NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



to the two expeditions have been placed side by 

 side, studding and boards from our lumber supply 

 have been laid across them and secm'ely lashed. As 

 soon as this improvised lighter has been loaded the 

 crew, two Eskimos, and members of both expedi- 

 tions pile on and are towed swiftly to the landing 

 behind the motor-sailer. 



No sooner are we on shore, however, than we are 

 fiercely attacked by swarms of mosquitoes, and 

 though we have come provided with insect-proof 

 tents, head-nets, gauntlets, and mosquito dope, it 

 is not possible to get out at once these necessities 

 of any Greenland or in fact Arctic adventure. 

 Wherever there have been glaciers basins of water 

 have been left behind for the breeding of mosqui- 

 toes and other insect pests. On this Greenland 

 coast the black fly and the little sand flies called by 

 the Canadian-Indians "no-see-ums", are especially 

 abundant and for a portion of the season all these 

 insect pests are found together. 



For a second load on the lighter our drums of 

 gasoline weighing nearly a ton are set ashore and 

 with some difficulty are rolled up the bank and left 

 above high water mark. The last load is put on 

 in some haste and it is not possible to make sure 

 that all our supplies have been removed. In ad- 

 dition to the stores of the two expeditions the Mor- 



22 



