The Portland daily press., 1895-09-23

yards. Beyond this there was no cover,
and our eyes were so weak and unreliable
with snow glar that we could not see 10
shoot at this distance Lying behind
big boulder till we regained our breath,
we then advanced on run with Loaded
Winchesters. In few minutes one bull,
five cows, and four calves were ours. me
remainder of the herd disappeared in full
gallop over the summit of the mountain.
A two days unsuccessful pursuit. OF the
herd followed and then Henson went
back to the moraine after the tent sledges
and so on. During his absence of three
days | searched unsuccessfully for musk
oxen, living during that time entirely on
musk OK meat sans biscuit, tea, or salt.
On the arrival of the boys we pushed for-
ward toward Independence Bay over
most unpromising region, up and down
steep Slopes through boulder streWn
gorges, lifting, pushing, almost carrying
sledge and load, double banking some
times travelling for hundreds of yards on
sharp, snow free rocks, and breaking the
sledge every few hours. The almost COM
plete absence of snow on the land was ex-
tremely annoying.
AT INDEPENDENTS BAY.
At the end of four days we reached the
precipitous shore completely exhausted.
The last pair of ski and the last WOOD
had been used in repairing our sledge'
which was already nearly worn out. VI
Oil we had something over gallon the
tins having been broken and much OF 1T
lost by the capsizing of the sledges and
contact with rocks. Nearly all our foot
gear was cut to pieces by the sharp
stones
The next stage of the journey was en-,
tirely impracticable for sledges. and
everything must be backed down the
J steep shore bluffs, then over three or four
miles of crevasSe riyen glacier before
| rea ching the bay ice. In our present con
dition we were not equal to the task. We
! must have rest before advancing further,
and to insure rest we must have more
! musk oxen. We turned back to hunt
!; for them, but careful search failed to
discover them or any fresh tracks Our
attack and scent and the sound OF our
pack of dogs had evidently driven them
completely out of the region, and there
was nothing left for us but retreat while
yet our dogs were in fair condition. The
snow on the land, scapt when we arrived,
had been rapidly disappearing since, and
at least half of the return journey to the
moraine was made over bare rocks This
soon destroyed the sledge completely, and
the load was transported the remalnln
rolled up in musk oxskins, and dragged
by the dogs This consumed six days.
THE HOMEWARD MARCH.
At the moraine Henson constructed a
small sledge from pair Of ski left there
for that purpose, and by a forced march
reached our cache, thirty-fve miles in
!, land in spite of snow storm. I had
| MI do md Civ 9
of musk OK meat for them.
For ourselves I had seventeen days
!, rations of raw venison. We were most
fortunate in having favorable weather.
Snow shoes were used continuously, the
slsdge runners were iced twice day,
!, much of our yenison was fed to the dogs,
and every expedient known to the
| Eskimos was resorted to facilitate our
progress. In spite of two days delay
from illness and one from untavorable
weather, the Lodge was reached June 25,
in the twenty-five marches. One dog
reached the Lodge with u.s. The last of
our provisions were consumed at the be-
ginning of the last march, twenty one
miles from the Lodge.
, For some ten days after our return all
of US were in debilitated condition.
troubled with swollen feet and legs,
shortness of breath, and constant
diarrhoea.
ARRIVAL OF THE KITE
From this we gradually recovered. The
Kite arrived in Whale Sound on July 81,
but the ice prevented her from entering
Bowdoin Bay. Messrs. Diebitsch and
Salisbury reached the Lodge overland
from Mccormick Bay Ito the north of the
camp on August g. Lee, Hanson, and
returned with them on the following day,
and the Kite imn ediately proceeded to
Karnah, where l took on crew of
natives for walrus hunting in Murchison
Sound, then to Littleton Island and
Cape Sabine Tin Smith Sound. further
north). thence back to Vale Sound. We
were able to enter Falcon Harbor on
August II. From here an attempt was
made to reach the head of Inglefeld Gulf
for deer but the ice prevented and the
Kite entered Olriks Bay. From here we
recrossed the gulf to Karnah again and
thence to Wolstenholme Sound, where a
number Of large bull walrus were OBJ
tanned. From Wolstenholme Sound we
went south to Cape York, and the ice
vanced eastward into Melville Bay to tho
Loon Mountains, where the two
meteorites, the woman and the 'sdog, !"
which for ages furnished the ancestors of
the Whale Sound ESk1mOS with iron for
their knives wero by Mr.. Diebitsch's
skill dragged over one and one-half miles
of rock, glacier, and floating ice, and
safely embarked. The larger weighs
about three tons
Returning to Camp York the Kite. on
September l, steamed west for Jones'
Sound, which was penetrated to the edge
of the heavy ice. Twenty miles
west of Coburg Island numerous traces
of Esl<imO were fOuO0
We next steamed down the we st side
and south of Lancaster Sound. We spoke
the whaling fleet, visited an Eskimo
village at Dexterity harbor, and steamed
across for Godhaven, but were caught in
the middle pack and held for two days.
} We reached Disco on September II, sailed
on the 18th, touched Turnavik, Labrador
on the 18th, and arrived in St. Johns on
the 21st.
The season has not been severe one in
} the Smith Sound region. If it had not
been for the loss of my provisions
should have accomplished my purpose.
No man could have been more fortunate
In having two such loyal, brave, and
sturdy comrades as stood by melee, as
} full of sa nd as one of his own Connecti-
L L