136 FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE NORTH [Jan. 



eluded to let him fight for his life, outside with the dogs, 

 by eating dung and refuse. This he succeeded in doing, 

 scouring the hills for rabbit-droppings and whatever he 

 could snatch from the dogs. His head is covered with 

 scars inflicted in his struggles about the door for what- 

 ever was thrown from the entrance. 



In the mail-pouch going south was a letter to the 

 American Museum requesting that a ship should be 

 sent in 1915 to transport the Crocker Land Expedition 

 back to civilization, according to our agreement, in case 

 Crocker Land failed to exist. I now placed two other 

 letters, one to the Museum, stating that I would remain 

 another year in the Arctic alone and independent of 

 help from the Museum; and the other to my friend, 

 M. J. Look, of Kingston, New York, requesting that he 

 should send me provisions in case the Museum failed 

 to do so. 



It was now so late in the year that, should I go on 

 ind be delayed in returning, all our plans for spring work 

 would be jeopardized. Ekblaw's plans, which I had 

 promised to aid in every way, must be carried out. 

 It was his wish to study the geology of Ellesmere and 

 Axel Heiberg Lands and thereby solve some very im- 

 portant scientific questions. His route, as projected, 

 lay across Smith Sound to the head of Flagler Bay; 

 thence over the heights of Ellesmere Land to Bay Fiord; 

 up Eureka Sound to the Greely Fiord; and on to the 

 Lake Hazen region in Grant Land; then returning via 

 Fort Conger, Kennedy Channel, and the Kane Basin. 

 By going back now and putting my dogs in condition, 

 I would be able to furnish him with a good team, even 

 though Tanquary should fail to arrive with the dogs 

 ordered from southern ports. 



