Evening journal., 1909-10-09

atmospheric unrest was added the insts-
oiity of broken ice and the depressing
mystery Of an unknown position. For
many days no observations had been nos.
sible and our location could only be
guessed at
The maddening struggle was daily
forced, while the spirits were pressed 10
the verge of extinction Now that the
object Of our trip had been accomplished
much Of the incentive was gone. At times
it seemed as if our lifes work had been
accomplished. and to have lain down for
the hnal sleep would have been easy. but
the feeble fires Of the homing passion
kept the eye open.
At the Eighty-fOurth Parallel.
\ On May "a the sky cleared long enou~b
70 give Us a set of observations We
were on the eighH-four parallel. near
the ninety-seventh meridian. The new
lands were hidden behind a low mist.
The ice was much crevassed and drifted
eastward. Many open spaces of water
were noted in the west by patches Of
water sky.
i The pack was sufficiently active TO give
us considerable anxiety, though pressure
lines and open water did not at the time
seriously impede our progress.
There remained on the sleds scarcely
enough food to reach our caches. unless
we averaged fifteen miles daily. On the
return from the pole TO here we had only
been able TO make twelve miles dailv.
Now our strength, even under fair con-
4 dihons, did not seem to be equal to more
than ten miles. The outlook was far from
hopeful to me, though the sightNof the
cleared sky infused new courage Ninto
/ Etukhishuk and Abwelab.
Trying TO make the best of our. kali
lot straight course was set for the
musk OK lands of the inner crossing
; At the eighty-third parallel we found
2 ourselves to the west of a large tract
lextending southwark. The ice changed
to small fields The temperature rose TO
zero and persistent mist obscured the
heavens.
With a few lines on paper 10 register
the life of suffering, the food for man
! and dog was reduced to a three-ouarter
ration, while the difficulties of ice travel
rose TO disheartening heights.
: At the end Of struggle Of twenty
days through thick fog the sky cleared
and We found ourselves far down IN
Grown Prince Gustav Sea, with open
water and impossible small ice as a bar
rier between US and Heiberg Island.
with the return 70 Annootok rendered
impossible by the unfortunate westerly
drift our only alternative was to 90 south
with the ice. We hoped in this course
to hnd 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 20
Greenland, and by this route hoped that
] could return to Europe during the same
year. 1905.
Passing through Hassel Sound between
the Ringnes Lands bears and seals were
secured, and slowly we moved southwark
over Norwegian Bay into Wellington
Channel. The ice was small, there wac
much open water and progress was slow.
but the drift carried us along.
4 Crossed TO Jones sound.
At Pioneer Bay we were stopped by n
Jam Of small ice over which shedding 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 progen-
itors, the wolves.
One eled was left here, the other was
taken apart and placed in the boat. Then
followed long and perilous adventure
by boat and sled, during which our last
ammunition was expended in securing
birds for food. After that by looped
lines and slingshots birds were still cap
tured.
Early in September we were beset on
the shores of Bafin Bay with neither
food, fuel nor ammunition. New imple-
ments were shaped. and we returned
westward to Cape sparbo, to seek place
to pitch a winter camp.
! An underground den was built OF
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 19OS-19O9
were spent preparing food and equipment
for the return.
On February IS. 1909, we started with
a remodelled sled snd reached our canp
at Annootok in the middle of Aprii
, Here I met Mr.. Harry Whitney and told
him Of our conquest of the pole
Because a ship was TO come after Mr..
Whitney TO take him direct to home
shores. most Of my instruments were in
! trusted 10 his care. Anxious 70 gain a
few months in the return home, / pro-
ceeded by sled over land and sea south
ward to Upernavik and from there on
ward 10 Copenhagen by Danish steamers.
The End