292 FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE NORTH [April 



reach the sea. At the extreme head, a glacier recedes 

 in a gentle incline straight into the west to lose its out- 

 lines in the blue of the sky. What a magnificent 

 highway! And how I longed for time to go on and 

 up and over and down into that western musk-ox 

 country ! 



Picking up our loads at the mouth of the inlet, we 

 headed north for the pass through the hills of Cape Her- 

 schel. As the dogs, dragging their heavy loads, started 

 up the slope with ease, I thought of Rice, Frederick, and 

 Lynn of the Greely party, trying in vain to drag their 

 frozen companion, Elison, up over the hill on November 

 10, 1883. Here they camped in a northerly gale, with the 

 temperature at twenty-two below zero, while Rice hurried 

 on to Camp Clay for help. 



Not only were Elison's hands and feet frozen, but his face was 

 frozen to such an extent that there was but httle semblance of hu- 

 manity in the poor fellow as he was dragged through the narrow door 

 of our wretched hut that November night. He begged piteously 

 for death the first week. — Greely. 



It seems fitting that this pass should be known as the 

 Elison Pass, in memory of the man who suffered so 

 heroically for months to come, and who was courageous 

 to the last. 



On Friday, April 6th, North Pole Day, we camped in 

 Peary's old hut at Cape Sabine. With a heavy wind 

 and drift, and the thermometer at sixteen below, we 

 soon despaired of ever making it a home, even with three 

 Primus stoves going full blast. There was far more 

 prospect of comfort in walking than in accepting the 

 hospitality of such a shack. I visited and photo- 

 graphed the English cairn of 1875 on Brevoort Island. 



