe. It
must he said in tlu-ir favour, however, that children as
well as ajred and infirm memhers of the trihe are w^ell
WRIST PULL.
taken care of, and that for the former the parents
evince the Hveliest affection.
There seems to he no marriage ceremony. The
matrimonial arrangement is frequently perfected hy
the parents while the parties are children.
As the female is eliirihle for marriap;e much earlier
Appendix II
497
than thti malt,', a i^nrl may l)c ai)i)n)i)riat(.Hi 1)\' a man
\vli()S(! wife lias dictl, hcforc Iut intcncu'tl is old cnoiiL^h
to marr\-. This arrain/c-mcnt may contimu', or her
intcnclecl may claim h^T when he is old enoiiL;h. This
is lari^c'ly a matter of mutual anj^recmcnt.
YouiiLj couples fre(iuently chaii^H; |)artners several
times in the first )'ear or two, till both are suitc;d,
when th(; union is practically permanent, except for
temporary periods tlurin}^ which an exchange may he
effected with another man, or the wife loaned to a
friend.
TUG OF WAR.
As the males are considerably in excess there is
a constant demand for wives, and jj^irls frequently
marry while still as fiat-chested and lank-hipped as
a boy.
Though not lacking in warmth of blood they are
not a prolific people. The females arrive at the age
of puberty neither very early nor very late, but ac-
cording to their own statements they never have chil-
dren, even wi h every possible provocation, till at least
three years later, and I am inclined to think the state-
ment is substantially correct.
VOL. I.— 32
49'"^ Northward over the ''(jrcat Ico "
Motherhood and the; various f(Miialc functions cause
tliem hardly if any more inconvcnicMicc than is the
case with animals.
Of rt'liirjon, properly speakin<r, thc^y have none.
The n(,'ar(,'st approach to it is simply a collection of
miscellaneous superstitions and beliefs in Li^ood and
evil spirits. It may he said, in relation to this lattirr
subject, that information in regard to it is extremely
ESKIMOS IN THEIR KAYAKS.
difficult to obtain, and probably the bottom facts of
the matter will be known only when some enthusiast
is willing to devote five or six years of his time to
Hving wdth them and doing as they do, becoming in
fact one of them.
In physical appearance the members of the tribe
are below the average stature, generally well built,
plump and rounded in figure, and deceptively heavy.
r
Aj)i)ciuli\ II
499
Tlic popular i(!ra that the people of this trihc arc
of small s'\/A'. is, in general, triu; ; hut there are com-
parative Li^iaiUs amoiiLi' them, and I could name seve-ral
who stand in the nei^hhouriuxHl of five feet ten, ami
weii^h from one hundred and seventy-five to one hun-
dred antl eii^htN-four j)()unds, n(.!t. A man of tht'sc
dimensions, when dressed in his midwinter costunu.'
of hear- and tleerskin, looms up like a Colossus. The
women are (juite small, but th(.;y, as well as the men,
are very solid, and extremely deceptive; as to weisj^ht.
The muscular tlevelop-
ment of the men is aston-
ishinij^, hut here a*^ain they
are very deceptive in ap-
pearance, the external cov-
erini; of blubber, which
tiiey possess in common
with the seal, the walrus,
and the bc^ar, destroyin_<(
the differentiation of their
great muscles, and <^iv-
ini; them a smooth and
rounded appearance.
Were it not for their
dirtiness and the unpleasant odours resultiuL; from
their mode of life, many of them, of both sexes, would
be by no means disai^reeable of presence. In re'sji^ard
to the younjj^er members of the tribe in particular,
while their faces are not by any means perfect, there
seems to be a o^enerally pleasini^ expression, especiall)'
when interested or eni^aj^ed in conversation.
Their clothing is com[)Osed entirely of furs and skins
of animals and birds, and, in pattern and adaptation of
each material to a certain purpose, is the result (jf an
evolution extending through gcMieration after gen(;ra-
tion, until to-day the Eskimo dress may be consid-
POOADLOONAH.
ill
^
.^
w ■'
IH^^jM "^^ \JP .X^V^I
w
^
4/ •
ft
t
*> ... IvC
1^1
fl 1 -' -^'^^^p^
- •
_ V% .X SjJL
\
il
- ■«'
1
^Bk^ ^4CF^mE£^T^^^^ ^^^^^^1
. "■■■ )
1 ■
01
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u
CO
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b.
O
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u
H
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u
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e
IS
M
u
c
<
Appendix II
501
vrvA pi'rfi'ct tor the loiiditioiis iiiidcr which it is worn.
ThcR! is a ditirrciH-c, chiclly in the upper ^armi'iUs,
bctwriii the suiiinicr and winter dress, tile foruK-r ron-
sistinLi- of sealskin, hirds'cin, and bearskin ; the hitte-r
of deer-, fox-, and bearskin.
BRAIDING A BOWSTRING.
Their habitations in summer consist of tupiks, or
tents, of sealskin, and in winter of i<^doos built of stones
chinked with moss, covered with moss and turf, and
^>anked in with snow. In the spring and when travel-
ling, a snow igloo built of cut blocks of snow serves as
a dwelling.' For sustenance these people depend en-
' The winter hahitations of the Whale-Sound Kskinios are known under the
general term, it;h><>. Tliere are really tiiiee varieties of these dvvellin};s, to only-
one of which is"^the name igh'o applied by the Kskinios themselves :
1st, ii;/,h>.—a. hut the walls and entire roof of which are built solely of stones.
2d,' /•(/«i'W"//, — a hut the walls and a portion only of the roof, or perhai)s
502 Northward over the "Great Ice "
tircly upon the resuks of the hunt, which is enercrctic-
ally prosecuted whenever practicable aii^ainst the wal-
rus, the seal, the deer, the bear, narwhal, white whale,
STRETCHING A SEALSKIN TO DRY.
fox, and hare. While they can hardly be said to be
hunted, )'et thousands and thousands of sea-birds, little
the walls only, of wliicli are hu li of stones, the ga\< in the roof being covered
with skins.
3cl, /;'■/( '('I ',(■//, — a lull built enti'-ly of snow blocks.
The igloos ])ro|)er were nndounledly all built generations ago, when the peo-
ple had absolutely no wood, and their rude weapons enabled them to cajiture
barely enough game to furnisli skins for their clotiiing, without any to spare for
covering their houses.
The kangmah is merely a simiilified igloo, rendered jio'-sible by the increased
prosperity of the tribe. It is much easier to build only the narrower portion of
the roof of stones, and cover the remainder with sealskins laid across sticks and
covered in with turf. And it is a still further economy of labour, if a man (as is
often the case now) has two tupiks, or sealskin tents, to merely build the walls of
his igloo, and then roof it over entiiely with his second-best tupik, folded and
laid upon jioles, then covered with turf and snow.
Appendix II
50;
JV
auks and looms, are obtained with nets and stored for
winter use.
Of these various animals, the seal is perha[)s the
staple, with the walrus next. The meat of these two
animals is about equally prized, and the blubber is
equally valuable for cookinir purposes and forhcatino-
the houses. Next come the narwhal and the white
illit
1 . . ■-<■ 1.
. ^^ij^-s.J*.".
■i^k , A : --^ — i— 1
MAKING A HARPOON LINE.
whale, then the bear, while the deer, fox, and hare
form a very small item in the l^skimo menu, and may
be considered rather as delicacies than as staples.
As for occupation, these people may be said to have
but one, namely, huntinL,^ and the construction and
keepin_!^ in repair of the wn-apons and accessories re-
quired by it. iM-om the return of the sun till its de-
parture, the various animals are hunted in turn in
1 ]
504 Northward over the "Great Ice"
accordance with the season and locality ; and durinLr
the winter tlie surplus suj)!)!) of UK.'at obtained durin^r
the huntint^ season is consumed in carryiuL^ the tribe
throu_u-h the dark ni^ht. I)urin_o; this nii^dit there are
thr(H! moons, an(l the lioht afforded by each of these
is utilised by the natives in travellinj^^ bt^tween the
different settlements and paying their annual calls ; an
STRETCHING A HARPOON LINE.
amusement varic;d fre([uently b\- the excitem(;i't of a
moonlight contlict with a polar bear.
Their amusements are few. In summer there are
tests of strength between the nouul;- men of tile tribe,
consisting- of wrestlinsj;-. i)ullin_L;-, lilting-, and a rude
kind of boxing'. in winter the sole amustmients are
marital pleasures, antl the soiil^s and improvisations
of the ai/oakoks, or medicine-men. of the tribe. In
a
z
D
X
o
a
>
<
X
o
o
Z
5o6 Northward over the "Great Ice"
the choruses of these the entire assembled company
join.
In several ways tliese Eskimos are unique amon;^
aborii^dnal trii)es, and their idiosyncrasies in these
matters compel my admiration and respect.
They have no unnatural or depraved appetites or
habits ; no stimulants or intoxicants ; no narcotics ;
no slow poisoniuL^. Nor tlo they in any way muti-
late or disfiL^nire the form the Cn^ator L,rave them, or
modify or pervert tlie natural functions. Neither
have they any medicines. Their diseases are princi-
pally rheumatism and lun^- and
rl:)ronchial troubles. The causes
of death amou!:^'- the men come
^H^ largely under the terse W'estt-rn
JH^^I expression, " with their boots
on.
A ka}'ak capsizes, and the oc-
cupant is hurled into the icy
water ; a hunter harpoons a wal-
rus or bearded seal from the
ice, a bit'ht of the line catches
round arm or leg", and the big"
brute drags him under to his death ; an iceberg cap-
sizes as he is passing it ; a rock or snow-slide from the
steep shore cliffs crushes him ; or a bear tears him
mortally with a stroke of his paw ; and so on. Occa-
sionally, in the past, starvation has wiped out an en-
tire village.
On the death of a man or woman, the body, fully
dressed, is laid straight upon its back on a skin or
two, and some extra articles of clothing placed upon
it. It is then covered with another skin, and the
whole covered in with a low stone structure, to pro-
tect the body from dogs, foxes, and ravens. A lamp
with some blubber is placed close to the grave ; and
FACE CARVED FROM VER-
TEBRA OF NARWHAL.
Appendix II
507
if the deceased is a man, his sledij^e and kayak, with his
weapons and implements, are placed close by, and his
favourite doi^^s, harnessed and attached to the sh-dj^^e,
are strangled to accompany him. If a woman, her
cookinLT-utensils, and the
frame on which she has
dried the family boots and
mittens, are placed beside
the i^rave. If she has a
doi^, it is stranorled to ac-
company her ; and if she
has a baby in the hood, it,
too, must die with her.
If the death occurred in
a tent, the poles are re-
moved, allowinij^ it to set-
tle down over the site, and
it is never used aLii^ain, but
rots or is finally blown
away. If the death oc-
curred in an i,gloo, it is
vacated and not used ai^ain
for a louL^ time.
The relatives of the de-
ceased must observe cer-
tain formalities in regard
to clothiniT and food for
a certain time ; the name
of the dead person is never
spoken, and any other
members of the tribe who
have the same name must assume another until the
arrival of an infant, to which the name can be ap-
plied, removes the ban.
To many a good person the thought at once arises :
" Poor things ; why don't we send some missionaries
KOODLOOKTOO.
Effect of Civilisation ui)on the Rising
Generation of Smith-Sound Eskimos.
5o8 Northward over the "(ircat Ice"
to them, and convert or civihsc them ? Or, why
would n't it he a i^ood phm to take them away from
th
eir aw
fill h
o
me to a pleasanter region
T
o bo
th
these I answer at once, "God willing, never, either
.-i»
When I think of the mixed race in South Greenland,
which, in spite of the fostering- care of the Danish
Government, is still like most lialf-breed human pro-
ducts, inferior to either original stock ; when I recall
the miserable wretches aloni^- the west coast of iiaf-
tm Ba\', vile with disease, vitiated with rum, tobacco,
and contact \A'ith the whalers, and then think oi my
uncontaminated, pure-blooded, vigorous, faithful little
tribe, I say: "No; God o-rant no civilisation to curse
them." \\'hat I have done in the past, and shall con-
tinue to do in the future, is to put them in a little
better position to carry on their stru!^)^de for exist-
ence ; jrive them better weapons antl implements,
lumber to make their dwc'llin^s dr\er, instructions in
a few fundamental sanitary principh.'s, and one or two
items of civilised food, as coffee and biscuit, — allies
to rout the demons, starvation and cold.
As I sit here writinj^ now I can see them, already
within the shadow of the " (ireat Ni^ht," in their little
stone igloos perched upon the shore of the frozen sea,
the soft lii^ht of their oil lamps ij^lowiuL;- into the savage
cold and darkness from door and sealskin window.
And many a familiar face rises in memor)' :
Old Komonahpik, with his bronzed, impassive face,
careful and thoroui^^hly reliable, my bow oar and har-
pooner ; Nooktah, my faithful hunter and doi^ driver ;
smiling baby Anador ; handsome Sipsu ; Merktoshar,
the one-eyed bear hunt(^r of Netiulumi, famous
throughout the tribe for many a single-handed strug-
gle with the polar bear, the " tiger of the North."
Though one eye had been destroyed by a knife-thrust
when, as a young man, in a desperate struggle with
Appendix II
509
the tattooed men of tlu- west, far out across the frozen
surface of the Sound, he; had captured his first wife,
the remainini^ eye, L;litterinn" throu^li the strangling
veil of liis long black hair, saw as much as any three
others in the entire tribe. It was, in fact, the only
sign of life about him, (;xcept when the huge tracks
of his favourite ganu; llashed ever)' nerve and muscle
into savage excitement. Then there was l\.\()ahj)adu,
the aiioa/cok; Ootoonia, K\<)gwito, and M\()uk, the
three good-natured giant brothers of Narksarsomi ;
Kessuh anil Nupsah, the dashing duties of Cape
York ; Kessuh, or the " .Smiler," the walrus killer of
Ittibloo ; with his lialf-witted brother Arningana, or
the " Moon " ; Tukoomingwah, tin; child-britle of
Kookoo ; bright-faced Alakasingwah ; '1 artarah, the
kittiwake ; Aki)alia ; the " X'illain " ; " Misfortune " ;
the " Vox " ; and the " Conu^dian."
Fortunately for them, with no [possessions to ex-
cite cupidit)-, with a land in which no one but them-
sel\es could conquer a living, the\- are like'U' to be
left in peace, to live out the part appointed them 1)\-
the Creator, untlisturbed 1)\' efforts to understantl
the white man's ideas of God, of right, of morality,
and uncontaminated by his vices or diseases, till the
"Great Nioht"entls forever, and the "Great Ice"
dissolves in the convulsions of the last day.
I
1'^
GENERAL NOTE TO FIGURE ILLUSTRATIONS
IN APPENDIX II.
It is to be observed, in connection with the numerous
partially nude fi^nires in this appendix, that it is not the usual
custom of the Eskimos to omit porti(Mis of their clothinir.
It was done at my request in order to show physique and
muscular development. In calm sunny days in June, July,
and August there is no physical discomfort in such jxirtial
nudity, even in that latitude.
NOTE TO FULL-PAGE PICTURE, "COSTUME OF AN
ESKIMO WOMAN," APPENDIX 11.
Figure i shows a young woman of the Whale-Sound Es-
kimos in full summer costume composed of nine separate
pieces, viz. :
Hooded sealskin coat ... I.
Hooded birdskin shirt ... I.
Foxskin trousers i.
Sealskin boots 2.
Deerskin stockings .... 2.
Sealskin mittens 2.
Figure No. 2 shows side view of the same costume.
Figure No. 3 shows the sealskin coat, removed.
Figure No. 4 shows the sealskin coat and boots, removed.
Figure No. 5 shows entire costume, except foxskin trousers,
removed.
NOTE TO PICTURE, " GRAVE OF AN ESKIMO
HUN TER," FULL-PAGE, APPENDIX II.
Grave of Maksah in the Talus of the Cape-York Cliffs.
The body lies under the pile of stones in the right foreground.
Beyond it is the hunter's sledge with his weapons lashed
upon it ; and still farther in the background are two dogs,
harnessed and attached to the sledge, then strangled to ac-
company their master. To the left, under a boulder, is his
treasure chest, containing the hunter's tools and valuables.
In the distance are the waters of Cape-York Bay, and the
Cape-York Glacier. Maksah received his death wounds in
a hand-to-hand struggle with a Polar bear. This picture is
typical.
510
CKNSUS OF THK SMirH-SOUNI) ESKIMOS,
Ai;(iLSr 31, r.S95.'
ij:k.
(Nanu-s of males in black-faced type ; >>{ females in roman.)
* * Indicates deceased in ei)ideniic of i'>o5-(;(i.
f indicates west-coast natives who have cro-.-.ed Smitii Sound to the
Greenland side.
NAM1-:
Ah'-bee-lah
Ah'-bee-lah
Ah'-ga-tah
* * Ah-gee'-tclier
* * Ah-go'-tah
Ah-go-tok'-suah
Ah-kah-tiny'-wah
Ah-kah-tin^'-wah
f Ali-ki-t,M-ah -soo
Ah-lcr'-kah
Ah-lce'-kah
* *
NAMR
Ah-let'-tah
Ah'-inah
Ali-mc'-mia
Ah-ming'-wah
Ah-niing-'wah
Ali'-iic-nah
Ahng-een'-yah
Aliiig-liiiij,'-\vah
Ahng-mo-dok'-too
A hug'- 11 ah
Ahnir-nah'-ilia
' This census I l)clieve to he absolutely correct, it, as well as a complete
genealogy of the tril)e, is entirely the result of l.ee's patient, ]iersuvering work,
and as with evcrytJiin;^' else that was as^iirned to him, he went al it with the in-
tention of having it right. At fust his persistent in(|uirics after their chihlren,
relatives, and ancestt)rs were regarded with a certain degiee of susjjicion bv the
natives, but tinally they came to look upon it as a harmless indication of ndld
insanit}', and since I.ee was n't a half-i)ad fellow, he might as well l)e iiumoured
in it. He never let an o|iportunity slij). While wailing in an igloo for our
tea to l)rew, after a long sledge journey, Lee would cross-examine every native
present as to his or iier children, sisters, cousins, aunts, etc., and frequcntlv
during our arduous winter trips, if our sledges ranged r.longside on a bit of
smooth going. ( would hear him deejily engaged with his driver endeavouring to
straighten out some knotty prolilems of rel.Uiondup, or jierhaps trying to secure
the names of the driver's great-grandmother's children. lie frequently found
it somewhat difficult to trace ancestry or descent on the paternal side, and
many of his questions elicited answers which here wouhl be considered emliar-
rassing to say the least, but there were accomi)aiued by audilile smiles in which
the entire company would join.
sll
* ** 1
t
'
5'^ Northward over the " Circat Ice"
Ahng-nah'-vali
* * Ahn^-ii()-(lin_!i'-\vali
Ahng-o-di-gip' soo
Ahng-o-do-blah' ho
Ahng-o-do-blah'-ho
* * Ahn-i-glii'-io
Ah-ning-ah'-nah
Ah-rin'-a-loo
t Ah-say'-oo
Ah'-tcc-tah
Ah-lunjj;'-i-nah
Ah-tunu'-i-nah
Ah-tunn'-i-nah
Ali-w (,H''-ah
Ah-Wfr'-ah
Ali-wcf-ali-^nod'-loo
Ali-\vt'f-aun|4-()'-nali
Ah-wee'-i-ah
Ah-wee-i-king'-wah
* * Ali-wok-toon'-i-ali
Ah'-wo-tah
Ah'-wo-tah
Ah'-wo-tah
Ah-wo-ting'-wah
Ah-wo-tok'-suah
Air-(/-nah
A-kom-o-ding'-wah
Ak'-pud-ik-su-ah'-ho
Ak'-pud-ik-su-ah'-ho
Al-li-ka-se'-ah
Al-li-ka-sing'-wah
Al-li-ka-sing'-\vah
An-nah'-noo
* * An-now'-gwe
An-no\v'-g\ve
An-now'-kah
As-o-pung'-wah
As'-f
shoo
At-took'-soo
At-Look-sung'-wah
E-ging'-wah
E-ging'-wah
* * l'Miing'-\vah
E ling'-wah
E-meen'-ah
* * E-meen -ah
E-mu-ah'-ho
E-mu-ah'-ho
E-mu ah'-ho
K'-s1k-
E-took'-i-shoo
E-took'-i-shoo
f K-tdo-slujk'-su-ah
l'/-Vt'-l()()
I'-gi-ah
Ihl'-lie
Ihl'-l:e
Ik-kla\ -(/-slioo
Ik-klay-o'-shoo
Ik-kIav-(/-slioo
Ik'-wah
Ilk-lain'-nah
llk-hiin'-nali
* * Ilk'-loo
Il-li-a-ting'-wah
Il-li-a'-t(K)
Il-li-a'-too
* * In-acl-le'-ah
In-ad-le'-ah
Ing-op'-o-doo
In-noo-ah'-ho
* * In-noo-ah'-lio
In-noo-gwe'-tah
In-noo-gwe'-tah
* * In-noo'-i-tah
In-noo'-i-tah
Innof)-ka-sc'-ah
In'-noo-loo
In'-noo-loo
In-noo-lung'-wah
In-n<)f)'-tah
In-noo'-tali
I-o-whit'-te
Is-slic'-a-too
* *
Census
513
NAMR
N A M B
Is-shc'-a-too
Kudlook'-too
Kah-ra'-^hoo
Mah-ho'-tcher
Kali-shad'-dow
* * Mah-so' nah
Kai-ko-tcher'
Mah-so'-nah
* * Kai-o-gwe' too
Mah-so'-nah
Kai'-oh
Mak-sing'-wah
Kai-o-look'-too
Mf'-gi-ah
Kai-oo'-nah
** Mc-ii/-s(.<.
Kai-op'-o-doo
( Li miaiiu'd infant)
Kai o'-shoo
Mt.'-L;i|i -soo
Kai o'-tah
** Mck'-k.M,
Kai-o' tah
Mck -ki)()
Kai-o'-tcher
Me'-nie
* '" Kai-ung'-wah
t Merk-to-shar'
Kai'-we-kah
Me'-uk
Kai-we-ok'-su-ah
Me'-uk
Kai-we-ok'-su-ah
Mok'-sah
Kai-wing'-wah
Mok'-sah
Kar'-dah
Mok' sah
Kee'-ri-kah
M(jk-sann'-\vah
Kes shoo'
* * M(.k-sanu'.u;ih
Kes-shoo'
Mok-sani^'-uah
Kes-shoo'
** M. )n'- nit-
Kes-shoo'
Mo ii'-nie
K lav'- 00
Mon'-nic
Klay'-oo
Mon'-u-nH'-mia
Klay-ung'-wah
Muk'-tah
Klip-e-sok'-su-ah
My-ah
Klip-e-sok'-su-ah
* * Klip-e-sok'-su-ah
* * \ah-\vali'-nah
* * Klip-e-soon'-ah
Ne-ling' wah
Ko'ko
Nfl-le'-kah
t Ko-mon-ah'-pik
Ncl-li-ka-tc'-ah
Koo-che-gwe -tah
Nct'-too
Kood-loo-tin'-ah
Ne\v-i-kee'-nah
Kood-loo-tin'-ah
New-i-kinsi'-wah
Kood-loo tin'-ah
New-i-kinu, -wah
Koo'-lee
* * Ne\v-i-k;'-ah
Koo-loo-ting'-wah
Ne\v-i-ok'-su-ah
Kow-oo'-nah
Nip-sang'-wah
Kud'-lah
Nook'-tah
Kud'-lah
Now-ding'-wah
VOL. I.— 33.
514 Nortlnvarcl over the "Circat Ice
Now-e-het' choo
Nt)\V-L'-()^'-lc
No\v-e-()^'-le
Nup' sah
Oh'tah
Ok'klo
Ok'klo
()k-ki)-lin,n'-\vah
Ok-pud-ding'-wah
Ok pud-ding'-wah
t < )k-iiU(i-i-ah'-|)c
* * Om-ino'-ncl-li
Ong'-na-gloo
Ong'-na-gloo
Oo bloo' iah
Oo-bloo-iah
Oo'-gwe
f)o'-msih
Oong'-wah
Oo' qui ah
( )o-slic-a'-t()o
Oo-toon'-i-ah
Oo-toon i-ok'-su-ah
Pn(l-luiii;'-Wcih
Pan'-ik-pah
Pew-ah'-tew
Poad-loo'-nah
Poad-loo'-nah
Poad-loo'-nah
Poob'lah
Poob'-lah
Poo'-too
* *
« *
* *
Si^'-w.ih
Sed'lah
Shak-up-soon -ah
Sli()ii-i-king'-\vali
Sig'-loo
Siiu'-i-al\
Sin-ah'-ew
Si-()()-(lt'-ka'-too
Sip'-soo
Sow'-nah
Sow'-iiah
Suk'-kun
Suin-ii)iiig'-\vah
Tah'-tah-rah
Tah-u-i'-nah
Tah-ving'-wah
Tah'-win nah
Ted-i-ling'-wah
Tel-e-ka te'-ah
Teri-cheer'
Teri-ching'-wah
Teri-ching'-wah
Teri-ching'-wah
To()k'-i-niali
Took'-i-inali
Took-i-ininn'-wah
Tung'-we
Tuim-uinu'-wali
(Uniiamt'd infant)
Wt'c'-aune
\\ cc -aunjf
Wee-ok'-kah
R^SUMlf.
Males, 140- females, 113; total, 253. Between August 31,
1895, and August 31, 1897, tlicre were 29 deaths ami 10 births,
leaving the present population 234.
INDKX UK \OL. I.
Aborigines, home of a little iriln; of
Antic. 443
Academy, Bay, 2f)2, 2^4, .\i)}, 4(1 ; ;
(ilacier, 34(^
Acailciny of Natural Sciences of I'liil
ailelpliia, xxi, xxii, 44, J41, 24'), 422 ;
lla^i of, 35(1
AtklaiKl, Cape, 143, 468
.\ilaiiis, ('. ( ,, .\xi, xxiii, xxxii
Adams, Mdunt, 405
.\irsiiaft^, 84
AlexaiuKi, (ape, 152,471)
Ainericau ( ii()^;rapliical .Society, xxi,
wii, x\\ . x\\ i, xx\ iii
American Museiiiii (if Nattiinl His-
tory, xxvii
.Ammunition, 50
Andersen, Inspector, 4,
3/
iiirtlulav.
; Mrs.,
S'^ ; wcddinp.
Aiini Ncrsary
8>
Aiitiiropological measurements, 174
Arctic Iiii.;hlanders, (jS, 41^3
Arveprins Island, 7
Aslilmrst, liazer, 48, 8r
Astriip, Kivind, 4^), 5s, 88, 94, g
I'U.
107
i"), in,
113.
120,
12'-
13'^
13.), 140, 145,
14').
102,
177.
181.
ii)i, 192, 195,
'99.
203,
2<I5,
2I(.,
221, 225, 23'>,
23'">.
2^)3 ,
282,
2S4,
288, 2(;0, 29'!,
301,
304.
3" >,
3' ">.
32", 33". .iiS,
3-42.
34'*,
35+.
.3'>4.
380, 3SI, 38?
; rec
.gni-
tion i>f the services n.', 424
Al.inekerdluk, 24, 27 ; fossil-beds of,
418
Athletic games, 1 89
Athol, Cape, 454
Auk, little, yo, 107 ; breediny-place
of, 452
Aurora, 38. 14?, 149. 163. 175
n
Haflin, (iisiovcry of (ireeiiland by
Mylnt and, 44S, 451)
itarden IJay, 4()<i; inh.ibilants of, 257
iJarin^;, ( Ci il, xx\ ii
Hay, Academy, 202, i'q, 403, 4''?;
Harden, 257, 4'i<i; llnwdoin, 249,
394, 4'(> ; Disco. 5, 7, 8, 24. 57 ;
Clranvdlc, 455 ; Independence,
349; McCorniick. r)(), 75,87, 144;
surface of, 213, 215, 249, 4'");
Melville, 4S, bo, (,i, 73 ; Olrikr,,
259. 20j, 40 r ; Kubertson, 412,
470
Hear, polar, 20, 32. bb. b7, 195
iielle I>le. Straits of, 53. 55
Hell Rock, 450
Herj.js, 5, 22, 23, ;i , (>}, C7, 8 ;,, 85.
87. 88, 155 ; fleet of, 3(i I ; frag-
ments nf, 390 ; scattered, 347
I't-yer, ( lnvernor, do
liiack L;uillemot, 107
H.)at (amp, 147
lioal vnya^'e. 97
liowdoin iiay, 340, 394 V>'' '. Cilacier,
2'»4. 475
llridL;nian, II. 1... xxxii
llrintnn. I )r., xxiv
iirooklyn Institute, wi
Hriinnicli's ^'uilleniot, 91
Hryant, lienryti., \x\i, x\sii,4ii
Iiuml)lc-liee, 347, 352
Hurke. I )r. Wni., 4-1
liuttertlies, 352
C
Cache, 74. 115 ; blubber, 117 ; ("amp,
2S7
Cairn, 122; on \avy ClilT, 34^;
record in. 341 »
Camp, Hoat, 147 ; Cache, 2-7 ; Sep.^-
ration, 296
515
5i6 Northward over the " (jreat Ice"
CaniiDii, ! I. W., xxxii
Caiintm, j. CI. , xxxii
Camping on the ice-cap, 282
Cape, Ackland, 143, 4f)S ; Alexander,
152,471 ; Athol,454; Clialon, 470 ;
ClevelaiK.l. 82, 103, 114, 141, I55,
221, 249, 4^8; ascent of, 225 ;
Farewell, 56; Glacier, 345; Parry,
68, 457 ; Robertson. 154, 470 ; Sa-
bine, 48, 82 ; Tyrconnel, (>8 ; York,
68, 1S7, 193, 235, 44'' ; lueation of,
452
Castle Cliffs, 3g6, 466
Catamaran, 15, 17, i3
("lialon, Cape, 470
Chaiiiberlin, Prof. T. C, 475; geo-
r)yical description by, 441J
Cliamberlin CJlacier, 455, 475
Channel, Kolieson, 345
C'liapnian, I )r. , xxv
Childs Glacier, 475
Christinas dinner, 183
Cleveland, Cape, 82, 103, 114, 141,
155, 221, 24(), 4(18 ; ascent nf, 225
Clifts,S4; Castle, 390, 466; Crimson,
454 ; Red, 75 ; Sculptured, of Kar-
nah, 392
Climate of North Greenland, 4<)0
Clothing, dogskin, 211; drying of,
2(18;' fur, 159; of sunrise party,
199 ; reindeer, 211
Conical Rock, 68
Construction of house, 78
Cook, Dr. V. A., 45, 65, 92, 97 ; in-
structions to, 100, 104, 107, IU9,
III. 1?), 133, 141-143, 145. 149.
168, 174, 175, 181, i()i, 192, 199,
203, 209, 2itJ, 221, 284, 287, 288,
296, 385 ; recognition of the serv-
ices of, 423
Coiridor, 80
Crevasse. 10, li, 16-18, 20, 306, 310;
avoided, 360
Crimson CliiTs, 45 1
Cubs, ])olar-bear, 67
Cumberland Sound, 36
D
" Daisy," 153, 169
Daly, judge Chas. 1'. , xxi, xxiii, xxv'i,
xxxi. xxxii
Daly, Mount, 465, 476
Dahlgrcn, Miss I'lrica, xxiii
Danish Greenland, 56
spring hunting
texture of, 230
Eskimo, 184
Davis Strait, 3
Day, length of Arctic, 446
Deer, rein-, i, 2, 88, 227 ; four killed.
400; home of the, 462; hunting
the, 231 ; obtained, 394 ; pasturage
for, 392, 396, 455 ;
of, 229
Deerskins, 1 1 1, 159
Devil's Thund), 61
Dexterity Harbour, 28
Diebitsch, Kniil, xx\ ii
Diebitsch Glacier, 475
Dinner, Christmas, 83
Disco, 16
Disco 15ay, 5, 7, 8, 24, 57
Disco Island, 2(), 6u
Dixon, Dr., xxv
Dogs, Eskimo. 153; catching, 290;
conquered, 3^9; disease of, 164;
driven over ice-blink, 301 ; eat dog,
303; exhausted, 33(1 ; fed on musk-
oxen, 340; in a crevasse, 312,
killed, 362; king of team, 311;
loose, 290; remaining, 37'); rest-
less, 2S7 ; skins of, 164 ; well-fed,
352
Dogskin clothing, 211
Drifts, snow, 295
Duck Islands, 60
Ducks, eider, 5, 56, 61, 67, 107
E
34,
7^c7^r/,-, S.S., the, 3, 5, 27-31,
36
Egedesminde, 58
Eider-ducks, 5, 56, 61, 67, 107
Equipment, 49 ; for Inland-Ice jour-
ney, 277 ; household, 84 ; over-
hauling, 357
Eskimos, 22, 73, 91, 92, 109, iii,
116, 118, 138, I5"-I52, Ib4, 170.
405 ; amusements of the, 504 ; an-
cient igloos of the, 490 ; animals
hunted by the, 502 ; appearance of
the, 484, 4S7 ; arrival of the, 187, 238;
astronomy of the, 494 '< burial cus-
toms of the, 506 ; civilising the, 508 ;
clothing of the, 499, S"' ; condition
of the, 483 ; crew of, 3S7 ; customs
of the, 507 ; diseases of the, 506 ;
disposition of the, 492 ; emigrations
of the, 4S8 ; ethnological photographs
of, 174, 175; family of the, i2o;
food of the, 480 ; government of
Index
; North
of. 422 ;
the, 492 ; {graves of the, 116, iiS ;
habitations of the, 93, 114, 115.
501 ; increase of the, 490 ; intelli-
gence of the, 483 ; marriage cus-
toms of the, 497 ; morals of the,
406; number of, 4v>, 499; prop-
erty of the, 493 ; rclif^ion of the,
498; settlements of, no, iiS, 405;
of liarden Hay, 257; of Ittiljloo,
259; of Keate, 256; of Netiulumi,
257 ; of Smith Sound, 471) ; study
of the, 4S9 ; surroundings of the,
484 ; visitors, I94, 235
Ethnological photographs, 174, 175
Exercise, 170, 177
Expedition, fireely's, 48
Greenland, 44, 47 ; end
objects of, 43S ; results of, 43S ;
West Greenhind, 45, 47, 4S, 82
Ex])l()ration, base of Northern, 444;
North Greenland, 73
Faith, the, 105
Falcon, (ireenland, go, 352
Fan Glacier, 38S
Farewell, Cape, 56
Fai(|uliar, U. S. N., Com. N. II.,
xxii, .wiii
Farquhar Glacier, 474
Fencker, Inspector, 420
Firearms, 50
Five-Glacier \'al!ey, 149
Fjord, Kangendluarsarsoak, 20 ; Ome-
nak, 24, ()0 : I'akitsok, 7, 20 ; Peter-
niann, 30=; ; .Slierard-Osborne, 314,
1 350.
Tossu-
396
371 ; St. George's,
katek, 22, 24
Flowers, 5, 20, 69, 32:
Fohn, Arctic, 214
Food supply, 49
FoDt-race, isO
Fossil-beds of Atanekerdluk, 418
Fossils, 26
Fox, 69, 109, 123, 140 ; blue, ho
traps, 69, 107, ir^, 115, iM), 199
Frederick, 6
Frederick.shaah Cdacier, 56
Fur clothing, 159
Games, athletic, 189
Gibson, Langdon, 45, 65, 93, 97 ;
instructions to, 98, 117, 120, 139.
145, 14S, 149, i?3, iCiS, i9(), 227,
231, 236, 247, 24S, 2?7, 203, 284,
28s, 2()0, 294, 29(1, 3S5, 411 ; rec-
ognition of services of, 424 ; report
of, 1 03- 1 14
Glacier, 76, iio, 122; Academy, 34<j ;
IJowdoin, 394, 475 ; C'liand)erlin,
455, 475 ; ('hilds, 47P ; Diel)it>cli,
475; examination of, 270; han,
388 ; l'"ar(|uhar, 474 ; Frcdericks-
haab, 5(1 ; Great Kariak, 24 ; Hang-
ing, 12S, 137, 147; Hart, 31J9 ;
Ileilprin, 266, 3i|">, 474 ; Hubbard,
397, 466; Humboldt, 130. 2(j2,
295, 37""; Hurlliut, 270; Ittiblon,
2()o, 47?; Jacobsliavn, 10; Jesup,
475 ; Leidy, 404, 475 ; I izard, 309 ;
Melville, 39S, 474 ; .Misumisu, 475 ;
Moore, 455, 475; of the Scarlet
Heait, 14S ; Pctowik, 63, 454, 474 ;
Sali>bury, 455, 47? ; Savage, 475 ;
Sun, 13b, 147, 475 ; 'I'dssukatek,
21, 23 ; I'racy, 39S, 474 ; Xerhoeff,
415. 475
Glacier I'apL, 345
(iodhaab, 50 ; visit to, 410
CiiulhaMi, ?, 27, 5(1, 57 ; brief sinp .-it,
419
Granville Ray, 455
Graves, I'lskimo, lib, iiS
Great Kariak Glacier, 24
(ireely's hlxpedition, 48
Greenland, along the west coast of.
443; climate of North, 491'; li.in-
i--!!, 50 ; northern coast cif, 34 ; ,
• discovery ol, by liylot and Haflin,
44S
Greenland falcon, 90, 3 = 2
Guillemots, 105, 122; black, 107,
lirunnich's, (ji
Gulf, Ingletield, 68, 141, 25,4. 4'''5 ;
circuit of, 398 ; jianorapia of, 2O3
Gulls, 5
(^3, 10-
97, 105
H
Habitation, Eskimo,
11^; snow, 2^3
Ilakiuxt Island, 82,
251/472
Hall, ('apt., Fxiiedition, 471
Hanging (ilacier, 128, 137, 147
Harbour, Dexterity, 28
Hare, Arctic, 69, 149; traps, 115
1 lart, Gavin W., xxiv
114,
121,
5^^ Northward over the "Great Ice"
Hart (ilacier, 390
Hayes, Dr. I. I., 479; Expettition, 471
Heilprin, I'rof. An^clo. xxii, xxiii,
xxiv, xxvi, xxvii, xxxii, 4S, 57, 58,
60, 3S1, 408; Expedition of, 418;
Cjlacier, 2()(), ^cjS, 474
HeiKliiL-k, 1 lans, 57
Hensoii, MattliL'w A., 4(), >8, (jn, 93,
127, i4r, 143, 230, 2S5, 287, 387;
recognition of the services of, 424
Herbert Island, OS, 97, 104, 112, 141,
154. 236, 24(^ 272, 470; sledge
trip to, 238
Holiday, 63, 1G2, iSr ; celebration of
a, 227 ; i)repaiations for a, 187
Holt. I'rof, I. E., 48
Hooper, I'rof. !•'. \V., xxiii
House, cleaning of, ibi;; construction
ofi 7"^; good-bye to, 418 ; location
"f. 77 ; I'olaris, i 52
House, Red C'iiff, 88, loq, 134, 14'^,
U)(), 214 ; l)iiried, i()2 ; rejjaiiiiig,
210 ; return to, 273, 385
Hubhard (Ihuier, 3()7, 4()6
iIuglle^, I )r. W in. ]•',., 4S
Huinl)ol(lt Ciiacier. 13(1, 292, 295, 37S
Hunting, 03
Huril)ut Cllacier, 270
I
Ice-blink, ?. 7-10, 12, 14, 15, 2i, 2;,
17I) ; driving dogs ■■'ver, 301
Ice-cap. 5, 7, S, 24, 27, 57, 62, 87,
130, ic)^, 204, 20(1 ; ascending the,
292; jlindiiiig to, 210, 2(31 ; experi-
ence ov. 215; thing snow ot, 54;
i^ohucc;, 34'i ; luncli upon, 233 ;
party, return of, 138; rain upon,
20!); reconnaissance, 2,1 ; return
fioni, 212; return to, 352; wel-
con e of, 286 ; wind-stonn on, 289,
294, 310
Igloo, i'3, iid; ancient, 41)0; con-
structicjti of, 115; night in, 254;
ruined ^tone, 23(1; snow, 201, 2O2
Ikaresak Sound, 7, 20
Illartlek, 7
Ini|)ediinenla of sunrise party, 200
Inile|)endence Hay, 341)
Ingletieid Ciulf, dS, 141, 2?4, 46^ ;
circuit of, 398 ; observation^ at head
of, 26() ; panorama, 2()3 ; sledge
trip around, 247
Inland Ice, 7, 10, 50, 60, 9;, 131),
147, 238 ; dinner, 360 ; e{|uipiTient
for, 277 ; halcyon days u|)on, 370 ;
party, 132, 133 ; prisoners ui)on,
3(')3 ; supplies, Iransporiation of,
231) ; trying ex|)eriences uj)on, 375
Iron rocks, 23S
Islands, 472 ; Arveprins, 7 ; Disco,
26, f)() ; Duck, (10; llakluyt, 82,
97, 105, 121, 251 ; Herbert, 68, (,7,
'04, 112, r4i, 154, 23b, 24(), 272,
472 ; Northuml)erlan(l, 69, 82. 97,
108, 115, 154, 249, 251, 472 ; I'lar-
niigan, 264, 404 ; Saunders, 235,
472 ; Wolstenholin, 68, 472
Ittibloo (JIacier, 260
Ittibluo, observations at, 261;
Ivigtut, 55
J
Jackinan, ('apt. Arthur, 3, 28, 31, 34
Jackson, {-"red \\'., xwiii
jacobshavn (ilacier, id
JcMip, .Morns K,, xwii, xxviii, xxxi,
xxxii. xxxiii
JeMip (dacier, 475
K
Kaniiks. 1 1 r, 117
Kane, I )r. E. K., 479
Kangarsuk, 56
!\angendliiais.Tr'<oak T"j<>rd, 20
Karnnli, Sculpiured ( lifls uf, 46S
Ka\ak, 7
Keely, Dr. Robert, 4 '
Kekertak, 21, 2.', 2;, 27
Kenealy, Alex. (J., 4^, 58
A7/,-, >.S., the, 43, 48, 53-55, 57,
58, 60, 61, 63, 65, 67, 68, 8i-
S3, S5, 38 1 ; at anchor, 408,
homeward voyage I'f. 4^8 ; steam-
ing homeward, 41;); steaming to
Robertson Bay, 41 J
1,
La C'liippc, 226
Land, disappe.irance of. 292 ; I'rud-
hoc, 74
Leidy, I'rof., xxi, xxiii, xxiv
Leidy Cdacier, 404. 475
i-ittle auks, 90, 107 ; breeding-place
of, 452
Little Matterhorn, 265, 472
Li/ard Cllacier, 399
Loomery, 97, 106-108, 114
Jiulcx
519
1i
M
MaiRuard, Chrislian, 7, S, n, if), 18,
20, 21
Mail, departure of, 240
Markham, Sir Clements, 4S4 ; theory
of, 485
Mary Minturn River, 293
J/<iry JViiry, the uhale-buat, 150
3S7
McC'ook, Dr. , xxiv
McCormick Hay, 69, 75, 87, 144, 213
215. 249, 4f>9
Mcasureinenti,, anthropological 174
Melville, U. S. \., Chic: Kngiieer
(leorge W., xxiii, xxxii
Melville Hay, 48, 60, 61, 73 ; Glacier,
3uS, 474
Mengel, Levy \V., 48
Meteor, 163
Meteorological Notes of Verhoefl,
429 ; resume of, 437
Meteorological outfit, 51
Middle ice, 27
Misumisu (Jlacier, 475
Moon, 155, 163, J 76
Moore, Chas. A., xxxi, xxxii
Moore Glacier, 455, 475
Morass, Arctic, 251
Mount, Adams, 465 ; Dalv, 465, 476 :
Putnam, 465, Wistar, 476
Mountains, S'.iithsot:, 2f>()
Murchison Sound, ( j, 141, 251
Musi<-calf, 339
Musk-oxen, 337, 352 ; feastii-r on,
342 ; meat of, 352 ; shot, 33S ;
traces of, 322
N
Nansen, F., xxi, xxviii, xxxiv, xxxv
Narwhal, 119 ; hunting the, 402
National Geographic Society, xxi,
xxiii, xxvii, 350
Natives, 30
Navy Cliff, cairn on, 349
Netiulumi. 460
New-Year reception, iRS
Night, length of Arctic, 446
Nolan, Dr., xxv i
Northern exploration, base of, 444 I
Northern land, temperature of, 330 |
North-Greenland Expedition, 1S91-
92, 44, 47, 422 ; objects of, 438 ;
results of, 43S
North-Greenland exploration, 73
Northumberlaiui Island, 69, 82,
108, 115, 154, 24.,. -j^i, 472
Noiirsoak, lb ; i.enmsula of, f),
24, (;o
97.
( )
Object' f 1891-92 Ex|)cdition, 438
Observations, 9r ; at head of Ingle-
tield Gulf, 2()f) ; at lltibloo. jbo ;
on northern coast of Greenland'
34S ; on the ice-caj), 3()()
(Udometers, 170
Olriks Hay, 259, 262, 461
Gmenak Fjord, 24, do
Outfit, Arctic, 74 ; meteorological, 51 ;
photographic, 51 ; surveying, 50
H
I'akitsok Fjord, 7, 20
Parhelion, 229
I'anish, Henry, xxvii
Hariy, Cape, ()3, 457
I'eary, Mrs. Robert F., xxv, xxvi,
xxvii, xxxiv, 47, 57, 58, 6u, 65, -7;
82, 133, 141. 155. 225, 247, 253,
266, 3,S5. 387, 396, 402
Petermann Fjord, 305 ; Mountain, G
Petowik (Jlacier, 6S, 454, 474
Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences, xxi, xxii, 44, 241, ^49,
422 ; Hag of, 350
Photogr.iphic outfit, 51
Photographs, ethnological, 174, 175
Piblockto, 164, 195, 278
I'ike, Cajit. Richard, 44, 48
Polar bears, 29, 32, ()6, 67, 195
Polaris House, 152
Pond, Maj. J. B., xxiv
Piott-us. 4S
Prudhoe Land, 74
Ptarmigan, 26(, ; I-land, 264, 404
Putnam, Prof. !• . W., xxi, xxii, xxiii,
xxiv
Putnam, Mount, 465
R
Rations, 6, ()7 ; Fourth-of-fuly, 351 ;
of ice-cap i)arty, 129; on the'ice-
cap, 2 84
Raven, 90, 107
Ravensiraig Harbour, 28
Red clitfs, :s
520 Northward over the " Great Ice "
Red Cliff House. 88, 109, 134, 14S,
196, 214; Imried, 162; repairing,
2if) ; return to, 273, 385
Reindeer, 49, 69, 128, 138, 144, 145,
149. 229, 231. 392, 304, 396, 400;
clothiiifr, 211; liome of the, 462,
pastura^'e for, 465 ; skins, in, 159,
i()o, 230 ; sieeping-haj^'s, 22S
Results of i89i-()2 Kxjiedition, 438
Ritenl)eiik, 5, 7, 21, 27
Roherlsoii Bay, 470 ; no trace of Ver-
lioeff in, 428
Robertson C'a])e, 154, 470
Ro'oeson Channel, 345
Ross, Ca])t. Jolm, discovery of natives
hy, 448
Rusciieid)erger, Dr., xxiv
Ryder, l.ieut., 215
S
Sabine, Cape, 48, 82
Salisbury Glacier, 4SS, 4.75
Saunders Island, 235
Savage (Hacier, 475
Scarlet Heart (ilacier, 148
Scoresliy Sound, 215
Sculptured Cliffs, 392
Seals, 67, 69, 144, 227, 238, 252, 272 ;
fn)zeii, 254 ; young, 262
Seamstress, 172
Sccky. Capt. II. B., U. S. \., x.xii
Settlements, at Barden Bay, 267 ;
Kskimo, no, nS ; Eskimo snow,
253 ; inhabitants of, 256 ; Ittibloo.
259 ; Keati, 256 ; Netiulumi, 257 ;
]icrnianent, 256
Sharp, Dr. Iienjaniin, xviv, 48, 65
Sherard-O iborne I'jord, 314, 371
Ski, II, 50
Sledge, 150, 155 ; coasting on a, 217 ;
completion of, 231 ; construction of,
171 ; construction of an impromptu,
303 : covering runners of, 22S ;
digging out, 364 ; discarded, 374 ;
Kskimo, 112 ; reloshed, 357 ;
smashed, 302 ; three-runner, 302 ;
tracks, 252
Sledge trips, around Inglefield Culf,
247 ; first, 146 ; on the return, 6() ;
preparations for, 243 ; to Herbert
Island, 238
Sleeping-hags, 169, 171 ; discarded,
283 ; of reindeer fur, 228
Snuthson Mountains, 266
Smith Sound, S2
Snow-bound, 203
Snow-buntings, 5, 321, 352
Snow, buried in, 2(14, 364 ; disippear-
ance of, 212 ; drifting of, 202 ; tirst,
86
- Snow-shoes, Indian, 50
Snow-s(|ualls, 225
Snow-storm, 1(12, 313
Snow village, inhabitants of, 254
Snow wail, >5
Souiul. Cundicrland, 36; Ikaresak, 7,
20; Murchison, (kj. iii, 251 ;
Scoresby, 2^5; Smith, 82, Whale,
(ji, 68, 254, 458 ; upper portion of
I Whale, 264 ; Wolstenholm, 456
I St. Ccorge's Fjord, 308
St. JoJm's, 38 ; ill ruins, 421
I Straits of Belle Isle, 53, 55
I Summer, Arctic, 75 ; day, 94
Sun, '/'//,■, \. W, xxii. x.w, xxxii
Sun Clacier, 130, 147, 473
Sun, heat of the, 361 ; midnight, 5 ;
return of the. 2i)()
Sunlight, absence i.f, 160
Sunrise party, 191)
Sujiplies, trans])<irting, 287
Su])i)oitnig i)arty, selecting the. 296
Surveying outfit, 50
Sydney, C. 15., 3, 52
Tanning deerskins, 160,
Temperatuie, 14, 17, 64,94,
141), 145, 162, 176, 177,
189, 192, 193, 195, 2()r,
210, 214-216, 224, 227,
231, 233-235, 238, 2S7,
371 ; of northern land.
Thorn, Miss Bh'x'be A., xxv
Tide gauge. 168, 1S2
Tide, rise and fall of,
267
Tossukatek (Jlacier, 21, 22-
Tracy, Hon. B. F., xxii, xx
Tracy Glacier, 398, 472
Traps, fox, 69, 107, 114,
191) ; hare, 115
Tyrconncl, Cape, 68
. 123,
129,
186,
IS7,
202,
20(),
228,
230,
306,
313.
330
11
i(:9 ; risii
24
lii, X
"5,
ig of,
XV
186.
u
Upernavik, 48, 60
n
iv
Index
521
V
Vegetation, 1 1 1
Verhoeff, John M., xxii, xxiv, 46, q2,
97. 104, 107, 109, r2i, 129, 145,
lOS, i(j9, 214, 225, 38^, 411 ; foot-
prints of, 138; glacier, 415, 475 ;
instructions to, ro2 ; left, 394 ; lost,
414 ; Meteorological Notes of, 429 ;
provisions left for, 417 ; recognition
of the services of, 424 ; search for,
412 ; traces of, 414
\'ictoria Inlet, 319
\"isitors, 1S7
— - /
Volcanic dust, 193
W
Waigat, the.
60
Wall, snow,
'''5
Walrus, 6(),
92, 104, 112, 114,
142, iijo ;
meat of, 248, 256
141,
Water, ojien, 252
West-Cireenland Kxpedition, 4;, 47,
48. 82
Whale-boats, 50, Si, S3, 97, 133, 144
Whalers, 2S, 29
Whale Sound, (n, 68, 254, 458 ; upper
portion of, 2(14
White march, starting on the, 285
Whitney, Hon. Win. i'., xxviii
Wilson, lion, l^'raiitis, xxxii
Wind, fierce, 226
Wind-storm on ice-cap, 2Sg, 20-! 310
W'istar, (lui'l I. |., xxv, xxxii
Wistar, Mount, 47(1
Wol;,tenholni Island, CjS ; .Sound, 456
York. (ape. 6S, |•^7, 193,235,448;
location of, 452