276 GREENLAND 



Brainard, and the Eskimo went on with the dog-sledge. 

 Cape Britannia was reached on the 5th of May, and 

 on the 13th they camped at Lock wood Island, and 

 there, for the first time, Americans reached a farthest 

 north. 



" I decided to make this cape my farthest," reported 

 Lockwood, "and to devote the little time we could 

 stay to determining accurately my position, if the 

 weather would allow, which seemed doubtful. We 

 built a large, conspicuous cairn, about six feet high 

 and the same width at the base, on the lower of two 

 benches. After repitching the tent Sergeant Brainard 

 and I returned to the cairn, and collected in that 

 vicinity specimens of the rocks and vegetation of the 

 country, the sergeant making almost all the collection. 

 We ascended without difficulty to a small fringe of 

 rocks, which seemed from below to form the top. The 

 ascent, at first very gradual, became steeper as we went 

 up, but we had no difficulty, as for some distance below 

 the summit the surface is covered with small stones, 

 as uniform in size, position, etc., as those of a macadam- 

 ised road. Reached the top at 3.45 p.m. and unfurled 

 the American flag (Mrs. Greely's) to the breeze in 

 latitude 83 24' N. (according to last observation). The 

 summit is a small plateau, narrow, but extending back 

 to the south to broken, snow-covered heights. It com- 

 manded a very extended view in every direction. The 

 barometer, being out of order, was not brought along, 

 so I did not get the altitude. The horizon on the land 

 side was concealed by numberless snow-covered moun- 

 tains, one profile overlapping another, and all so merged 

 together, on account of their universal covering of 



