Norwich bulletin., 1909-10-09

miles daily. Now our strength. even under fair conditions, did not seem to be equal to more than ten miles. The outlook was far from hopeful to me, though the sight of the cleared sky infused new courage into Etukhistul1 and Ahewelah
 Trying to make the best of our hard lot, a straight course was set for the musk OK lands of the inner crossing.
 At the eiShty-third parallel we found ourselves to the west of a large tract extending southwaTd. The ice changed to small fields. The tempera- ture rose to zero and persistent mist obscured the heavens.
 With a few lines on paper to regis ter the life of suffering, the food for man and log was reduced to three quarter ration, while the difficulties of ice travel rose to disheartening heights.
 At the end of a struggle of twenty days through thick fog the sky clear ed and we found ourselves far down in Crown Prince Gustav Sea, with open water and impossible ice as a barrier between us and Heiberg Island
 With the return to Annootolz rem dered impossible by the unfortunate westerly drift. our only alternative was to g. south with the ice. We hoped in this course to find game for food and fuel The Scottish whalers enter Lancaster Sound and touch at Port Leopold. The distance to this point was shorter than that to Greenland, and by this route I hoped that I could return to Europe during the same year. 1908.
 Passing through Hassel Sound be- tween the Ringnes Lands bears and seals were secured, and slowly we moved southward over Norwegian Bay into Wellington Channel. The ice was small, there was much open water and progress was slow, but the drift car ried us along.
 At Pioneer Bay we were stopped by jam of small ice over which sledding was impossible. Unable to wait for the ice 10 move because no large game was here secured, we crossed in early July to Jones Sound. Here again no big game was found. There was much open water and the folding canvas boat was spread for use.
 Unable to feed the dogs, they were given the freedom Of their wild pro- genitors, the wolves.
 One sled was left here, the other was taken apart and placed in the boat. Then followed a long and peril ous adventure by boat and sled, dur ing which our last ammunition was expended in securing birds for food. After that. by looped lines and sling shots birds were still captured.
 Early in September we were beset on the shores of Baffin Bay with nei. ther food, fuel nor ammunition. New implements were shaped, and we re- turned westward to Cape Sparbo to seek place to pitch a winter camp.
 An. underground den was built os stones, bones and turf, and with our primitive weapons we fought the wal rus, the bear. the musk OK and other animals. Thus food fuel and skins were secured and death by famine was averted.
 The winter and the night of 190S- 1909 were spent preparing food and equipment for the return.
 On February IS, 1909, we started with a remodelled sled and reached our camp at Annootok in the middle of April. Here I met Mir. Harry Whit ney and told him of our conquest of the pole.
 Because ship was to come after MT. Whitney to take him direct to home shores, most of my instruments were intrusted to his care. Anxious to gain a few months in the return home, I proceeded by sled over land and sea southward to Upernavik and from there onward to Copenhagen by Danish steamers,