1914] IN SEARCH OF CROCKER LAND 55 



tions for longitude, latitude, and azimuth could not be 

 in error with such a valuable assistant. These two men 

 were immediately supplied with dog-teams, and prepara- 

 tions were made for a second attempt. 



Walrus meat is without question the very best of 

 food upon which to condition a Smith Sound dog. Our 

 Eskimos were sent to Peteravik, the site of the annual 

 spring encampment of the natives, with orders to kill 

 walrus and trade for as much meat as possible. It was 

 very hard to be patient as I watched those precious days 

 passing away one by one; days which were added to the 

 other end of our journey — the doubtful end because of 

 uncertain ice conditions in Smith Sound. The dogs were 

 getting stronger, however, and would, I felt sure, make 

 up during the warmer months for time lost now. 



On March 10th four heavily loaded teams sped out 

 of Etah with instructions to the drivers to proceed to 

 Cape Sabine, encamp, thaw out the frozen walrus meat 

 on their sledges, cut it up, and have all ready for our 

 arrival the following day. Although the 11th was not 

 favorable for traveling — a gale from the north, with 

 drifting snow and the thermometer at thirty-one below 

 zero — we felt that not a day should be lost, as it was now 

 late in the year for a 1,200-mile trip, 300 miles of which 

 were over the ice of the Polar Sea, which would soon be 

 breaking up. That night frost-bitten cheeks attested 

 to the severity of the weather. Another run across the 

 Sound in six hours brought us to the hut at Payer Har- 

 bor, where the Eskimos greeted us with the cry, "We 

 have killed a bear!" This was good news, not so much 

 because we needed the meat, but for the spirit of good- 

 fellowship which always follows a killing when on the 

 trail. 



