NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS 



were already low on fuel, so instead of returning 

 to the coast and following the shore northward 

 they decided to fly along the ice margin direct 

 toward Camp Lloyd. 



As they passed in rapid succession over ice 

 tongues, deep-walled valleys, and high rock ridges 

 athwart their course, the air was so "bumpy" that 

 they could hardly keep their seats in the plane. 

 At one place the plane dropped suddenly about 

 1000 feet. Coming then over the broad inner por- 

 tion of the Knud Rasmussen ice-arm, they found, 

 as had been promised them, that a southwest wind 

 was blowing down the slope and at this time it 

 proved to have a force of about sixty miles per 

 hour. This carried them rapidly on their course 

 flying at an altitude of 5500 feet and only about 

 300 feet above the ice. Favorable as this wind 

 was for them, it could not fully make up for all 

 the gasoline spent on the wide detour, and so with 

 only five gallons of gasoline remaining when they 

 had got over the ice-arm and were about 75 miles 

 from the landing field prepared for them, they 

 decided to try to come down on the ice-cap. It is 

 disheartening to recall that had they known all 

 the conditions they could probably have reached 

 our landing field with the fuel supply still remain- 

 ing in the tank. We were waiting for them on the 



280 



