1914] IN SEARCH OF CROCKER LAND 59 



We felt, as we packed our sledges on the morning of 

 the 20th, that our troubles were over. The crest of the 

 glacier was but a few miles beyond. In a few hours 

 we commanded a good view of this western land, with 

 its towering snow-capped peaks, its deep valleys and 

 winding glaciers, and far to the west, dimly outlined in 

 the haze, we could make out the smooth ice of Eureka 

 Sound. Our glacier led straight on into the west down 

 through a magnificent range of hills into which no man 

 had ever penetrated. Reluctantly we left this long, 

 white path for a valley leading to the northwest and 

 more in line with our course to the Polar Sea. 



Our Eskimos were determined to make Bay Fiord in 

 one march, so we toiled on for sixteen hours, first down 

 into what appeared to be the old bed of a lake, and 

 then making the mistake of turning to the right instead 

 of to the left, which led us along the sloping side of a 

 glacier through deep snow, concealing crevasses into 

 which our dogs fell repeatedly, warning us against a 

 similar fate. We reached the face of the glacier, tired 

 and hungry, but although we searched long and earnest- 

 ly, we failed to find any part of it which would permit 

 a descent without risk of life. Finally, Pee-a-wah-to 

 returned with the encouraging news that he had dis- 

 covered an old river-bed through which we might pos- 

 sibly lower everything with ropes. 



At daylight we inspected the ravine in the ice, cut 

 by running water during the spr ng. Fortunately its 

 bottom was covered with about a loot of compact snow 

 which enabled us to keep our footing while working 

 with the dogs, sledges, and ropes. A long strong rope 

 made from the heavy skin of the thong seal (Erignathus 

 harhatus) was fastened to an eye cut in the solid blue 



