The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-10-14
Of THE FAR NORTH
A Story That Is as Fas-
cinating as If Taken From
the arabian Nights" ~

nc" road through the Jagged ice for
| the first hundred miles or so and then
cross the big lead.
On the last day of February Bart
| lett, with his pioneer division. accom-
piished this, and his division got away
que n over the ice on March /
The remainder of the party got away
on Bartletts trail, and | followed an
hour later
The party now comprised 7 members
oi the expedition, IL Eskimos, 1873
dogs and 10 sledges. One Eskimo and
seven dogs had gone to pieces.
A strong easterly wind, drifting
snow and temperature in the minus
marked our departure from the camp
at Cape Columbia, which I had chris.
tened Crane City. Rough ice in the
first march damaged several sledges
and smashed two beyond repair. the
teams going back to Columbia for other
sledges in reserve there.
We camped ten miles from Crane
City. The easterly wind and low tenn
perature continued. In the second
march we passed the British record
made by Markham in May, 1862. 20
and We're stopped by open water,
which had been formed by the wind
after Bartlett passed. In this march
we negotiated the lead and reached
Bartlett's third camp. Borup had gone
back from here, but missed his way,
owing to the faulting of the trail by
the movement of the ice.
Marvin came back also for more fuel
and alcohol. The wind continued
forming open water all about us. At
the end of the fourth march we came
upon Bartlett, who had been stopped
by wide lake Of open water. We re-
manned here from March to March II.
At noon of March 5 the sun, red and
shaped like football by excess of
reflection, just raised itself above the
horizon for a few minutes and then
disappeared again. 1t was the first
time had seen it since Oct 1.
| now began to feel good deal of
anxiety because there were no signs
of Marvin and BOrup, who should
have been there for two days. Besides,
they had the alcohol and oil, which
were Indispensable for us. We con-
Guided that they had either lost the
trail or were imprisoned ON an island
by open water, probably the latter
Across Eighty fourth Parallel.
Fortunately, on March II the lead
was practicable, and, leaving a note
for Marvin and BOrup to push on after
us by forced marches, we proceeded
northward. During this march we
crossed the eightyfourth parallel and
fro, nf inc
leads from few hundred yards to a
mile in width.
On the 18th we got free of the leads
and came on decent going. While we
were making camp courier from
Marvin came and informed me he was
on the march in the rear The tenn
perature was SO below.
The following morning, March IA, I
sent Hansen with his division north
to pioneer a trail for five marches, and
DR. Goodsell, according to the program,
started back to Cape Columbia At
night Marvin and Borup came spin
ming in with their men and dogs steam
ing in the bitter air like a squadron
of batt1eships. Their arrival relieved
me of all anxiety as to our oil supply.
In the morning l discovered that Nc
Millan's foot was badly frostbitten.
The mishap had occurred two or three
days before, but Mcmillan had said
nothing about 1t in the hope that it
would come out all right. A glance at
the injury showed me that the only
thing was to send him back to Cape
Columbia at once The arrival of Mar
vim and Borup enabled me to spare
sufficient men and dogs to go back
with him.
This early loss of Mcmillan was Sc
riously disappointing to me. He had
a sledge all the way from Cape Column
bia, and with his enthusiasm and the
powers and physique of the trained
athlete l had confidence in him for at
least the eighty-siXth parallel, but
there was no alternative.
The best sledges and dogs were Sc
lected and the sledge loads brought up
$ the standard. The sounding gave
depth of 325 fathoms. We were over
the continental shelf, and, as l had
surmised, the successive leads crossed
in the fifth and sixth marches COM
posed the big lead and marked the
| continental shelf.
On leaving this camp the expedition
| comprised 1G men, II sledges and 100
| dogs. The next march was satisfac-
| tory as regards distance and character
| of going. In the latter part there
were pronounced movements in the
| ice, both visible and audible. Some
| leads were crossed, in one of which
/ Borup and his team took bath, and
we We're finally stopped by an imprac-
ticable lead opening in front of us.
| We camped in temperature of 50
| below. At the end of two short
marches we came upon Hansen and
his party in camp. mending their
| sledges. We devoted the remainder OF
the day to overhauling and mending
sledges and breaking DIP our damaged
| ones for material.
The next morning 1 put Marvin in
| the lead to pioneer the trail, with in
structions to make two forced marches
| to bring up our average, which had
been cut down by the last two short
| ones. Marvin carried out his in
| structions implicitly. A considerable
amount of young ice assisted in this.
At the end of the tenth march, lati-
tude 1923. Borup turned back in COM
mand of the second supporting party,
having travelled distance equivalent
to Nansens distance from this far to
his farthest north.
From this point the expedition COM
prised Is men, 10 sledges and 40 dogs.
1t was necessary for Marvin to take
sledge from here. and / put Bartlett
and his division in advance to pioneer
| the trail.
The continual daylight enabled me to
make a moderation here that brought
my advance and main parties closer to-
gether and reduced the likelihood Of