APPENDIX II 339 



seven-thirty the next morning we hit the trail. As dur- 

 ing the later part of the preceding day's march, our way 

 lay in a belt of smooth, hard ice between the old, very 

 rough ice of last year and the open water. The snow 

 upon the ice was flat-packed, and rippled slightly by the 

 wind, just the kind most favorable to the dogs. The 

 day was cold, clear, and sunshiny, and we made ex- 

 cellent time to Cape Sabine, where we camped at Igloo- 

 suah, Peary's old headquarters on Payer Harbor. A 

 year before I had come into Igloosuah on my way home 

 to Etah, discouraged because I could not accompany 

 MacMillan and Fitz to Crocker Land, both my feet 

 frozen, and my body worn by pain and exhaustion. 

 Now I was in the best of health and condition, con- 

 fident of accomplishing my purpose and achieving my 

 aim. 



We stayed at Igloosuah until the forenoon of the 30th, 

 feeding our dogs to constant satiety upon the walrus and 

 narwhal meat that Fitz and the Eskimos had cached 

 there the preceding summer. We were very comfortable 

 in the old shack that is all that is left of Peary's station, 

 for we could not heat it so much that the frost and 

 snow melted and wet and dampened our clothes, as 

 had been the case when I had been there several times 

 before. The Eskimos were surprised that we found no 

 trace of bear, for this was one of the favorite haunts of 

 old white bruin, and we were the first party to come to the 

 place that season. 



The drive around Pim Island through Rice Strait was 

 anything but pleasant. Though the sun shone clear, 

 the wind blew cold and strong, di'iving the steel-sharp, 

 steel-cold snow before it like so many tiny daggers that 

 cut the face mercilessly and slowed down our dogs. 



