160 PEARY'S FARTHEST NORTH OF 1905-6 



Arctic area. Here, steaming at full speed through the heavy floes, 

 they "fairly hurled the 'Roosevelt' into a shallow nook on the face 

 of the ice-foot under the point of Cape Sheridan, just as the polar 

 pack closed in compactly against the shore." 



It was an exposed position, but no effort they could make was 

 able to carry the ship farther, and her destruction here seemed immi- 

 nent when, on the evening of September i6th, a heavy floe came 

 sweeping round the cape and pressed against the vessel with terrific 

 force. For the moment all seemed at an end. The ribs and bracing 

 of the "Roosevelt" cracked like volleys of musketry. The main 

 deck bulged upwards several inches and the masts and rigging shook 

 as if in a violent gale. Then, with a mighty tremor, the ship jumped 

 upward over the interior ice and the great floe moved onward, 

 groaning and crumbling, leaving the ship stranded but safe. 



To avoid danger of a new crush that might grind the ship to 

 powder, the supplies and equipment and a large quantity of the coal 

 were hastily landed and a camp made on shore for the winter now 

 close at hand. A season of hunting followed, successful hunting, as 

 it proved. A large number of Arctic hares were first obtained. 

 Then a hunt for musk oxen proved very successful, and by the ist 

 of November about two hundred and fifty of these fine food animals 

 had been secured. The party revelled in fresh meat. Another inter- 

 esting animal was met with, a species of Arctic reindeer which Peary 

 had discovered in 1902, a magnificent, snow-white animal, with 

 splendid, branching antlers. Of these more than fifty were secured. 

 Yet one serious misfortune came upon them. The whale meat which 

 had been depended upon for dog food proved poisonous and about 

 eighty of these animals died before the cause of their death was 

 discovered. The remainder of the whale meat was now thrown 

 away, and to save the rest of the dogs it became necessary to find 

 game to carry them through the winter. 



This was done by prospecting the Lake Hazen region to the 

 south, in which many animals were found. During the winter the 



