Belle Isle Strait in the dark, the Tyrian was headed south on her 

 400 odd miles of return to Sydney. 



On September 18 Peary in the Roosevelt set out for Sydney, 

 having given orders to time the ship to arrive there about eleven 

 in the morning of Tuesday, September 21. 



In the meanwhile, however, the inhabitants of Sydney and the 

 crowds of visitors grew more and more impatient at the delay 

 day by day. But their impatience was as nothing to that of Mrs. 

 Peary and her two children. Every one in the town took a close 

 and almost proprietary interest in them, since several times before 

 they had seen Mrs. Peary waiting there for her husband to come 

 down out of the North. 



On the twentieth great excitement prevailed in Sydney. Peary 

 was expected to land that day. Reports that the Roosevelt was 

 on the bar aroused the citizens at seven o'clock in the morning, 

 and from that time the whole city was on edge for Peary's arrival. 

 On both sides of the harbor there was little to be seen but a mass 

 of bunting, and crowds of people thronged the waterfront anx- 

 iously awaiting the news that the Roosevelt had been sighted off 

 the entrance. Many times the rumor spread, but always there 

 came the same answer from the Low-point signal station: "Noth- 

 ing to be seen of the Roosevelt yet." 



Just as impatience had reached its height a cable message came 

 announcing that the awaited ship had come to anchor off St. 

 Paul's Island, a point 70 miles distant, and that the vessel would 

 not reach Sydney until 9 o'clock on the following morning. 



The Roosevelt remained at anchor till 8.30 o'clock that night, 

 and only then began working her way slowly down the Cape 

 Breton coast. Later on, Sydney realized that it had only itself 

 to blame. For it then recalled the fact that Peary had promised 

 the citizens that he would arrive there on Tuesday. It was now 

 apparent that the Roosevelt had purposely been halted off St. 

 Paul's Island, to remain there until such time as would bring her 

 into Sydney on the promised hour on Tuesday morning. 





