The San Francisco call., 1898-04-09

snow knife for while. We got around the water after a long time, reaching land just at dark and were glad to camp.
 We travelled on the edge of the ice on October 31 and made good progress. We made about twenty-five miles on November l. That night heavy gale came on from the northeast together with a snow storm, so did not preah camp the next day, but started carry on the Sd, and about 10 a. m. came 10 deserted Indian village.
 The natives had no doubt gone off on a deer hunt. found an old ax in one of the shacks which 1 appropriated, leaving in it's place couple or boxes oI cartridges, which is the best legal ten der in that section. We Kept traVeilnS that day until 5 p. m., when we asalh struck open water and had to come back for over three miles before we could get back to the beach again, where we camped.
 On November 4, seeing open water, we started to cross the mountains. We made nearly fifteen miles that day, but the next, working from early morning until late at night, we only made few miles. and had to unload the sled sev- eral times and pack the load on our backs.
 On the 9th we saw that the ice foe had drifted back to the shore, and we worked our way down the mountain toward the ice. In places found 1t so steep we had to use rope and slacken the sled down. We even took advantage of the head wind by putting the sail up, so as to keep it back. If the sled had got the start on us it would have been dashed to pieces on the rocks below and our trip would have been failure.
 We were over eight hours in getting onto the foe. The ice was very rough and we did not make over five miles, although we travelled as long as we could see.
 Stayed in camp the next day, as the natives were very tired and l was afraid the dogs would give out. They were getting somewhat footsore.
 On the Sth we started again, the wind blowing fresh from the northeast, and getting stronger and stronger. We made for shore about p. m. By this time the wind had turned into a blizzard. It was impossible to pitch our tent and so made a snow house. It was the first I had made and the natives knew more about it than l did. but we start ed a hole into the snowbank until we could work on the inside and kept on scooping the snow out and until it was large enough to accommodate our gebt oh the temperature must have been a way below freezing we felt very comforta- ble and all had a good nights rest.
 The wind died away and at 10 a. m. we commenced our travels again. We did not stop until nearly midnight.
 Our stock of provisions was now about exhausted. We reached a native village just back of Cape Lisburne and bartered some cartridges, powder and lead for a small seal, which furnished the supper and breakfast for our selves and dogs. The natives at this point will have a hard time this win ter. as the changeable winds have made the ice so unsafe that they do not dare venture out any distance on it to shoot seal, which is about their only means of support.
 On the morning of the 10th we broke camp. We had no provisions left.
 We started over the mountains, trav- cling until late, when we pitched our tent, suffering agonies from hunger. The next morninp we worked our way toward the beach to see if we could get a seal The travelling that day was about the worst we had yet encoun- tered, the ice being full of hummocks and jagged. We even had to fill in some places with ice so as to run the sled over. In other places we had to unload the sled and pack our outfit for a short distance around the rocks. We must have unloaded the sled ten times that day.
 A little before dark we saw seal and shot him, but he drifted away from us. We pitcLed camp, and I took a chew of tobacco, frightened my belt up and called it square meal.
 The next morning we found that all our dogs had left us. After looking around little we saw their tracks on which l figured was about twenty-eight miles from our camp. I slung the sack of mail over my shoulders, and leaving thu outfit we started after the dogs, it being my intention if I did not find