Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-09-15

NNN~S1 gEzSs ~ Two days after the
M ~ bI Kite left last year Red
| VIVA >siNSsp. TIV Gin house was sum
! iiois2ys NSeF tYfN ciently completed 10 ~.
| WNhiM p9yH ord o somewhat better
| MHlfSl7E Nf6g protection than the tent
aI0fssNE LslkY from the constant rains
! ,SLl1lffi - Ny 1AlA and heavy winds which
| NHgIHVNgfI nl5gpreyailed for ten days
| lNfVQfRAANyl MI followingher departure,
KNNtHlN //L>Jfl-Sy and was moved into IL
MaARNNJ ut eL Uand slowed on pile OF
NTSef = |P n boxes in one corner.
cAPP PEARY Two weeks later, the
house being complete externRllyl sent Gibson
IN the Faith with Dr. Cook, Astrup and Yer
hoeiI to Northumberland and Hakluyt Islands
to bring back a. native hunter and family and a
supply OF birds from the great lameros on these
islands The party returned In SIX days, aftor
successful trip, bringing large number OF
birds and my hunter, Ikwa, with his wife,
Mano, two children, dogs tupic, sledge and
kayak or boat Work then commenced on the
outer stone and turf wall which was 70 inclose
Red CHI house and protect II from tho cold and
storms Of the long arctic night
on the lst Of September the entire party went
70 the head Of Mccormick bay TO start the Hum
boldt glacier depot The party-Astrup Glib
son ana Verhool-left on September and ro-
turned four days later, baftled by bad weather
and deep snow. Astrup and Gibson started
again on September - aud returned seven days
later. having penetrated an estimaie ed distance
Of thirty miles toward Humboldt glacier Dur.
ing the absence OF these parties Imade several
boat trips to different places for deer and then
attempted to explore Ingleheld gulf, accom-
panied by Mrs Peary, Dr. Cook Matt Henson
and my native hunter.
was stopped by young fee and nearly lost
my boat in an attack from a herd OF angry
walrus. seven Of which we killed.
On October the young ice stopped all further
boat work, and two weeks later sled trips were
inaugurated BY this time | had discarded
crutches and could hobhle about with cane
The beginning OF The long night found us with
thirty-one reindeer several seals and walrus,
and several hundred birds IN our larder, and "a
warm snug house to shelter us More natives
came and settled near us and the winter passed
rapidly in The preparation OF our deer skins,
the making OF our fur clothing sledges skier
and other equipment and the visits OF the
natives from all parts Of tho coast The return
Of the sun in the middle OF February was marked
by furious storm, accompanied by torrents
Of rain and temperature OF more than 10
Fahrenheit. During forty-eght hours the en-
tire region was swept and washed almost bare
Of snow, and Red Clin was nearly flooded.
Tho fine weather in March and April, though
the temperature was between 40 o and 5lo be-
low zero, found ns all in good condition and
gave opportunities FOR ski and snowShoe prao-
tice and the completion OF my inland ico equip
mont
In the middle OF April, with Mrs. Peary and
my native driver on a sledge drawn by thir-
teen dogs, | started on tour OF the islands and
shores Of Whale sound ana Ingleheld gulf
Seven days later l was back at Red Cl1, hav-
Ing Travelled some e51 miles behind my wild
wolves visiting all the natives IN the gulf aud
discovering the Leidy, Hellpin, Tracy, Farlu'
har, Melville, Meehan, sun, Brinton Hart,
Hubbard, Sharp and Dahlgreen glaciers Mounts
Daily, Putnam and Adams and the sculpturcd
cliffs OF Kanak. Upon my return, DR., Cook,
Astrup, Gibson, twelve dogs and all the male
aud Esquimaux at Red Clid began transporting
the inland ice supplies and equipment 70 and
upon the ice at the head Of Mccormick bay.
/ joined them with Matt and twelye dogs on
May 8 and after interruptions and delays from
storms and tho steep grades OF tho outer por-
tion Of the inland Ice, everything was brought
10 the rolling surface Of the true fee cap al an
elevation Of some 1000 feet The real start
may be said 10 have commenced on May IS. At
this time there wore four OF us and sixteen
dogs Matt having been invalided home,
On May a, on the edge Of the great basin OF
The Humboldt glacier, about $50 miles from Nc
CormlclS pa Gibson and Or. Cook. forming the
supporting party, turned back with two dogs
Astrup and myself with the remaining dogs
went on. At midnight OF May 81 we looked
down into Petermann ford from the edge Of lis
great glacier feeder basin Eight days later
We saw the land at the head OF St Georges
ford and then for two weeks We're bafied and
harassed by storms, fog, creyasses and steep
Toe slopes while trying TO weather the feeder
basins Of the ST Georges and Sherman os
horne glacier system, the Hatteras OF the
northern inland ice sea
On June 20 we were under the s9d parallel
when the land which l had been keeping In
view 10 the northwest confronted me 70 the
north and northeast and then TO the east de
foeting me 10 the southeast After marching
four days 10 tho southeast the land stil eN-
tending southeast and east ! made direct for
It toward largo opening IN ths mountains
isible over the nearest submits and landed
july l.
on July :, after three days travel overland l
reached the head OF Great bay latitude 81 de.
grees z minutes longitude "a degrees, opening
east and northeast 1 named this Independence
bay in honor OF the day, and the great glacier
flowing north into it Academy glacier
l reached the inland ice again on July with
foot-gear cut 10 pieces and ourselves and dogs
exhausted or doad We were lame from the
hard climbing sharp stones and frequent falls
we had met This land. red and brown in
color, and almost entirely free from snow is
covered with glacieral debris and sharp stones
Of all sizes Flowers, insects and musk oxen
are abundant we anol nfc musk oxen anu
large number OF birds Traces OF foxes, hares,
ptarmigan and possibly wolves were seen
The surface Of tho bay was covered with win
tors stiIl unhrokep ice, prisoning the icebergs
from tho great glaciers.
On July We started on the return, taking a
course more inland IN seven days wo were
struggling through the soft snow and wrapped
in the snow clouds Of the great interior plateau,
more than 5000 feet above the sea level We
remained in tho clouds somc fourteen days,
when we descended from the cast OF the Hum
holdt glacier. Then with dogs and ourselves
trained down TO hard pan. we covered more
than thirty miles per day Tor seven days, til
our eyes we're gladdened by the deep green, ice
burg dotted waters OF Mccormick bay. On the
last DAY. as l came over the summit OF the
great ice DOME lying between the border Of the
true inland ice aud the head Of the bay, saw
moving figures a mile or two ahead on the next
ice dome From that party burst almost In
stantly cheer and II was not long before l
was olasping hands with Prof HeilpuiH and his
men, who were out on q reconnaissance prepar-
atory 10 going in toward Humboldt glacier 70
meet me. few hours later climbed over the
side Of the Kite, anchored AZ tha head Of Nc
Cormick bay, and tho ,3J) mile iourneI was Al
sn end Two days later the Kito steamed down
to Red Clin Eight days after this AL ths
work was completed aud nearly every thing was
on board the Kite