1917] CAPE SABINE TO CLARENCE HEAD 285 



disastrously to many a man and many a ship in Baffin 

 Bay, where the sluggish compass can hardly be trusted. 



Broken and badly cracked thin ice forced me to the 

 north, where I found such an attractive-looking snow- 

 bank that I was tempted to burrow in for the night — a 

 very comfortable home, when furnished with a good 

 caribou sleeping-bag, a box of biscuit, a six-pound 

 can of pemmican, a Primus stove, and plenty of oil; 

 all these I had on my sledge. The thought, however, 

 of my men arriving on the western shore ahead of me, 

 and their consequent anxiety over my absence, spurred 

 me on. 



One incident of the day amused me. Through a rift 

 in the drift about 200 yards away there appeared to be 

 a number of dogs and sledges. The dogs were asleep; 

 the sledges were partly buried in the snow. Where 

 were the men.? Standing upon my load, I yelled my 

 loudest and vigorously waved both arms without de- 

 tecting the slightest sign of movement. Upon a closer 

 examination, the vision proved to be dirt-covered ice 

 only a few yards away 



At five o'clock in the afternoon I crossed the trail of 

 six sledges going a little north of west — the sledges which 

 had passed our camp the day before. The wind had 

 now abated and there were evidences of clearing weather. 



Within a half-hour black dots could be seen in the 

 distance in addition to the faint outlines of two snow 

 houses. Upon my arrival with clothes and sledge white 

 with snow, amazement was depicted upon every coun- 

 tenance. Although they were only one hour ahead of 

 me, they had experienced no wind or snow whatever. 

 How they laughed upon learning that I had lost my men. 



In the mean time, Arklio, E-took-a-shoo, and Ak-pood- 



