1914] IN SEARCH OF CROCKER LAND 65 



ugly wounds. Skirting the hill, they came upon the 

 animals from the rear, thus cutting off their retreat. 

 At the first report of the rifles three musk-oxen were out- 

 lined against the sky, then four, then five! There was 

 no escape. I knew they were ours. 



The next morning we drove our dogs to the base of 

 the cliff over which the Eskimos had rolled the bodies, 

 and there we had the comforting satisfaction of seeing 

 the dogs eat to repletion. Half the day was consumed 

 in skinning and cutting up these five animals and sledg- 

 ing the meat down to the igloo; therefore we decided 

 to spend the rest of it in drying our boots, skeepskin 

 stockings, and sleeping-bags. 



The following is an extract from my diary: 



Saturday, March 28th. Eighteenth day. — A perfect day and per- 

 fect going enabled us to cover at least twenty-five miles. The whole 

 Sound has been so swept by strong northerly winds that the smooth 

 surface of the new ice is covered with an inch layer of hard snow. 

 Pee-a-wah-to's old rat-tail dogs can smell a seal a mile away; they 

 have kept us on the jump all day. About five miles below here, 

 while resting our dogs, we shot eleven hare, giving three to each 

 team and keeping two for our supper. 



Sunday, March 29th. Nineteenth day. — We are in 80° north lati- 

 tude to-night, having covered a whole degree in two days. Perfect 

 sledging all day long, continuing just as far as we can see. Another 

 large white wolf is added to our game list to-day. We were follow- 

 ing the tracks of a large bear when he jumped out of the ice-foot. 

 These wolves are so large that we were again deceived, judging it to 

 be a bear. My dogs leaped ahead at the sound of Pee-a-wah-to's 

 rifle, arriving in time to see the wolf take to the ice and start for 

 the middle of the Sound, covered with blood. Crawling out to the 

 front of the sledge, I slipped the knot which held the whole team, 

 and away they went at full speed, but before they reached him Pee-a- 

 wah-to fired again, dropping him dead. 



On the way across to Blaamanden to-day a blue fox crossed in 

 front of our teams. Had the fox been going our way we should 

 have made a record march, but as it was he had our ill-will for 

 some hours afterward. To stop or control Eskimo dogs with the 



